Ford Explorer vs Jeep Wrangler: which is more reliable?
The Ford Explorer and the Jeep Wrangler are level on the federal record — 59/100 against 58/100 across the years we score. Which one to buy is decided by the model year, not the badge.
The record, side by side
Ford Explorer
- 15 model years scored
- 14,935 owner complaints on record
- about 117 complaints per year on the road
- 150 recall campaigns, 32 safety-critical
- best year 2019 (82/100) · worst 2020 (28/100)
Jeep Wrangler
- 10 model years scored
- 7,008 owner complaints on record
- about 82 complaints per year on the road
- 78 recall campaigns, 51 safety-critical
- best year 2015 (78/100) · worst 2018 (26/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Explorer against Wrangler
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
| Year | Explorer | Wrangler | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 67 CAUTION | — | — |
| 2024 | 79 BUY | — | — |
| 2023 | 76 BUY | — | — |
| 2022 | 72 BUY | — | — |
| 2021 | 70 BUY | — | — |
| 2020 | 28 AVOID | 38 AVOID | -10 |
| 2019 | 82 BUY | 41 AVOID | +41 |
| 2018 | 71 BUY | 26 AVOID | +45 |
| 2017 | 39 AVOID | 75 BUY | -36 |
| 2016 | 32 AVOID | 71 BUY | -39 |
| 2015 | 50 CAUTION | 78 BUY | -28 |
| 2014 | 60 CAUTION | 71 BUY | -11 |
| 2013 | 38 AVOID | 65 CAUTION | -27 |
| 2012 | 78 BUY | 60 CAUTION | +18 |
| 2011 | 73 BUY | 70 BUY | +3 |
What owners actually complain about
Ford Explorer
- Steering — 3,398 complaints
- Structure — 3,052 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 2,679 complaints
Jeep Wrangler
- Steering — 2,225 complaints
- Electrical System — 1,181 complaints
- Power Train — 1,111 complaints
Both nameplates have Steering as their largest complaint group, so the choice between them is about how often, not about what.
Years to avoid on each
Ford Explorer — avoid: 2013, 2016, 2017, 2020.
Jeep Wrangler — avoid: 2018, 2019, 2020.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Ford Explorer prices at about $40,800 and a Jeep Wrangler at about $28,800 — the Jeep Wrangler is roughly $12,000 less, and they return 20.0 against 20.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Ford Explorer or the Jeep Wrangler more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Ford Explorer scores 59/100 against the Jeep Wrangler's 58/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Ford Explorer and Jeep Wrangler years should I avoid?
Ford Explorer: 2013, 2016, 2017, 2020. Jeep Wrangler: 2018, 2019, 2020. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Ford Explorer and the Jeep Wrangler?
The largest complaint group on the Ford Explorer is Steering (3,398 complaints); on the Jeep Wrangler it is Steering (2,225).
Is the Ford Explorer or the Jeep Wrangler cheaper to own?
A recent used Ford Explorer prices at about $40,800 and a Jeep Wrangler at about $28,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.