How safe is the Ford Explorer?
Drivers of the 2020–2023 Ford Explorer died at a rate of 26 per million registered vehicle years, 29% lower than the average of 37 for all vehicles. That makes it close to the middle of the pack for driver safety: it ranks 66th of 129 vehicles, safer than 49% of them, whether they're small cars, SUVs, pickups or minivans.
Where the Ford Explorer sits among all 129 vehicles
Ford Explorer (bar is the 95% range)Every other ranked vehicleDashed line: average of 37
The rate is based on plenty of data, so this ranking is reliable.
2WD vs. 4WD
IIHS rates each drivetrain separately. The score above combines them, weighting the version with more data more heavily.
| Version | Deaths* | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| Ford Explorer 2WD | 34 | 16–53 |
| Ford Explorer 4WD | 24 | 16–33 |
Vehicles ranked near the Ford Explorer
These are the vehicles just above and below it on the all-class ranking. Notice they aren't all the same type: the ranking compares every vehicle against every other one. Ranks use each rate after adjusting for how much data is behind it, so a rate of 0 from a few vehicles can rank below a slightly higher rate from many. Why.
| Rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63 | Cadillac XT6 4WDLuxury SUV · Midsize | 23 | 52 |
| 64 | Nissan Pathfinder 4WDSUV · Midsize | 24 | 51 |
| 65 | Ford Transit Connect cargo long wheelbaseLarge van · Very large | 25 | 49 |
| 66 | Ford ExplorerSUV · Midsize | 26 | 49 |
| 67 | Audi Q3 4WDLuxury SUV · Small | 24 | 48 |
| 68 | Jeep Gladiator crew cab 4WDPickup · Small | 26 | 48 |
| 69 | Ram 1500 crew cab long bed 4WDPickup · Large | 25 | 46 |
How it compares with other SUVs
Among the 46 SUVs ranked, the Ford Explorer is 26th. The safest SUVs are below. See all SUVs.
| SUVs rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevrolet Tahoe 4WDSUV · Large | 0 | 100 |
| 2 | Toyota RAV4 Prime Plug-in hybrid 4WDSUV · Small | 5 | 96 |
| 3 | Volkswagen AtlasSUV · Midsize | 6 | 95 |
| 4 | Chevrolet Suburban 1500 4WDSUV · Very large | 6 | 94 |
| 5 | Ford Escape hybridSUV · Small | 7 | 91 |
| 26 | Ford ExplorerSUV · Midsize | 26 | 49 |
Earlier models
In the earlier IIHS study of 2020 models, the Ford Explorer had a driver death rate of 22 (range 0–47) and ranked 50th of 127. The newer rate is higher.
Common questions
Is the Ford Explorer a safe vehicle?
By real-world driver deaths, the Ford Explorer is close to the middle of the pack for driver safety. Its driver death rate of 26 per million registered vehicle years is 29% lower than the average, and it ranks 66th of 129 vehicles across all classes.
How does the Ford Explorer compare with other SUVs?
It ranks 26th of 46 SUVs. The safest is the Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD, with a rate of 0.
Is the 2WD or 4WD Ford Explorer safer?
The 4WD version had the lower driver death rate (2WD: 34, 4WD: 24). Their ranges overlap, so the difference may be down to chance.
Why is this different from the Ford Explorer's crash-test rating?
Crash-test stars only compare vehicles of similar size and weight, so a 5-star small car and a 5-star SUV aren't equally safe. This ranking uses real-world driver death rates, which can be compared across every class.
* Driver deaths per million registered vehicle years. A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year.