Selling a Ford Explorer Sport Trac that won't run

The newest Sport Trac is a 2010 and the oldest a 2001, so most are well past the age where a big repair makes sense. Here is what the NHTSA record shows by year, as downloaded October 10, 2026, and what to check before you sell.

An Explorer with a bed

The Sport Trac was Ford's first mid-size pickup. Every one came from Louisville Assembly in Kentucky.

First generation, 2001-2005. Ford introduced it in February 2000 as an early 2001 model. It used the second-generation Explorer's UN105 platform with the wheelbase stretched from 111.6 inches to 125.9, the same as a Ranger SuperCab, to make room for the bed. The engine was the 4.0-liter Cologne SOHC V6, with a 5-speed manual or a 5R55E automatic.

No 2006. Ford skipped that model year.

Second generation, 2007-2010. The redesign moved to the fourth-generation Explorer's U251 chassis and a 130.5-inch wheelbase. Buyers could pick the 4.0 V6 or the 292 hp 4.6-liter 24-valve V8 used in the F-150, with a 5-speed or 6-speed automatic; the manual was gone. A supercharged 390 hp Adrenalin was planned and cancelled, and from 2008 "Adrenalin" was an option package without the supercharger, like the truck in the photo. Production ended in October 2010.

What owners reported

The file holds 706 complaints. The first two years carry the most: 167 on the 2001 and 144 on the 2002, or 311 of the 706 together. Power train problems lead the file overall at 117 complaints, and they top the list for 2001, 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2010. NHTSA's public file gives the component, not the cause, so these counts don't say which part of the drivetrain failed.

Structure comes second overall, with 64 complaints, 23 of them on the 2001, the year of the hood striker recall below. The 2004 is the odd year out. Its most-named component is the suspension (13), it has 12 air bag complaints, and it reports 14 crashes, more than any year except the 2001.

Seven recalls, year by year

• 2001, hood striker (00V394, November 2000). A wire hood striker could crack from fatigue and let the hood fly open while driving. It covered 137,700 trucks and SUVs; dealers replaced the striker.
• 2001-2002, driver's seat recliner bolt (03V281, August 2003). On high-back seats, the upper bolt holding the recliner to the seat frame could fracture and let the seat back recline, so the driver could lose touch with the wheel or pedals. That campaign covered 1,552,880 vehicles. The fix was a metal spacer and a new bolt.
• 2001, speed control cable (03V280, August 2003). On trucks with the 4.0 SOHC and speed control, a flared cable cover could bind the cable. NHTSA's notice says "braking function would be maintained though stopping distances may be increased." Dealers inspected each cable and replaced it if needed. The campaign counted 448,005 SUVs, and it also covered the Explorer and the Mercury Mountaineer.
• 2001-2002, speed control deactivation switch (07V336, August 2007). Part of Ford's long series of switch recalls: the switch can leak, overheat and start an underhood fire. Dealers fitted a fused wiring harness.
• 2007, steering gear bolts (07V181, April 2007). Only 11 trucks, whose steering gear mounting bolts may have been overtightened.
• 2008 V8, transmission cooler line (07V453, September 2007). On 1,497 vehicles with the 4.6 V8 and 6-speed, a cooler line bolt may not have been torqued, and leaking fluid on the catalytic converter is a fire risk.
• 2010, front seat recliners (10V161, April 2010). Trucks built from December 15, 2009 to February 3, 2010 with manual recliners, among 33,256 Fords and Mercurys. Dealers replaced the recliners.

No recall in the file touches the 2003, 2004, 2005 or 2009.

Complaints by model year

Each complaint is one report to NHTSA against that model year. The crash and fire columns show how many of those reports mention one.

Is it worth fixing?

On a truck this age, the honest test is the repair quote against what a running Sport Trac of the same year brings near you. Once the estimate nears that figure, the fix rarely pays off on a truck this old.

A few specific checks first. If the transmission is slipping or won't engage, our bad transmission guide explains what the symptoms tend to mean. If the truck has been parked for a long time, the car sitting for years guide covers flat tires, a dead battery and lapsed registration. And a quick VIN lookup at NHTSA or a Ford dealer shows whether any of the seven recalls were missed.

How the sale works

1. Collect the details: VIN, mileage, V6 or V8, and what's wrong with it.
2. Get an offer online or by calling (877) 421-6008.
3. Tell us where the truck is parked, say in a driveway, on the street or in a field, and whether it rolls and steers. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Leave it in one piece. Anything already removed belongs on the list you give us, because it affects the offer.
5. Sign the title over when the truck is loaded. Lost title? Start with our no-title guide.

Related Fords: the Explorer, the Ranger and the F-150, or every Ford we cover.