Is the Ford Explorer more reliable than the Honda Passport?

No. The Passport has a clear edge. Both stand well, but the Explorer has far more recalls and heavier failures, including engine replacements quoted at $11,000 to $12,000 and harsh or skipped shifts. The Passport's main faults are milder, such as restart trouble after Auto Idle Stop.

Which has more recalls, the Explorer or the Passport?

The Explorer, by a wide margin. Federal recall records show 117 recalls across its 9 model years, against 29 across 8 for the Passport. Two Explorer rear camera recalls, 23V342000 and 25V442000, left owners waiting on parts for the fix.

Which is cheaper to repair, the Explorer or the Passport?

The Passport. Independent repair-cost data estimates $521 a year for it and $732 for the Explorer. Over five years that is roughly $1,055 saved. The Passport does go to the shop a little more often, at 0.3 unscheduled visits a year against 0.2.

What is the biggest problem with the Honda Passport?

Electrical trouble leads, with 123 complaints. The engine can fail to restart after Auto Idle Stop shuts it off at a light, leaving the car stuck until a jump start. Phantom braking is next, with a red BRAKE warning and hard stops with nothing ahead.

Which Ford Explorer years should I avoid?

Avoid 2020 and 2021, the weakest years in the data. The Explorer's main complaint areas are power train shifting faults, loose body trim, and electrical power loss. The 2024 and 2025 models rank strongest, but they are recent and have had less time to collect complaints, so do not treat them as proven.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Ford Explorer vs Honda Passport: Reliability Compared

Ford Explorer

Good

More Reliable

Honda Passport

Good

On reliability, the Honda Passport comes out ahead of the Ford Explorer. Severity decides it. Explorer owners report engine and transmission failures that cost far more to fix, while Passport complaints lean toward stalls at lights and false braking.

How Do the Ford Explorer and Honda Passport Generations Compare?

Older design shapes the early Explorer years on the page. The fifth generation ran 2011 through 2019, with a facelift in 2016, so 2018 and 2019 belong to it. The sixth generation covered 2020 through 2023, and its first two years, 2020 and 2021, are the weakest listed. The generation data lists nothing beyond 2023. For the Passport, the third generation ran 2019 through 2025, with a facelift for the 2022 model year and further changes in 2023 and 2024. Its weakest years, 2019 and 2020, were the first two of that run. A fourth generation began with the 2026 model year.

Verdict

The Honda Passport is more reliable than the Ford Explorer, scoring 74/100 vs 67/100.

Reliability favors the Passport by a clear edge. Both models stand well, but the Explorer carries far more federal recalls, 117 against 29, and costs more to keep on the road. Its worst failures are also heavier: engine replacements quoted at $11,000 to $12,000 and transmissions that slam or skip gears. The Passport visits the shop slightly more often and draws more complaints per vehicle sold, so its lead comes from cost and severity, not from being trouble free.

Key Differences

1Honda Passport costs $211 less per year to repair
2Honda Passport has 88 fewer total recalls
3Honda Passport scores 7 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

2Ford Explorer

—

3Honda Passport

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair Frequency

Ford Explorer vs Honda Passport: Which Is More Reliable?

Ford Explorer vs Honda Passport at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Ford Explorer	Honda Passport
Reliability Score	67/100	74/100
Years Tracked	9	8
Total Recalls	117	29
Complaints per 10k Sold	6.8	11.6
Annual Repair Cost	$732/yr	$521/yr
Repair Frequency	0.2/yr	0.3/yr
Year Wins	1	7

What Are the Common Problems With the Ford Explorer and Honda Passport?

Gears slamming in from a stop, skipped gears, sudden downshifts at speed, and power loss while driving mark the Explorer. Its power train area has 12 crash-linked complaints, against 1 on the Passport. The Explorer also has engine failures with metal in the oil, loose trim such as A-pillar molding, and rear camera recalls with repair parts unavailable. Passport faults are more often an engine that will not restart after Auto Idle Stop, phantom braking, and front rotors wearing out early. One of those false-braking reports is tied to a crash. A $7,700 transmission repair is the Passport's costliest report.

Ford Explorer vs Honda Passport common problem areas comparison
Component	Ford Explorer	Honda Passport
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.7Very Low	2.6Low
POWER TRAIN	1.6Low	1.2Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1.1Low	1.2Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	—None	1.4Low
STRUCTURE	1.1Low	0.2Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.2Very Low	1Very Low
ENGINE	0.4Very Low	0.7Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	—None	0.5Very Low
STEERING	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
BACK OVER PREVENTION	0.2Very Low	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	—None	0.2Very Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	0.1Very Low	—None
SEATS	0.1Very Low	—None
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	0.1Very Low	—None
SUSPENSION	0.1Very Low	—None
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	—None	0.1Very Low
VISIBILITY	—None	0.1Very Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	0.1Very Low
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	0.1Very Low
TIRES	—None	0.1Very Low
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Ford Explorer or Honda Passport?

Repair costs favor the Passport: $521 a year against $732 for the Explorer. That gap is $211 a year, or about $1,055 over five years. The Explorer needs fewer unscheduled shop visits, at 0.2 a year against 0.3 for the Passport, so the Passport means more trips but cheaper ones. Independent repair-cost data puts the chance of a major repair on the Explorer at 14%. Given its engine quotes of $11,000 to $12,000, that risk matters more than the yearly average.

How Does Ford Explorer vs Honda Passport Reliability Compare by Year?

Ford Explorer vs Honda Passport year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Ford Explorer	Honda Passport	Edge
2026	70/1004R / 0C	84/1000R / 0C	Honda Passport
2025	72/10014R / 65C	82/1000R / 11C	Honda Passport
2024	73/1006R / 14C	79/1001R / 12C	Honda Passport
2023	71/10012R / 84C	75/1004R / 24C	Honda Passport
2022	65/10021R / 208C	74/1003R / 45C	Honda Passport
2021	62/10022R / 354C	68/1005R / 119C	Honda Passport
2020	54/10029R / 1066C	68/1008R / 84C	Honda Passport
2019	69/1004R / 252C	59/1008R / 253C	Ford Explorer

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Ford Explorer scored 73/100 and the 2024 Honda Passport scored 79/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Ford Explorer vs the Honda Passport?

Choose the Passport if you want lower running costs and fewer recalls to chase. Its worst reports are stalls at intersections after Auto Idle Stop and false braking, not engine destruction. Avoid 2019 and 2020, its weakest years. The 2025 and 2026 models rank strongest, but they have had less time to collect complaints, so that standing is incomplete. On a test drive, check restarts at a light and how the car brakes on open road. Choose the Explorer only if you find a car with clean records and a calm test drive. Skip 2020 and 2021, the weakest years. The 2024 and 2025 models rank strongest, but they are recent and have had less time to collect complaints. Check that the rear camera recalls 23V342000 and 25V442000 were completed, and watch for harsh or skipped shifts. Confirm engine recall coverage by VIN, since some owners paid for engines when theirs fell outside a recall.

Ford Explorer vs Honda Passport: Common Questions

Is the Ford Explorer more reliable than the Honda Passport?: No. The Passport has a clear edge. Both stand well, but the Explorer has far more recalls and heavier failures, including engine replacements quoted at $11,000 to $12,000 and harsh or skipped shifts. The Passport's main faults are milder, such as restart trouble after Auto Idle Stop.
Which has more recalls, the Explorer or the Passport?: The Explorer, by a wide margin. Federal recall records show 117 recalls across its 9 model years, against 29 across 8 for the Passport. Two Explorer rear camera recalls, 23V342000 and 25V442000, left owners waiting on parts for the fix.
Which is cheaper to repair, the Explorer or the Passport?: The Passport. Independent repair-cost data estimates $521 a year for it and $732 for the Explorer. Over five years that is roughly $1,055 saved. The Passport does go to the shop a little more often, at 0.3 unscheduled visits a year against 0.2.
What is the biggest problem with the Honda Passport?: Electrical trouble leads, with 123 complaints. The engine can fail to restart after Auto Idle Stop shuts it off at a light, leaving the car stuck until a jump start. Phantom braking is next, with a red BRAKE warning and hard stops with nothing ahead.
Which Ford Explorer years should I avoid?: Avoid 2020 and 2021, the weakest years in the data. The Explorer's main complaint areas are power train shifting faults, loose body trim, and electrical power loss. The 2024 and 2025 models rank strongest, but they are recent and have had less time to collect complaints, so do not treat them as proven.

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Decided between Ford Explorer and Honda Passport? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

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How we score the Ford Explorer and Honda Passport

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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