2018 Ford Explorer repair manual

2018 Ford Explorer OEM service and repair manual – VIN-specific PDF

The 2018 Ford Explorer factory repair manual, made for your VIN from Ford's factory service data: step-by-step repair procedures, specifications and wiring diagrams for your exact Explorer. The 2018 Explorer was offered with eight engines and two transmissions (listed below); your manual covers the combination your VIN shows.

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Why owners choose factory-manuals.com

• Manufacturer data: written by Ford, not rewritten by a third-party publisher
• Built for your VIN: only the engine, gearbox and options your Explorer actually has
• One payment: no subscription, no login that expires, no monthly fee
• Clickable hyperlinks throughout the PDF: from a repair step straight to the diagram or torque table it mentions, with bookmarks and full-text search on top. Few manuals sold online have this
• Questions answered by a person, not a chatbot, before and after you buy
• Online since 2015, rated a Google Top Quality Store

What this manual has that the owner's manual does not

The owner's manual stops where the repair starts. The factory repair manual picks up from there:

• Owner's manual: controls, warning lights, maintenance schedule, fluid types
• Factory repair manual: removal and installation steps, torque specs, diagnostic trouble codes, wiring diagrams and component locations

Model year 2018 is part of the fifth-generation Explorer (2011–2019). Years of the same generation share most procedures; equipment and electrical details still change from year to year, so the manual follows your VIN.

Engines available for the 2018 Explorer

• 3.5L Ti-VCT
• 2.0L GTDI
• 3.7L Ti-VCT
• 3.5L GTDI
• 2.3L EcoBoost (201kW/273PS)
• 3.5L EcoBoost (257kW/350PS)
• 3.5L Duratec (209kW/284PS)
• 3.7L Duratec (227kW/301PS)

Transmission options

• Automatic Transmission — 6F50/6F55
• Automatic Transmission — 6F35

Not sure which version you have? You don't need to know: the VIN tells us, and the manual is built for it.

Common work on a 2018 Explorer

• Battery, starter and charging faults
• Sensor faults: oxygen, ABS wheel speed, mass air flow
• Door lock actuators and window regulators
• Brake pads, rotors and calipers
• Suspension links, bushings and wheel bearings
• Boost leaks and intercooler hoses
• Turbocharger oil feed and return lines

Recalls and owner complaints for the 2018 Explorer

The U.S. safety agency NHTSA lists 7 safety recalls and 733 owner complaints for the 2018 Explorer. When a part on this list fails out of warranty, the manual shows how to test and replace it.

• Seats: Recliner (campaign 19V633000)
• Fuel System, Gasoline (campaign 18V807000)
• Structure: Body (campaign 21V316000)
• Structure: Roof and Pillars (campaign 24V031000)
• Equipment: Engine Block Heater (campaign 25V685000)
• Suspension: Rear (campaign 26V101000)
• Structure: Body (campaign 26V448000)

Most owner complaints concern: Structure (288), Unknown or Other (168), Engine (95), Electrical System (57), Power Train (50).

Check your VIN: the 10th character is “J” on a 2018 model.

Other years of the same generation: 2011 Explorer, 2012 Explorer, 2013 Explorer, 2014 Explorer, 2015 Explorer, 2016 Explorer, 2017 Explorer, 2019 Explorer.

Other Ford manuals: 2012 Fusion Hybrid, 2026 Mustang GTD, 2005 Thunderbird, 2018 B-Max, 2021 Bronco, 2018 C-Max, 2018 Escape, 2018 Expedition, 2018 F150, 2020 F-600.

What happens after you order

1. We check the VIN.
2. We compile the 2018 Explorer service information for it.
3. You receive one bookmarked, hyperlinked PDF by email in 12–24 hours.

Contents of the 2018 Ford Explorer repair manual

• General Information
• Climate Control System
• Instrumentation & Warning Systems
• Battery & Charging System
• Audio Systems
• Lighting
• Electrical Distribution
• Body - Interior and Exterior
• Frame & Mounting
• Suspension
• Driveline
• Brake System
• Steering System
• Engine Mechanical
• Engine Cooling
• Fuel Charging and Controls
• Starting
• Ignition
• Engine Emission Controls
• Automatic Transmission
• Manual Transmission
• Clutch and Transfer Case
• Exhaust System
• Fuel System
• Introduction
• Symbols
• Connector Repair Procedures
• Aluminum Ground Repair Procedure
• Grounds
• Fuse and Relay Information
• Charging System
• Power Distribution
• Module Communications Network
• Starting System
• Electronic Engine Controls
• Transmission Controls
• Cruise Contro
• Cooling Fan
• Two-Wheel Drive/Four-Wheel Drive Systems
• Shift Interlock

Engines offered for the 2018 Ford Explorer: 

 Engine — 3.5L Ti-VCT 
 Engine — 2.0L GTDI  
 Engine — 3.7L Ti-VCT 
 Engine — 3.5L GTDI 
 Engine - 2.3L EcoBoost (201kW/273PS)
 Engine - 3.5L EcoBoost (257kW/350PS)
 Engine - 3.5L Duratec (209kW/284PS)   
 Engine - 3.7L Duratec (227kW/301PS) 

                  
Transmissions offered for the 2018 Ford Explorer:

 Automatic Transmission — 6F50/6F55 
 Automatic Transmission — 6F35

Your manual is built for the version in your VIN.

Free, by email in 12-24 hours.