U.S. MARKET · MODEL YEAR REFERENCE
2021 Ford Explorer — Specs & MPG
10 EPA configurations across Rear-Wheel Drive and Part-time 4-Wheel Drive. Explore the available specifications and fuel economy below. Additional NHTSA information is shown only where it has been collected and matched.
Vehicle overview
Model year 2021- Make
- Ford
- Model
- Explorer
- Model year
- 2021
- EPA vehicle classes
- Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
- Fuel types available
- Regular, Gasoline or E85
- Available EPA configurations
- 10
This page describes a model year, not one individual vehicle. Equipment and availability vary by configuration; a single engine or rating does not apply to every Explorer.
Combined economy across configurations
Calculated minimum and maximum from this page’s EPA configurations, grouped by the same fuel and measurement unit. These ranges are not averages or ratings for every vehicle.
Configurations & fuel economy
EPA FuelEconomy.govEPA configurations can differ in engine, drivetrain, trim, or equipment. Use the EPA model name and specifications to identify the appropriate record.
| EPA model / ID | Engine / cylinders | Fuel / technology | Drive / transmission | EPA fuel economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer RWDEPA 43283 (opens in a new tab)Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD | 2.3 L4 cylinders | Regular | Rear-Wheel DriveAutomatic (S10) | Regular Gasoline · MPG21 city / 28 highway / 24 combined Tailpipe CO₂: 373 g/mile |
| Explorer RWDEPA 43284 (opens in a new tab)Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD | 2.3 L4 cylinders | Regular | Rear-Wheel DriveAutomatic 10-spd | Regular Gasoline · MPG21 city / 28 highway / 24 combined Tailpipe CO₂: 373 g/mile |
| Explorer RWDEPA 43285 (opens in a new tab)Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD | 3 L6 cylinders | Regular | Rear-Wheel DriveAutomatic (S10) | Regular Gasoline · MPG18 city / 26 highway / 21 combined Tailpipe CO₂: 431 g/mile |
| Explorer AWDEPA 43288 (opens in a new tab)Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 2.3 L4 cylinders | Regular | Part-time 4-Wheel DriveAutomatic (S10) | Regular Gasoline · MPG20 city / 27 highway / 23 combined Tailpipe CO₂: 386 g/mile |
| Explorer AWDEPA 43289 (opens in a new tab)Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 3 L6 cylinders | Regular | Part-time 4-Wheel DriveAutomatic (S10) | Regular Gasoline · MPG18 city / 24 highway / 20 combined Tailpipe CO₂: 445 g/mile |
| Explorer FFV AWDEPA 43290 (opens in a new tab)Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 3.3 L6 cylinders | Gasoline or E85FFV | Part-time 4-Wheel DriveAutomatic (S10) | Regular Gasoline · MPG16 city / 23 highway / 19 combined E85 · MPG11 city / 15 highway / 13 combined Tailpipe CO₂: 471 g/mile |
| Explorer HEV AWDEPA 43291 (opens in a new tab)Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 3.3 L6 cylinders | RegularHybrid | Part-time 4-Wheel DriveAutomatic (S10) | Regular Gasoline · MPG23 city / 26 highway / 25 combined Tailpipe CO₂: 361 g/mile |
| Explorer AWDEPA 43292 (opens in a new tab)Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 2.3 L4 cylinders | Regular | Part-time 4-Wheel DriveAutomatic 10-spd | Regular Gasoline · MPG20 city / 27 highway / 23 combined Tailpipe CO₂: 386 g/mile |
| Explorer HEV RWDEPA 43480 (opens in a new tab)Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD | 3.3 L6 cylinders | RegularHybrid | Rear-Wheel DriveAutomatic (S10) | Regular Gasoline · MPG27 city / 28 highway / 27 combined Tailpipe CO₂: 324 g/mile |
| Explorer Timberline AWDEPA 44164 (opens in a new tab)Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 2.3 L4 cylinders | Regular | Part-time 4-Wheel DriveAutomatic (S10) | Regular Gasoline · MPG19 city / 23 highway / 21 combined Tailpipe CO₂: 431 g/mile |
These are EPA estimates for the listed configurations, not a promise of real-world economy. Zero tailpipe CO₂ does not mean zero lifecycle emissions. Missing fields are not estimated.
Safety ratings
NHTSA · Last checked Not availableNHTSA evaluates specific vehicle variants. The descriptions below identify each rating candidate; they are not automatically matched to the EPA configurations above.
Safety data not yet collected
NHTSA safety information has not yet been collected and matched for this EPA model. This does not mean the vehicle has not been rated.
Recall information
NHTSA · Last checked Not availableThese campaigns relate to the model and year. They do not confirm that an individual vehicle is affected or that a repair has been completed. This is a stored snapshot, not a live recall check.
Check your VIN for open recalls at NHTSA (opens in a new tab)Recall data not yet collected
NHTSA recall information has not yet been collected and matched for this EPA model. No conclusion about recalls can be drawn. Use the official VIN check for current information.
Data sources & last checked dates
Static public-data snapshotThis page is built from stored public data. Data last updated records a content change; Last checked records the successful source check retained with this snapshot. A later unsuccessful request does not refresh these dates, and checks with unchanged data may be recorded only in the update run report. Safety ratings and recalls can change after collection. EPA supplies configuration and economy data. NHTSA vPIC identity confirmation is not included in this snapshot; the published vehicle identity comes from the validated EPA records.
EPA FuelEconomy.gov
Data last updated: October 11, 2026
Last checked:
View 10 additional source records
- EPA vehicle 43283 (opens in a new tab)
- EPA vehicle 43284 (opens in a new tab)
- EPA vehicle 43285 (opens in a new tab)
- EPA vehicle 43288 (opens in a new tab)
- EPA vehicle 43289 (opens in a new tab)
- EPA vehicle 43290 (opens in a new tab)
- EPA vehicle 43291 (opens in a new tab)
- EPA vehicle 43292 (opens in a new tab)
- EPA vehicle 43480 (opens in a new tab)
- EPA vehicle 44164 (opens in a new tab)
NHTSA vPIC model identity
Data last updated: Not available
Last checked: Not available
NHTSA Safety Ratings
Data last updated: Not available
Last checked: Not available
NHTSA Recalls
Data last updated: Not available
Last checked: Not available