How the 2021 Ford Explorer and 2021 Toyota Highlander compare on running costs, safety and reliability signals, using official NHTSA and EPA data plus asking prices from listings in Canada and the USA.
| 2021 Ford Explorer | 2021 Toyota Highlander | |
|---|---|---|
| Lemon Score0–100, higher is better | 50· Elevated lemon risk | — |
| Fuel economy (best version) | 8.7 L/100 km27 mpg combined | 6.5 L/100 km36 mpg combined |
| City / highway | 27 / 28 mpg | 36 / 35 mpg |
| Annual fuel cost (EPA)US estimate, 15,000 mi/yr | $2,500 USD | $1,850 USD |
| NHTSA overall crash rating | 5 / 5 stars | 5 / 5 stars |
| Safety recalls | 26 | 4 |
| Owner complaints (NHTSA) | 436 | 529 |
| Most-reported problem area | power train | power train |
| Avg. asking price, Canada | — | — |
| Avg. asking price, USA | — | — |
Sources: U.S. EPA (fuel economy), NHTSA (crash ratings, recalls, complaints), listings on this site (prices). Recalls and complaints cover US-market vehicles; complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.