Ford Explorer tire size

Original tire sizes for the Ford Explorer, model years 2000 through 2024. Trim levels and wheel packages change the size within the same year, so confirm on the door-jamb sticker before ordering.

Check this first

Front and rear Same size One size fits all four corners on the fitments we list.

Wheel sizes 16", 17", 18" or 20" The wheel package decides which one your car has.

Tire sizes listed 8 In 14 model years more than one size was fitted, depending on trim.

Check before you order. The surest answer is the tires on the car right now: the size is molded into the sidewall. The placard inside the driver's door tells you what the factory fitted, which can differ from what a previous owner put on. Our guide on reading a tire size shows exactly where to look.

• 2024
• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016
• 2015
• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010
• 2009
• 2008
• 2007
• 2006
• 2005
• 2004
• 2003
• 2002
• 2001
• 2000

Size by year and trim

Tire size by model year

Show the remaining 13 model years

Model year	Tire size	Trim or package	From
2012 Ford Explorer	255/65R17, 245/60R18, 255/50R20	Upsize, Base/XLT or Limited/Sport	$105
2011 Ford Explorer	255/65R17, 245/60R18, 255/50R20	Upsize, Base/XLT or Limited/Sport	$105
2010 Ford Explorer	245/65R17	XLT	$105
2009 Ford Explorer	245/65R17	XLT	$105
2008 Ford Explorer	245/65R17	XLT	$105
2007 Ford Explorer	245/65R17	XLT	$105
2006 Ford Explorer	245/65R17	XLT	$105
2005 Ford Explorer	235/70R16	XLS	$95
2004 Ford Explorer	235/70R16	XLS	$95
2003 Ford Explorer	235/70R16	XLS	$95
2002 Ford Explorer	235/70R16	XLS	$95
2001 Ford Explorer	245/70R16	4WD	$95
2000 Ford Explorer	245/70R16	4WD	$95

Which brand should you pick?

Ford does not stamp its own approval code on tires the way Porsche or BMW do. Any tire in the right size that meets or exceeds the load index and speed rating on your door placard is a legitimate replacement, so pick on wet braking, tread life and price. Our picks for each size are on the size pages below.

The drawing carries the sizes we list for this car, so you know what you are looking for. The placard on the car is still the final word, and it is the only place that gives the cold pressures: the number molded into the sidewall is the maximum the tire can hold, not what your car wants.

What those tires cost

About the Ford Explorer

The Explorer is Ford's mid-size three-row SUV and the vehicle that more or less created the American family SUV market in the 1990s. It switched from a truck frame to a car-type unibody in 2011 and back to a rear-drive-based unibody platform in 2020. Tire shoppers land here across 18- to 21-inch fitments, with the ST using the widest tires in the range.

Launched in 1990. Launched in 1990 as a replacement for the two-door Bronco II, the Explorer added four doors and a much roomier cabin, and it sold in numbers nobody at Ford expected, turning the SUV from a niche into the default American family vehicle.

How to tell the model years apart

Wheel and tire sizes follow the generation, not the badge, so identifying yours matters before you order.

What the press said

The Explorer's press history splits sharply around the Firestone tire and rollover controversy of 2000, which dominated coverage of the second-generation truck and led to a very large tire recall and federal legislation on tire monitoring. The 2011 unibody car was well received for comfort and refinement and criticized for losing off-road ability and for the MyFord Touch interface. The 2020 redesign got a mixed reception: reviewers liked the rear-drive chassis, the strong EcoBoost engines and the ST, but were blunt about interior materials and early build-quality problems that forced Ford to re-inspect thousands of vehicles. A cramped third row is a constant complaint.

The Ford Explorer does everything it's supposed to as a three-row family hauler but falls short on premium flair and overall refinement.

Car and Driver, 2026

Model year

Model year	Units sold in the US
2018	227,732
2019	168,309
2020	226,217
2021	219,871
2022	207,673
2023	186,799
2024	194,094
2025	222,706

US Explorer sales peaked at 445,157 in 2000 and have run between roughly 168,000 and 228,000 a year since 2018, with police Interceptor Utility volumes reported separately in some years.

Was it a success?

A huge commercial success historically and still a solid seller, though it no longer dominates its class the way it did in the 1990s. Resale is average for the segment and the ST and Platinum trims depreciate quickly. Reliability reputation is the weak spot: the 2011-2019 cars had water-pump failures on the 3.5 V6 that can destroy the engine, and the 2020 model year had a long list of recalls and assembly problems. Tire fitments are mainstream and cheap in 18 and 20 inches; the ST's 275/45R21 is the expensive outlier.

Did you know?

• The Explorer was at the center of the 2000 Firestone recall, in which about 6.5 million tires were replaced and which led directly to the US law requiring tire pressure monitoring on all new vehicles.
• Ford switched the Explorer from a truck frame to a car-type unibody in 2011 and then to a rear-drive-based unibody in 2020, so three consecutive generations have quite different mechanical layouts.
• A large share of Explorer production goes out as the Police Interceptor Utility, which has been the best-selling police vehicle in the United States for years.

Tire options on the Ford Explorer

Base and XLT trims run 255/65R18, Limited and Platinum use 255/55R20 and the ST sits on 275/45R21, which is the most expensive tire in the range and the hardest one to find in winter compounds. Older fifth-generation cars use 245/60R18 or 255/50R20. Nothing is staggered on the regular trims and there are no factory run-flats; OE fitments are typically Michelin Primacy or Latitude, Hankook Dynapro or Continental CrossContact, with Pirelli Scorpion Zero on the ST. Because the Explorer's tow rating reaches 5,600 pounds with the towing package, keep the OE load index if you pull a trailer rather than fitting a lighter standard-load tire. A common owner move on an ST or Platinum is a second 18-inch wheel set for winter, which also saves the big alloys from curb and pothole damage.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org, caranddriver.com.

Ford Explorer tires: common questions

What size tires does a Ford Explorer take?

The most common original size is 255/65R18. Other model years and trims use different sizes, so check the list on this page and confirm against the sticker inside your driver's door.

Can I fit a different size on my Ford Explorer?

You can, within limits: the overall diameter should stay within about 3 percent of the original, and the load index and speed rating must meet or exceed the door placard. Anything further changes your speedometer reading and can rub at full lock.

Where is the tire size on a Ford Explorer?

Open the driver's door and look at the white and yellow placard on the door jamb or the B-pillar. The same size is also molded into the sidewall of the tires currently on the car, unless someone changed them.

What size tires does a 2024 Ford Explorer take?

The 2024 Ford Explorer came from the factory on 255/65R18 and 255/55R20. Wheel packages can change that within the same model year, so check the placard inside the door jamb before you order.

What size tires does a 2023 Ford Explorer take?

The 2023 Ford Explorer came from the factory on 255/65R18 and 255/55R20. Wheel packages can change that within the same model year, so check the placard inside the door jamb before you order.

What size tires does a 2022 Ford Explorer take?

The 2022 Ford Explorer came from the factory on 255/65R18 and 255/55R20. Wheel packages can change that within the same model year, so check the placard inside the door jamb before you order.