Ford Explorer OEM Tires & Wheels

Ford Explorer OEM Tires & Wheels

Over the last thirty years, the Ford Explorer has become one of the country’s most popular SUVs. Whether it’s somebody using it as a daily driver, the adventurous person using it as their off-road vehicle for camping, or one of the many police departments around the country using it for their interceptors, the Explorer is everywhere.

And with all the different models, generations (Ford has recently released the sixth generation in 2020), and customers, the Explorer has received seemingly countless different OEM tire and wheel packages to keep everyone intrigued and happy. But that can make it hard for Explorer owners to keep track of what came on their particular model from the factory.

That’s where we come in and that’s why we’ve created this one-stop-shop for the Ford Explorer. Over the years, Ford has only used five different OEM tires on the Explorer so it doesn’t seem so bad at first glance. But in that same timeframe, they’ve offered a whopping 28 different OEM wheels — that’s just about a different OEM wheel for every year of production.

To make this guide a bit easier to sift through, we’ve separated the tires and wheels. The tires are all grouped together since there are only five of them. But for the wheels, we’ve split them up into the specific years of the Explorer that they were created for and offered on. This makes it easier for you to see which wheels were offered on the specific model year of your Explorer.

So without further ado, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty details. Here are all of the OEM tires and wheels that Ford has put on the Explorer over the last three decades.

OEM Tires For Ford Explorer

Hankook Kinergy GT H436

If you know about Ford’s OEM tires or you’ve checked out any of our other Ford OEM Tires & Wheels guides, you might have noticed that Ford typically likes to use either Michelin, Pirelli, Continental, or Bridgestone tires on their vehicles with a few exceptions here and there. But for some reason, the Explorer is one of the biggest exceptions of all, with a whole slew of tire manufacturers producing the OEM tires that have been used over the years.

Let’s start with a company that you won’t see pop up on many of Ford’s other OEM tires — Hankook. The late-model Ford Explorers are currently being outfitted with the Hankook Kinergy GT H436 highway-terrain tires right from the factory. These tires were designed to offer drivers a comfortable ride, year-round reliability, and long-lasting tread life.

And with the all-season tread design and 70,000-mile tread life warranty, it’s tough to dispute any of that! Designed with a high-grip silica compound, the Kingery GT is able to provide traction on all road conditions, including even light snow. To further enhance its traction in poor conditions, circumferential grooves around the tire help to direct water away from the center of the tire to reduce the chance of hydroplaning.

The Hankook Kinergy GT H436 is a great overall tire, and we wouldn’t blame you for wanting to put another set of your Explorer. If you liked how the OEM tires performed, you can buy new Kinergy GT tires here for around $160 each.

Specifications

Some specifications may vary based on the exact tire size, which could differ between models and trim levels.

• Warranty: 70,000 miles
• Max Load Capacity: 2,403 lbs
• Max Inflation Pressure: 51 psi
• Tread Depth: 10/32”
• Tire Weight: 36 lbs
• UTQG Treadwear: 500
• UTQG Traction: A
• UTQG Temperature: A
• High-grip silica compound increases traction in all weather conditions
• Circumferential grooves direct water away from the contact patch to enhance traction

Hankook Optimo H426

The Kinergy GT H436 above might be the current Hankook that’s being used as the OEM tires on the Ford Explorer, but it wasn’t the only one. Before the Kinergy GT started being used, Ford was outfitting the Explorer with Hankook Optimo H426 tires straight from the factory. Designed to be original equipment on quite a few different makes and models out there, the Optimo H426 was not a difficult decision to make.

Like most tires that come from the factory on standard vehicles, the Hankook Optimo H426 is an all-season highway-terrain tire that’s designed to offer a combination of comfort, durability, and performance. To accomplish this, the Optimo H426 uses a special rubber compound that provides reliable traction in all weather conditions while simultaneously offering a 60,000-mile tread life warranty.

To reduce road noise and increase comfort inside the cabin, the Optimo H426 utilizes a unique rib-type shoulder block that lessens road vibrations and noise while also enhancing rigidity. This works in conjunction with steel belts and a high-stiffness bead filler and then leads to even tread wear and longer tread life.

For what they are, the OEM Hankook Optimo H426s are great all-season tires, especially when compared to the OEM options you’ll find on many other cars on the road. So if you were happy with how the stock Optimo H426s performed on your Explorer, you can buy another set for around $140 to $220 a piece depending on which size you need.

Specifications

Some specifications may vary based on the exact tire size, which could differ between models and trim levels.

• Warranty: 60,000 miles
• Max Load Capacity: 1,929 lbs
• Max Inflation Pressure: 44 psi
• Tread Depth: 11/32”
• Tire Weight: 28 lbs
• UTQG Treadwear: 440
• UTQG Traction: A
• UTQG Temperature: A
• Diamond-shaped blocks channel water away from the center of the tire to reduce the risk of hydroplaning
• Rib-type shoulder blocks resist uneven wear and make the tires last longer

Goodyear Fortera HL

Stepping away from the Hankook tires to a brand that Ford has used on occasion as the OEM tires of choice on several of their vehicles, let’s take a look at the Goodyear Fortera HL. This tire was designed specifically for use on crossovers and SUVs, making it a no-brainer for Ford to try it out as the OEM tire on the Explorer.

As an all-season tire, the tread compound and accompanying tread pattern were designed to offer reliable and consistent traction all year long and in all weather conditions. The Fortera HL utilized design enhancements from Goodyear that improved its forward and lateral traction capabilities compared to older Goodyear models, improving its traction in snow and rain.

To go along with the reliable traction and performance, the Goodyear Fortera HL also came with deep blades and grooves as well as a 60,000-mile tread life warranty that enabled Explorer drivers to get several years out of them before they needed to get them replaced. Many owners have regularly gotten even more out of them, upwards of 65,000 to 70,000 miles if well-maintained.

The Goodyear Fortera HL is a quality all-season tire that Explorer owners have been happy with ever since Ford started putting them on the Explorer from the factory. They are reasonably well priced and offer a myriad of performance capabilities on the Explorer. If you’re interested in getting a new set of the Fortera HL tires, you can expect to pay about $195 or less per tire.

Specifications

Some specifications may vary based on the exact tire size, which could differ between models and trim levels.

• Warranty: 60,000 miles
• Max Load Capacity: 2,403 lbs
• Max Inflation Pressure: 51 psi
• Tread Depth: 10/32”
• Tire Weight: 34 lbs
• UTQG Treadwear: 540
• UTQG Traction: A
• UTQG Temperature: B
• An optimized tread pattern that was designed to increase comfort and reduce road noise
• Deep blade and grooves in the tread resist tread wear and help increase the life of the tires

Michelin Cross Terrain SUV

Carrying the Michelin name, you might expect the Cross Terrain SUV tire to provide a slew of technology and comfort benefits that set it apart from other tires. And you would be right! Although the Cross Terrain SUV is no longer in production, during its heyday it was used as the OEM tire on several different models from Ford. Not to mention other makes and models as well.

Designed to be the premier all-season highway-terrain tire for crossovers and SUVs, the Cross Terrain SUV offered drivers year-round performance and even some limited off-road capabilities. This was because of the silica-enhanced tread compound that utilized Michelin’s proprietary Dark Black technology to provide traction on just about any and all surfaces.

The Cross Terrain SUV used a square contact patch that maximized traction under all driving conditions, including aggressing turning. This contact patch worked in conjunction with an interlocking network of sipes and grooves to channel water away from the tire’s center and keep the tire planted to the road’s surface. This was all accompanied by a 65,000-mile tread life warranty that assured Explorer drivers they could get quite a few years out of their factory tires.

The Michelin Cross Terrain SUV tires have long since been discontinued for a few years now, so we don’t recommend you try to find a set to put on your Ford Explorer. But Michelin does have a few great options for you that are far superior even to the Cross Terrain SUVs. Check out the Defender LTX M/S or the Premier A/S depending on which size you need for your Explorer. You won’t be disappointed with either one!

Specifications

Some specifications may vary based on the exact tire size, which could differ between models and trim levels.

• Warranty: 65,000 miles
• Max Load Capacity: 2,337 lbs
• Max Inflation Pressure: 35 psi
• Tread Depth: 12/32”
• Tire Weight: 37 lbs
• UTQG Treadwear: 700
• UTQG Traction: A
• UTQG Temperature: B
• Offers reliable traction on all road conditions, including even light snow
• Designed with comfort in mind, so road noise and vibration are greatly reduced

BFGoodrich Rugged Trail T/A

Last but not least, let’s take a look at the BFGoodrich Rugged Trail T/A that was used on some of the earlier-model Explorers in the early- to mid-2000s. Compared to all the other OEM tires in this guide, the Rugged Trail T/A had far more aggressive looks than anything else with its all-terrain design.

But don’t let the aggressive tread design fool you, these tires are actually more suited for highway driving although they can certainly handle themselves off-road as well. You would be shocked with how quiet and comfortable your Explorer feels with these tires on it, not even just for an all-terrain tire. They also come with a 50,000-mile tread life warranty which most Explorer owners have been able to far exceed as long as the tires are taken care of.

The Rugged Trail T/A is a hybrid between what you might expect to see in a highway tire and an all-terrain tire. That said, they do offer high-quality performance on the Ford Explorer. If you had these on your Explorer or you want to give them a shot following this guide, you can buy them brand new for around $200 - $240 a piece.

Keep in mind that they were discontinued not too long ago, so the supply is running out. If you want an all-terrain BFG tire, we highly recommend some BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2s!

Specifications

Some specifications may vary based on the exact tire size, which could differ between models and trim levels.

• Warranty: 50,000 miles
• Max Load Capacity: 2,403 lbs
• Max Inflation Pressure: 35 psi
• Tread Depth: 13/32”
• Tire Weight: 42 lbs
• UTQG Treadwear: 400
• UTQG Traction: A
• UTQG Temperature: B
• Aggressive all-terrain looks with the ability to perform like a highway tire
• Surprisingly quiet ride for the aggressive tread pattern

OEM Wheels For Ford Explorer

1991 - 1994 Ford Explorer OEM Wheels

15” x 7” 5x114.3 5-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels with Charcoal Finish (F47Z1007C)

As you may already know by now — or as you’ll see again and again throughout this guide — Ford’s favorite wheel design for many of their vehicles is a 5-spoke aluminum wheel. And now as you have probably guessed, that’s exactly what the OEM wheels on the first iteration of the Ford Explorer were. While you will see the 5-spoke wheel design come up over and over as you peruse this guide, this first example is not the standard 5-spoke wheel.

The spokes on the original Ford Explorer wheels were swept back like how you would imagine the teeth on a saw blade. This simple design gave the original Explorers a bit of a different look than most of the standard 50spoke designs, and they were certainly better than a basic steel wheel. But as the years go by throughout the remainder of this guide, you’ll see that Ford really started to open up the creativity and offer more OEM wheel choices. But for 1991 - 1994 Explorers, this was the only aluminum wheel option.

Due to its age, this wheel looks like it is no longer produced by Ford and cannot be purchased brand new. That said, check this link to see if it’s back in stock. If not, you can buy this wheel in a reconditioned state for $170.

15” x 7” 5x114.3 8-Spoke Steel Wheels with Silver Finish (F1TZ1015A)

Although the above wheel was the only aluminum wheel option, it wasn’t the only OEM wheel that came on the Ford Explorers. Ford also offered a far more basic 15x7 steel wheel for their customers as well. Though these wheels were the same size as the aluminum wheels above, they were far heavier due to their steel construction and they didn’t look quite as good either.

These steel wheels were just a fairly simple 8-spoke design. An 8-spoke steel wheel design is not something that Ford has put on their vehicles very commonly over the years, but since this was the first generation of the Explorer, we can’t really knock them too hard! These steel wheels were at least finished with a silver paint job so that they looked a bit more appealing than most standard steel wheels.

As you can probably guess by now, the original wheels from the Explorer are no longer being produced and are nearly impossible to find online in brand new condition. If you’re in the market for this OEM Explorer wheel, you can buy it reconditioned for under $100 a piece.

1993 - 1997 Ford Explorer OEM Wheels

15” x 7” 5x114.3 5-Spoke Steel Wheels with Silver Finish (F57Z1015B)

Starting in 1993, Ford began adding a couple of different OEM wheel options to the Explorer’s wheel lineup, and we’ll begin with the more basic of the two. The first addition to the OEM wheels for the Ford Explorer were 15x7 5-spoke steel wheels. You just read above that Ford likes to go with 5-spoke aluminum wheels very commonly. While that is true, they throw a curveball every once in a while, and this 5-spoke steel wheel design is not something that you would see much.

But compared to the other steel wheel option above that you just learned about, this 5-spoke design had a much cleaner and more simplistic look to it that Explorer drivers really liked. The spokes were all perfectly straight, and it just gave the Explorer a sophisticated look to it. Like the steel wheels above, these were also complete with a painted silver finish to make them look even better.

Similar to the above wheels, these are also not available in brand new condition. But if you need one and you don’t mind buying a reconditioned OEM wheel, you can buy this wheel for just $70 each.

15” x 7” 5x114.3 10-Hole Aluminum Alloy Wheels Machined with Silver (F57A1007LA)

For 1993 - 1997 Ford Explorers, owners had the option of going with a different aluminum alloy wheel design. This new wheel was unlike anything Ford had ever offered on one of their vehicles before, and also unlike anything that’s been presented as an OEM wheel. The latter may be due to the fact that these Explorer wheels ended up going down as one of the least popular OEM wheel options Explorer owners ever had to contend with.

As a 15x7 aluminum alloy wheel with a 10-hole design, you might be thinking of something fairly simple, maybe a “steelie-style” aluminum wheel. Not quite. These wheels had oddly-shaped holes set apart in five different pairs. It was almost as if Ford wanted to do some sort of reverse-5-spoke wheel design. In any case, they had a nice shiny finish since the surfaces were machined with silver. But they never gained the popularity that Ford had hoped to see with them.

We’ll be getting into newer wheels soon that you can still find for sale in brand new condition, but not quite yet. You can buy a reconditioned replacement of this wheel for $165 each.

1995 - 2001 Ford Explorer OEM Wheels

15” x 7” 5x114.3 5-Spoke (5-Hole) Aluminum Alloy Wheels Machined with Silver (F57Z1007A)

Starting in 1995, Ford started to come out with some new OEM wheels for the Explorer that began setting it apart from some of their other vehicles. With this first wheel here and the years that followed, this is when Ford really started to produce some high-quality wheels for the Explorer since they were confident that the vehicle as a whole would remain popular. So they wanted to give their customers more options to be excited about.

This 15x7 aluminum wheel brought back the Ford-favorite 5-spoke design but did it in a unique manner. Due to the thickness of the spokes and the bead of the wheel as well as the way in which the spokes were curved, it would be more apt to call these wheels “5-hole” rather than “5-spoke”. In any case, these OEM wheels were machined with silver to give them a shiny finish and really made 1995 - 2001 Explorers stand out.

If you need to get replacements for your OEM Explorer wheels, your best bet for these particular ones will be the used or reconditioned markets. You can find used and reconditioned replacements for these wheels for $125 and $170 each, respectively.

15” x 6” 5x114.3 8-Hole Steel Wheels with Silver Finish (YL2Z1015AA)

As we’ve seen so far with the previous groups of year ranges and OEM wheels for the Explorer above, it seems that every time Ford released a new aluminum wheel, they also added a new OEM steel wheel as well. And this new 1995-batch of wheels was no exception. This new wheel was a 15x6 8-hole steel wheel that was finished in silver paint.

Interestingly, this 8-hole steel wheel was very similar to the 5-hole aluminum wheel just above, except the holes were much smaller. But the 8-hole design was far less popular on the Explorers during these years, and owners would often add hubcaps or wheel covers to them to make them look however they liked. These steel wheels were cheaper and easier to produce and therefore came standard on the majority of Explorers during these years.

While this wheel is currently out of stock to buy new, you can check this link if you’re ever in the market to see if it’s available. If not, you have the option of buying used, a replica, or a reconditioned OEM wheel for $70, $81, and $90, respectively.

2002 - 2004 Ford Explorer OEM Wheels

17” x 7.5” 5x114.3 5-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels with Silver Finish (2L2Z1007CA)

From 2002 on out, Ford started giving Explorer owners more and more options to choose from when it comes to OEM wheels. For 2002 - 2004 Explorers, Ford brought on four new wheel options, three of which were 16” in diameter and one that was 17”. Let’s start off with the different one — the 17x7.5 aluminum alloy 5-spoke wheel.

This is when you’ll also start really seeing more of the 5-spoke wheels offered over the years, and this is one of the classics. This Explorer wheel is a simple 5-spoke design finished in silver paint. During these model years of the Ford Explorer, this was undoubtedly the most popular 17” wheel option seen on the streets.

As with every other Explorer wheel from a long time ago, this one is also not still being produced by Ford and is seemingly out of stock online in brand new condition. But you can get a pretty good deal on a reconditioned OEM wheel for $180.

16” x 7” 5x114.3 5 Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheel Clad in Chrome (1L2Z1007BA)

Right up there with the 17” on early-2000s Ford Explorers as the most common 16” wheels that you’ll see on the Explorers from this span of model years. The simple 5-spoke design was a fan-favorite and the silver finish made them look great on the Explorer. These wheels actually looked quite a bit like the 17” wheels that you just read about, except the spoke design was slightly different and of course the chrome finish.

In addition, these wheels also included a Ford-stamped chrome center cap to cover the lug nuts and the hub of the wheel. These wheels were such big hits among Explorer fans and drivers because of their simplistic design and chrome finish, both of which really popped on the Explorers.

While this wheel is also no longer being produced by Ford and cannot be purchased brand new online, you aren’t out of luck. You still have the option of buying a reconditioned OEM Explorer wheel in this style, but it’s not going to be cheap. Expect to pay around $325 per wheel even though they aren’t brand new.

16” x 7” 5x114.3 5-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels Clad in Chrome (1L5Z1007AA)

If you were to just read the brief wheel description for this option and compare it to the one just above, you might think that we’ve repeated ourselves. But fear not! This OEM wheel option was different from the above wheels, albeit very subtly so. As their description implies, these wheels were also 16x7 5-spoke aluminum wheels with a brilliant chrome finish.

The only real difference between these two sets of wheels was the spoke designs. The spokes on these wheels had little divots seemingly milled into them at the ends of the spoke out near the rim, whereas the set of wheels just above had the same divot-shaped removal, but they ran the entire length of the spoke. Other than that, these wheels are almost the same as the above and were therefore almost just as popular.

If you’ve read about any of the other wheels so far, you know the drill — these early-model Explorer wheels are no longer available brand new since they’re not being produced anymore. And similar to the wheel above, the reconditioned ones aren’t cheap since they’re chrome. You can buy replacements for these wheels for about $320 for a reconditioned one.

16” x 7” 5x114.3 5-Split-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels Machined with Grey (1L541007AE)

Another very similar 5-spoke aluminum alloy wheel, this set of OEM Explorer wheels was at least a little more visually different than the others. Still a fairly basic and simple 5-spoke design, these wheels had a bit of a concave shape to them, where the spokes went slightly inward as they moved from the rim of the wheel to the center, making it look as if the center hub of the wheel is set back more so than on other wheel styles.

These wheels share the same divot shapes at the end of the spokes out near the bead of the wheel as the above set, but the color scheme on these wheels was completely different. This set of OEM Explorer wheels has a mainly silver finish that is machined with grey, which fills in the divots, the middle of the center cap, the wheel pockets, and the barrel of the wheel. This color scheme made these wheels stand out and were fairly popular among Explorer fans.

This wheel, too, is no longer available from Ford. But thankfully, this one is not clad in chrome (and the hefty price tag that comes with it). You can buy a reconditioned version of this OEM Explorer wheel for around $170.

2005 - 2010 Ford Explorer OEM Wheels

16” x 7” 5x114.3 6-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels with Silver Finish (6L2Z1007B)

For the next half-decade or so, Ford decided to go with a whole new lineup of OEM wheels for 2005 - 2010 Ford Explorers. Compared to the previous wheels that were on the Explorer between 2002 - 2004, this new set offered a bit more variety than different variations of the same 16x6 5-spoke aluminum wheel.

In fact, there was only one 16” OEM wheel option during this time, and it wasn’t even a 5-spoke design. The new 16x7 wheel was a 6-spoke aluminum wheel with a silver finish. If you’ve gotten accustomed to the basic 5-spoke wheel design that you’ve been reading about, the easiest way to picture this new wheel is to just add an extra spoke. Other than that, it’s a clean and simple design and one the Explorer owners really embraced.

Finally, the first Explorer wheel is still being produced (or at least still in stock at Ford) in brand new condition. It’s also even cheaper than the majority of the reconditioned and used wheels you’ve seen so far. You can buy this wheel for just over $110 a piece.

17” x 7.5” 5x114.3 5-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels Machined with Silver (6L2Z1007BD)

Just because Ford opted for the 6-spoke design on the 16” wheel just above, they didn’t abandon the 5-spoke wheels during these years. The 17” OEM wheel option for 2005 - 2010 Ford Explorer brought the 5-spoke wheel back, but with a bit of a unique twist to them. These wheels were machined with silver for a shiny finish and each spoke had a nearly-square hole at the end where they met the rim of the wheel.

This design was unlike any of the other 5-spoke wheels that Ford had included on the Explorer up until this point, and was done just to add a bit of creativity to the wheel lineup. Fans of the Explorer were happy to see another clean 5-spoke wheel design, but many didn’t love the new spokes with the holes in them. In any case, they were still fairly well-received, but they weren’t as popular during these years as the above 6-spoke design.

These are some of the cheapest wheels in this guide, especially when it comes to brand new OEM wheels straight from Ford. You can buy these wheels online for $100 each.

18” x 7.5” 5x114.3 6-Split-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels Machined with Silver (6L9Z1007A)

So far during this span of model years, you’ve read about a 16” and a 17” wheel. Ford kept that pattern going with their new wheel lineup and finished it off with an 18” wheel. These optional OEM wheels were 18x7.5 6-split-spoke aluminum wheels that were machined with silver to add a smooth and shiny finish.

The split-spoke design is one of those wheel designs where the “spokes” are really pairings of two smaller spokes, so for all intents and purposes, these could easily just be called 12-spoke wheels. Even though they were a little different than most of the Explorer wheels before them, fans liked how the spokes were all even and straight and the machined finish made these wheels into an option that many Explorer buyers decided to go with from the factory.

This wheel comes in a few different finishes including machined with silver, polished silver, and chrome. However, the most common finish on these wheels was machined with silver, which is what we’re pricing out here. You can buy replacements for these wheels for around $185 a piece.

2011 - 2015 Ford Explorer OEM Wheels

20” x 8.5” 5x114.13 5-Split-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels with Hyper Silver Finish (BB5Z1007B)

In 2011, Ford decided to yet again switch up the whole wheel lineup and started fresh. They got rid of the 2005 - 2010 OEM wheels that you just read about and released three new OEM wheel options, one 18” option (coming up shortly), and two new 20” options. The first of the 20” OEM Explorer wheel options for the 2011 - 2015 model years was a 20x8.5 5-split-spoke aluminum wheel with a hyper silver finish.

The five spokes on this new 20” Explorer wheel design were a modified version of the 5-spoke design from the 2005 - 2010 model years above with the square holes at the end of the spokes. But on these, that hole was slightly elongated and the spokes curved outwards as they split, creating unique wheel pockets that changed the look of the wheels entirely. To top it off, the hyper silver finish made these 20” wheels a popular option among explorer drivers.

As Ford began to step up into more common 20” wheel sizes, the OEM wheel prices started to get more expensive as well. You can buy these wheels for $330 each.

20” x 8.5” 5x114.3 5-Split-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels with Polished Finish (BB5Z1007C)

To casual Explorer owners and everyday people that see 2011 - 2015 model years pass by on the street, these wheels look almost identical to the ones just above. But the keyword there is almost. There are a couple of subtle differences between the two wheels that clearly make them different wheels, but even we had to do a double-take when we were compiling the information.

These 20x8.5 5-split-spoke aluminum wheels had a different spoke design than the wheels above and might be more aptly just called 10-spoke wheels. This set of OEM wheels came with a shiny polished silver finish that really made the Explorer look great as it was driving down the road. This optional wheel upgrade was a subtle difference that many Explorer buyers didn’t decide to purchase since they looked so similar. But in the end, fans leaned towards liking how the standard set of 20” wheels above made the Explorer look more so than this set.

Due to their 20” diameter and polished finish, these wheels will set you back a pretty decent amount. If you’re in the market for replacements for these OEM wheels, expect to pay nearly $360 per wheel.

2011 - 2017 Ford Explorer OEM Wheels

18” x 8” 5x114.3 10-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels with Silver Finish (BB5Z1007A)

As alluded to just above, there was an 18” OEM wheel option released in 2011 and this is it. But unlike the two 20” wheels you just read about, this 18” option remained standard on the Explorer through 2017 instead of 2015. This could be attributed to the popularity of the wheel leading Ford to just keep it as the standard wheel option since their customers seemed to like them.

The 18” wheels released in 2011 were 8” wide and had a 10-spoke design, with the spokes grouped into five sets of two similar to a 5-double-spoke design. Ford loved to change up the classic 5-spoke design as much as they could, and these wheels were no exception. With a basic silver-painted finish, these were the most affordable wheel option offered on 2011 - 2015 model years and came standard on most Explorer models.

Compared to the last two sets of wheels above, you can relax a little if your Explorer has these OEM wheels instead. Far more affordable than the last two wheel options, you can buy these wheels for just over $205 each.

2013 - 2015 Ford Explorer OEM Wheels

20” x 8.5” 5x114.3 10-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels with Hyper Silver Finish (FB5Z1007A)

In 2013, Ford added two new 20” wheel options to the OEM wheel lineup for the Explorer. The first of the new 20” wheel options was a new 20x8.5 10-spoke aluminum wheel design with the ever-popular hyper silver finish. Compared to the other 10-spoke wheel designs that the Explorer had received up until this point, these were the most uniform.

The spokes on these wheels were not separated off into five groups of two, at least not as obviously as the previous sets. There were mixed reactions to these wheels, but Explorer owners seemed fairly happy with them overall, and quite few buyers decided to go with them from the factory, as they were an option on every model except the Explorer Sport.

These are some of the more affordable 20” OEM Ford Explorer wheels that you’ll find. So if you have these on your Explorer and you’re in need of a replacement, just know it could be much worse! You can buy this wheel in brand new condition for just under $230 each.

20” x 9” 5x114.3 5-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels Machined with Silver and Black (DB5Z1007A)

While the above 20” wheels were an option on every model Explorer except the Sport, this set of wheels were designed specifically for the sport. These 20x9 5-spoke wheels came standard on Explorer Sports between 2013 - 2015, and owners of the Sport models were ecstatic with the way they looked.

This brand new wheel design was yet another take on the Ford-favorite 5-spoke wheel design, but there were a few twists. Most notably was the color scheme, with the wheels mainly finished in a high-gloss black paint except for the outline of the spokes and the rim of the wheel which were machined with silver. To really make them even more special, the rim of the wheel also had the word Sport engraved and filled in with black. These were some of the most popular model-specific OEM wheels that Ford ever used on the Explorer.

As you might have guessed, these are some pretty price wheels. While we were unable to find a set of these in stock brand new from Ford, you can buy them used or reconditioned. But even then they’re still pretty costly. Expect to pay about $390 for a used one and $465 for a reconditioned OEM wheel in this style.

2013 - 2019 Ford Explorer OEM Wheels

18” x 8” 5x114.3 5-Spoke Steel Wheels with Black Finish — Police Interceptor Models (DG1Z1015A)

While the vast majority of Explorer owners will never be in the market for replacement OEM wheels in this style, you can’t tell the story of the Ford Explorer without mentioning them. Starting in 2013, Ford released a new 5-spoke steel OEM wheel option. In itself that doesn’t seem too special, right? And the fact they were steel almost seems like a step back of some sort.

But these are some of the most iconic Explorer wheels ever produced — the Explorer Police Interceptor’s wheels. These super simple all-black steel wheels came on all Explorers that were used as police interceptors, and they were finished off with a nearly-spherical polished silver center cap. The Explorer would go on to become one of the most widely-used police vehicles in the country, and every single one of them came with these wheels from the factory.

You likely won’t need to buy any replacements for this wheel since they were offered on the police interceptor models. But then again, for all we know, you might be in charge of finding some replacement wheels for the police department. In any case, they’re pretty affordable and you can buy replacements for $99 each.

2016 - 2019 Ford Explorer OEM Wheels

18” x 8” 5x114.3 5-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels with Silver Finish (FB5Z1007B)

In 2016, Ford felt that it was necessary to add a whole slew of new OEM wheels to the Explorer’s lineup of choices. As you might have noticed in the past few batches of wheels, they had moved on from 17” wheels and smaller, and that tradition remained intact with this batch of new wheels as well. The first wheel that we’ll discuss is the most basic of the new ones — an 18x8 5-spoke aluminum wheel with a silver-painted finish.

Ford decided to go back to their roots on this wheel and went with one of the cleanest and most simplistic OEM wheel designs that they had in a while. The five spokes had no special features and there weren’t any unique color combinations. It was just a popular 5-spoke wheel that Explorer fans were happy to see with the new lineup. This wheel came standard on most models of the Explorer from 2016 through 2019.

As your standard 18” 5-spoke OEM Explorer wheel, these are priced at a seemingly fair price. Not too expensive, but not exactly cheap either. Expect to pay just about $205 a piece if you’re in the market for replacements for these wheels.

18” x 8” 5x114.3 5-Split-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels with Silver Finish (DG1Z1007C)

The other 18” wheel in the new lineup was a bit different than normal, even though it was just another rendition of the 5-spoke wheel design. These 18x8 aluminum wheels utilized the 5-split-spoke design and came finished in the common silver-painted finish that adorned most Explorer wheels throughout its history.

Unlike most of the other split-spoke designs that Ford had used over the years where they were really just full spokes that were paired into groups of two, this wheel actually split the spokes in two. The design looked as if the above 5-spoke design just had its spokes split in half, and it wasn’t nearly as popular among Explorer owners so far fewer of them have ever needed to be produced.

While these wheels are also a fairly basic 18” wheel design (except for the split spokes), they are significantly more expensive than the ones just above. If you need to replace these on your Explorer, each one will set you back $565. This is likely attributed to the fact that these were far less popular than the above wheels, so far fewer are produced.

20” x 8.5” 5x114.3 10-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels with Dark Charcoal Finish (HB5Z1007A)

For all three of the new 20” wheels that Ford released in 2016 for the Explorer, they wanted to do something a little different for each one. To start, let’s take a look at the 20x8.5 10-spoke aluminum wheels with a dark charcoal finish. Like most of the 10-spoke wheels that have popped up throughout Ford’s history, these wheels had the spokes grouped into five pairs of two, but each spoke was most certainly its own entity.

While the design of the spokes themselves was a bit unique, the real kicker with these wheels was the dark charcoal finish. Up to this point, the charcoal color had only been used as accents or in conjunction with another main color on OEM wheels. But these wheels were entirely finished in the dark charcoal color, which really gave them a unique presence among Explorer owners and were a popular choice from the factory.

These wheels aren’t much more affordable than the ones just above them, but at least they’re 20” wheels with a nice charcoal finish! You can buy replacements for these OEM Explorer wheels for $514 each.

20” x 8.5” 5x114.3 5-Triple-Spoke (15-Spoke) Aluminum Alloy Wheels Machined with Charcoal (FB5Z1007E)

These 20x8.5 aluminum wheels are hands down one of the most unique designs that Ford ever used for OEM Explorer wheels. They have a total of 15 spokes, which are separated into five groups of three, hence the 5-triple-spoke description. But the spokes were not identical to each other as per usual. Instead, each grouping of them had one very narrow spoke which was then sandwiched between two more standard-sized spokes.

The spoke design was certainly unique (and not exactly a fan favorite), but the color combination also left fans wanting a bit more. As you just read about, Ford released the first all-charcoal wheel this year as well. So when these wheels employed the old machined silver finish with charcoal accents, it kind of just fell a bit flat in the public’s eye.

The OEM wheels for these model years of the Ford Explorer tend to hover around the $500 mark or so, and these are no exception. If you’re looking for replacements for these OEM wheels, expect to pay around $545 per wheel in this style.

20” x 9” 5x114.3 5-Y-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels Machined with Charcoal (FB5Z1007F)

The last OEM wheel option for 2016 - 2019 Ford Explorers was another 20” wheel that was a bit wider than the other two, sized at 20x9. These wheels utilized Ford’s 5-Y-spoke design, which is really just a special version of their 5-split-spoke design where the spoke split apart into the shape of the letter “Y”, hence the name.

Like the wheels above, these were also machined with silver with dark charcoal accents. However, customers really liked the way that these wheels looked including even the finish (unlike on the previous set). This was likely due more to the actual design of the wheel which really stood out and let that color combination really pop.

Remember just above when we said these model years’ OEM wheels liked to stay around $500 or so each? Well, this wheel is the exception. And not in a good way. If you need to replace these OEM wheels on your Explorer, prepare to pay just under $770 each.

2018 - 2021 Ford Explorer OEM Wheels

18” x 8.5” 5x114.3 10-Spoke (5-Double-Spoke) Aluminum Alloy Wheels Machined with Silver (JB5Z1007D)

Although the wheel options from the previous batch were still being used through 2019, Ford decided to add even more OEM options to the Explorer starting in 2018. Let’s start with the singular new 18” wheel option offered with the new batch: an 18x8.5 5-double-spoke aluminum wheel machined with silver.

This design was fairly similar to many of the other 10-spoke, 5-double-spoke, and 5-split-spoke wheel designs that Ford had used up until this point. And the machined-silver finish was also commonplace at the time. That said, these 18” wheels became the standard OEM option on most models of the Explorer beginning in 2018 and fans have taken a liking towards them.

With the latest generation of the Explorer, Ford certainly didn’t do anything to lower the prices of the OEM wheels (as seen in the above section as well as this one). For these 18” OEM wheels, expect to pay just over $605 per wheel if you need to buy a new one.

20” x 8.5” 5x114.3 10-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels with Hyper Silver Finish (JB5Z1007A)

Ford certainly wasn’t just going to reveal a new set of 18” wheels without throwing in some bigger options as well, so let’s take a look at the first of two new 20” wheel options. This new 20x8.5 10-spoke aluminum wheel was an entirely different design than anything Ford had done with the Explorer wheels yet. The ten spokes were all entirely individual spokes that were spaced evenly apart, but that wasn’t it.

Every other spoke also alternated between being a standard-sized spoke and being an incredibly narrow spoke. The wheels looked almost as if they started as a normal 5-spoke wheel design and then they decided to just throw some narrow spokes in between each of the five regular spokes. Explorer owners were a bit here and there when it came to liking these wheels, and they were the least well-received OEM wheel option of this newest bath.

It seems that the newer the Explorer is, the more expensive the OEM wheels are. We’re a bit afraid to see what OEM wheels are going to cost in the next 10 to 15 years. That said, these are the most expensive wheels that you’ve seen up to this point in this guide, though not quite the most expensive OEM Explorer wheels ever (hint for what’s next). You can buy these wheels brand new for $775 a piece.

20” x 8.5” 5x114.3 5-Spoke Aluminum Alloy Wheels Machined with Charcoal (JB5Z1007E)

To finish off the new options of OEM wheels, Ford gave fans something to be excited about, a set that would become the most popular option added to stock Explorers between 2018 and 2021. These 20x8.5 5-spoke aluminum wheels brought back a rendition of the popular 5-spoke design while also giving fans the all-charcoal finish that they had fallen in love with.

The 5-spoke design on these wheels was fairly simple for the most part, except at the ends of the spokes where they met the rim of the wheel. Here, they flared outward from the spoke, creating some unique curves and wheel pockets that Explorer owners thought looked great. As such, the majority of customers who wanted to step up from the standard 18” OEM wheels to one of the new 20” options opted to go for these wheels instead of the ones just above.

If you've been shocked by any of the OEM wheel prices up until now, we’ve saved the best for last. If you have these OEM wheels on your Explorer, do your best not to damage any of them. Because if so, you’ll need to shell out over $865 per wheel to get them replaced.