Coverage: Recent model years; best coverage for current and last model year
What does an Explorer window sticker prove?
Explorer trims share one body, and the names changed in 2025. That makes listings easy to get wrong. A seller may call a car an XLT when it’s an Active, or call an ST-Line an ST. The original window sticker shows what Ford built. It names the trim and equipment group, the engine, the drivetrain and the transmission. It lists every factory option with its price, then the destination charge and the total MSRP.
For a family SUV, the options often matter more than the badge. Comfort, tech and driver-assist packages each add to the price. The sticker shows which ones are fitted.
How do you read Explorer generations and trims?
The current Explorer is the sixth generation. It arrived for the 2020 model year and is built at Chicago Assembly in Illinois. It moved to a rear-wheel-drive platform, with four-wheel drive available. Every version uses a 10-speed automatic.
The trims fall into two eras:
| Years | Trims |
|---|---|
| 2020 to 2024 | Base, XLT, Limited, ST, Platinum, plus Timberline from mid-2021 and ST-Line from 2022 |
| 2025 refresh | Active, ST-Line, ST, Platinum |
For 2025, Ford cut the lineup to four trims and renamed the XLT as the Active. Equipment group codes changed at the same time. Ford’s 2025 model-year notes list ST-Line as 300A, where it had been 250A, and Platinum as 600A, where it had been 601A. On 2025 models:
- Active: 200A
- ST-Line: 300A
- ST: 400A
- Platinum: 600A
Optional packages sit on top of the group with their own codes. Ford’s 2025 order guide lists the Active Comfort Package as 68A on the Active, for example. Read the codes on your SUV’s own sticker, because they change between years.
Which engine should the Explorer have?
- 2.3L EcoBoost four-cylinder: the standard engine, rated at 300 hp. Standard on 2025 Active, ST-Line and Platinum.
- 3.0L EcoBoost twin-turbo V6: the ST engine. The Platinum has also used it in some years.
- 3.3L hybrid V6: sold to retail buyers from 2020 to 2024, rated at 318 hp combined.
A rear-wheel-drive ST was added for 2022, so an ST is not always four-wheel drive. Check the drivetrain line on the sticker.
What should you check on a used Explorer?
- Trim and group. Match the badge to the trim line and group code. Remember the 2025 rename from XLT to Active.
- ST or ST-Line. The ST-Line has the sporty look. The ST has the V6. The sticker names the engine.
- Drivetrain. Rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive is printed in the vehicle description.
- Packages. Comfort, premium and driver-assist packages are listed with their prices. Badges and wheels can’t prove them.
- Paint. The color name is on the sticker. The paint code is on the driver door-jamb label after “EXT PNT”.
- Recalls. Enter the Explorer’s VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. We show the recall count free, and the Full Report gives each recall in detail.
The EPA fuel economy label is part of the sticker. To compare engines and drivetrains, see fueleconomy.gov.
How do I get an Explorer sticker by VIN?
Enter the 17-character VIN above. Our free check decodes the Explorer with NHTSA, shows the trim and recall count, and tells you whether Ford has released its original sticker. For $9.99, the Full Report adds the Explorer’s sticker PDF, every option with its price, the paint code where it can be matched, and recall details.
We get Explorer stickers from Ford’s own system, and Ford chooses which VINs to release. Recent model years have the best coverage, and we can’t promise every Explorer. Our Ford window sticker page covers what to try if yours isn’t released. For how option prices add up, read MSRP by VIN. Ford’s Explorer page shows the current lineup.
Last updated November 5, 2026.
