2026 model year · Sixth generation (U625, 2020-)

Ford Explorer towing capacity

Max towing, 20265,000 lb

Maker2,268 kg

Every 2026 Ford Explorer is rated to tow 5,000 lb, per the 2026 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide.

2026 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide

Configurations: 4
GCWR: 10,000–10,100 lb

2022 Timberline 2.3L EcoBoost I4 4WD, drawn to scale from its published dimensions.

01 / Ratings

Every 2026 Explorer configuration

4 configurations Ford sells, each with the ratings Ford publishes for it. A package that changes a rating gets its own row. All have the 10-speed automatic.

2026 Ford Explorer

Makerin pounds

2026 Ford Explorer towing capacity, GCWR, payload and tongue weight by configuration, in pounds
Configuration	Max towing lb	GCWR lb	Axle ratio	Tow check
2.3L EcoBoost I4
All trims not listed separately5-door SUV · Rear-wheel drive	5,000	10,000	3.58	Check load →
All trims not listed separately5-door SUV · Intelligent 4WD	5,000	10,100	3.58	Check load →
3.0L EcoBoost V6
All trims not listed separately5-door SUV · Rear-wheel drive	5,000	not in our data	not in our data	Check load →
All trims not listed separately5-door SUV · Intelligent 4WD	5,000	not in our data	not in our data	Check load →

“Not published”: the maker doesn’t print it. —: not in the documents we hold yet. Scroll the table sideways for every rating.

SourceMakerEvery figure above is Ford’s, from this document.

2026 Ford RV & Trailer Towing Guide · Ford Motor Company (Ford Pro Body Builder Advisory Service)

Documents last checked Oct 12, 2026. How we read them and what the marks mean: how we source the numbers. A figure doesn’t match its document? Report a wrong number.

The Explorer, generation by generation: clearance, angles, weights and every configuration.

02 / Why

Which one tows the most, and why

Each figure below is the gap between two of Ford’s own ratings for configurations that differ in one thing only.

03 / By year

Explorer towing by model year

The highest rating each model year, from that year’s documents. Years rated the same in every configuration share one page.

04 / Next

Check it against your load

Towing calculatorPut your trailer and cargo against a 2026 Explorer’s ratings and see what’s left.Check my load GVWR, GCWR & payloadWhat each rating limits, and why the trailer number alone isn’t the answer.Read the guide Explorer specsClearance, angles, weights and the rig builder for every configuration.Open the spec plate Explorer tire sizesStock tire and wheel sizes by trim, and what bigger tires change.See tire sizes All towing capacitiesEvery truck and SUV we cover, side by side, sortable.Compare vehicles

05 / FAQ

Questions people ask

Does every 2026 Explorer tow the same?

Yes: all 4 configurations Ford lists for 2026 are rated 5,000 lb.

What is the GCWR of the 2026 Ford Explorer?

10,000–10,100 lb by configuration; the most is 10,100 lb, for the All trims not listed separately 5-door SUV 2.3L EcoBoost I4 Intelligent 4WD. GCWR is the most the loaded vehicle and its loaded trailer may weigh together.

Has the Ford Explorer’s towing capacity changed by year?

Highest rating by model year: 2026, 5,000 lb; 2025, 5,000 lb; 2024, 5,600 lb; 2023, 5,600 lb; 2022, 5,600 lb; 2021, 5,600 lb; 2020, 5,600 lb; 2019, 5,000 lb; 2017–2018, 5,000 lb; 2016, 5,000 lb; 2014–2015, 5,000 lb; 2013, 5,000 lb; 2012, 5,000 lb; 2011, 5,000 lb.

Does four-wheel drive change the 2026 Explorer’s towing capacity?

No: Ford rates each configuration the same with either drive (2 pairs in its table).

Does the engine change the 2026 Explorer’s towing capacity?

Not at the top: the 2.3L EcoBoost I4 and 3.0L EcoBoost V6 are each rated up to 5,000 lb in their best configuration.

These are Ford’s published ratings, not a weighbridge. Your own vehicle’s GVWR and axle ratings are on its certification label, and only a scale tells you what your loaded rig weighs. Found a figure that doesn’t match the document? Tell us.