2016 Ford Explorer: trims, real prices & how to pick yours

48 builds left the factory as a 2016 Explorer, each a different combination of engine, transmission and body identified by the first eight characters of its VIN. The 16 main configurations sell for $3,075–$77,374 today.

  • 16 main configurations
  • 90,637 vehicles built
  • 2,151 for sale right now
  • $3,075–$77,374 typical price range

Which Explorer is yours?

Enter a VIN — the 17 characters on the windshield or the title — and we’ll match it to its exact factory configuration, typical price and equipment.

Works with any VIN — a different year or model takes you straight to its own page.

Pick your Explorer

What actually differs

Sport · 4WD XLT · FWD Limited · 4WD Limited · FWD
Power 365 hp 290 hp 290 hp 290 hp
Drivetrain Four-wheel drive Front-wheel drive Four-wheel drive Front-wheel drive
Typical price today $13,995 $11,995 $11,995 $11,900
For sale right now 358 216 229 136
Vehicles built 14,436 11,350 10,026 7,376
Same on every 2016 Explorer
  • Engine 3.5L 6-cyl
  • Fuel Gasoline
  • Body Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
  • Doors 4-door

What people actually pay

2,397 price observations · updated Aug 30, 2026
Sport · 4WD
$13,995
XLT · FWD
$11,995
Limited · 4WD
$11,995
Limited · FWD
$11,900
Platinum · 4WD
$14,695
XLT · 4WD
$11,283
$4,753 $23,489 $42,225 $60,960 $79,696
Price trend

Median down $2,130 over the last 12 months.

2016 Explorer price history →
Will it hold value?

A Explorer typically keeps about 63% of its price over 5 years — a 5-year-old one runs about $7,700 today.

Explorer depreciation by year →
Cost to run

16/23 mpg city/highway. Roughly $2,450/yr on fuel at 15,000 miles.

EPA estimate for the 2016 Explorer

Safety, in plain English

NHTSA overall crash rating

★★★★★ 5 / 5

15 recalls on file for this model year — check any specific VIN before you buy.

What 1FM5K8AT-G means

1FM 5K8AT · G
1FM
the World Manufacturer Identifier Ford registered — assembled in the United States
5K8AT
together encode the Explorer line — Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), 3.5L 6cyl, Four-wheel drive — as Ford filed it, these five characters are read as one block, not letter by letter
G
in position 10 — model year 2016
9, 11–17
differ on every car: check digit, plant code and the serial number
32 rare configurations — mostly fleet, export or irregular VIN patterns. Fewer than 20 known vehicles each.

Already looking at a specific Explorer?

Paste its VIN — we’ll open that exact car’s page: its configuration, market position and every listing we’ve tracked.

2016 Ford Explorer prices →