Ford Explorer heater core price snapshot
- Low
- $48
- Average
- $167
- High
- $500
Vehicle-specific price guide
How much is a used Ford Explorer heater core?
Asking prices from 72 salvage yards in 28 states, broken down by model year, condition grade, and fitment variant.
SKWritten bySaurabh Kumar · Co-Founder & CTO
SK
Saurabh Kumar
Co-Founder & CTO, Part Price Guide
Built the pricing pipeline that collects and normalizes used OEM part listings from salvage yards and online marketplaces across the US.
ASReviewed byAmbika Sharma · Co-Founder & COO
Last updatedOct 22, 2026AS
Ambika Sharma
Co-Founder & COO, Part Price Guide
12 years of project management and technical operations experience. Reviews price guides for sample size, fitment accuracy, and data freshness.
Part overview
About the Ford Explorer heater core
What the heater core does, common failure signs, and prices across all vehicles: used heater core price guide →
Price summary
A used Ford Explorer heater core costs $48 to $500, with a median asking price of $116. Based on 945 priced salvage yard listings across the US, compatible across 2011–2025 (15 model years), updated Oct 22, 2026. Prices exclude shipping, core charges, and installation.
Grade A (excellent)$116
Grade B (good)$116
Grade C (fair)$250
USD
Condition comparison
Price by part grade
Grade AClean / low wear$48–$500696 listings
Grade BStandard used$101–$422239 listings
Grade CVisible wear$66–$2504 listings
Grade XUngraded$116–$4256 listings
| Grade | Price range | Relative range | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade AClean / low wear | $48–$500 | 696 | |
| Grade BStandard used | $101–$422 | 239 | |
| Grade CVisible wear | $66–$250 | 4 | |
| Grade XUngraded | $116–$425 | 6 |
Median by grade
Grade price comparison
Grade A$116
Grade B$116
Grade C$250
Ungraded$116
Median asking price by seller-reported condition grade · $48–$500 overall range
Regional supply
Where the Ford Explorer heater core is listed
We found priced Ford Explorer heater core listings at 72 salvage yards across 28 states. Texas supplies the most, with 367 listings (29% of the total) from 9 yards. Location matters: yards in California ask a median $116, while South Carolina yards ask $375, 223% more for the same part. Shipping usually costs less than that gap for smaller parts, so it can pay to buy out of state.
| State | Listings | Yards | Median ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 367 | 9 | $241+108% |
| California | 197 | 8 | $116 |
| Arizona | 164 | 2 | $116 |
| Florida | 104 | 4 | $116 |
| Wisconsin | 77 | 4 | $116 |
| Michigan | 62 | 6 | $116 |
| South Carolina | 49 | 2 | $375+223% |
| North Carolina | 48 | 3 | $285+146% |
States with at least 10 priced listings. % is versus the $116 national median.
Replacement cost
What is the Ford Explorer heater core replacement cost?
- Used part
- $116
- Ford Explorer median asking price
- Labor
- $475–$1,500
- 5–10 hours at $95–$150/hr
- Estimated total
- $590–$1,615
- median used part + labor
Labor is a typical independent-shop range for heater core replacement, not a quote for your vehicle; it does not include coolant refill, and dashboard reassembly on vehicles requiring full dash removal. The part price is the live median from the salvage-yard listings on this page. Full heater core replacement cost breakdown
Sources
- Labor time estimates: Part Price Guide labor database
Model-year comparison
What does a Ford Explorer heater core cost by year?
2025100 listingsFits 6 years$116$116 – $2492024100 listingsFits 6 years$116$116 – $1162023100 listingsFits 6 years$116$71 – $375202266 listingsFits 6 years$116$116 – $4222021100 listingsFits 6 years$116$116 – $4222020100 listingsFits 6 years$116$75 – $401201960 listingsFits 4 years$241$241 – $4002018100 listingsFits 8 years$101$101 – $4252017100 listingsFits 8 years$101$48 – $4012016111 listingsFits 8 years$101$50 – $5002015100 listingsFits 9 years$66$66 – $422
Market analysis
How much does a used Ford Explorer heater core cost?
Asking prices for a used Ford Explorer heater core are unusually spread out: the top listing asks more than ten times what the cheapest does, so which unit you pick matters more than the median.
Model year matters too: 2015 units carry the lowest median at $66, while 2019 tops the table at $241. Parts from 2011–2019 are interchangeable, so if the 2015 fits your vehicle, it offers the best value across 9 compatible years.
Against comparable vehicles, the Ford Explorer sits 27% above the Ford F250 ($91), level with the Nissan Sentra ($116), and 56% below the Honda HR-V ($266) for the same part. The “similar vehicles” cards below open each comparison guide.
Buying a used heater core: what to check
- Perform low-pressure leak test: Submerge the core under water with low air pressure applied to detect pinhole leaks in aluminum tubes and tanks.
- Inspect aluminum inlet and outlet tubes: Check that connection tube ends are perfectly round and free of crushed walls or corrosion from old coolant.
- Flush internal passages with water: Run fresh water through the core to confirm no internal calcification or stop-leak additives block coolant flow.
- Confirm HVAC casing flange alignment: Verify inlet pipe bend angles and casing foam seal tracks match your vehicle's specific heater box housing.
- Replace pass-through foam seals on install: Install fresh foam sealing strips around firewall pass-through holes to prevent cold air bypass and dash squeaks.
Keep browsing this vehicle
What other Ford Explorer parts are priced?
01wide ±285%
Side Mirror
$222median
$39$1,303
02wide ±284%
Grille
$189median
$35$1,108
03wide ±155%
Headlight Assembly
$842median
$195$2,800
04wide ±200%
Axle Shaft
$101median
$20$423
05wide ±167%
Strut
$125median
$22$440
06wide ±264%
Wheels
$215median
$36$1,173
07wide ±189%
Radiator
$150median
$40$608
08wide ±170%
Transmission
$1,596median
$243$5,664
09wide ±291%
Tail Light
$250median
$42$1,495
10wide ±198%
Front Bumper
$290median
$50$1,200
11wide ±168%
Rear Bumper
$230median
$95$870
12wide ±180%
Alternator
$115median
$30$445
Price comparisons
Compare Ford Explorer heater core prices
Heater Corecompare
FordF250vsFordExplorer
F250$91
Explorer$116
$25 diff2,319 listings
Heater CorecompareHondaHR-VvsFordExplorer
HR-V$266
Explorer$116
$150 diff2,045 listings
Heater CorecompareDodgeGrandCaravanvsFordExplorer
Caravan$51
Explorer$116
$65 diff2,027 listings
Heater CorecompareCadillacEscaladevsFordExplorer
Escalade$116
Explorer$116
$0 diff2,017 listings
Heater CorecompareMercedesSClassvsFordExplorer
Class$116
Explorer$116
$0 diff2,014 listings
Heater CorecompareFordTransitvsFordExplorer
Transit$116
Explorer$116
$0 diff1,978 listings
Compare fitments
What do similar vehicles charge for this part?
Fordwide ±168%
Ford Bronco Sport
$116median
$60$450
Fordtight ±1%
Ford Edge
$91median
$91$93
Fordtight ±13%
Ford Escape
$116median
$86$116
Fordspread ±47%
Ford Expedition
$91median
$65$150
Fordspread ±43%
Ford F150
$91median
$68$147
Fordwide ±225%
Ford F250
$91median
$40$450
Fordwide ±200%
Ford Maverick
$116median
$60$525
Fordwide ±190%
Ford Ranger
$116median
$75$515
Fordwide ±148%
Ford Transit
$116median
$50$394
Ford
Ford Bronco
Price data updating
Ford
Ford Focus
Price data updating
Ford
Ford Fusion
Price data updating
Common questions
Ford Explorer heater core FAQ
How much is a used heater core for a Ford Explorer?
The median asking price is $116 across 945 priced listings from 72 yards. Grade-A units, the cleanest stock, have a median of $116. 2015 is the cheapest model year we track, with a median of $66.
How much does it cost to replace a Ford Explorer heater core?
Using a used part, a Ford Explorer heater core replacement typically runs $590–$1,615 all-in: the median used heater core for this model lists at $116, and independent-shop labor for heater core replacement typically takes 5–10 hours at $95–$150/hr ($475–$1,500). The labor figure does not include coolant refill, and dashboard reassembly on vehicles requiring full dash removal. Labor is a national part-level estimate, not a quote for your vehicle.
Which Ford Explorer model years does this price guide cover?
This guide currently has year-level pricing for 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015. Other model years contribute to the overall range where sellers listed them without a year breakdown.
Which Ford Explorer heater core years are interchangeable?
Salvage-yard interchange data links Ford Explorer heater core fitments across 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025. Searching all 15 years widens the pool of units; confirm the part number against your VIN, since trim or drivetrain can split an interchange group.