Having posted a career .309 batting average over 15 seasons, Ordóñez retired from the major leagues as a Tiger on June 3, 2012, in a ceremony at Comerica Park prior to the afternoon game.

In 2013, he announced that he would be running for public office in his native country of Venezuela and was elected mayor of the Juan Antonio Sotillo Municipality on December 8, 2013.

He also established a career high with 139 runs batted in, and finished runner-up to Alex Rodriguez in the AL Most Valuable Player award voting.

He also collected over 70 extra-base hits from 2001 to 2003, but a collision with second baseman Willie Harris on Omar Vizquel's popup to right field during a May 19, 2004, game against the Cleveland Indians, cost him two trips to the disabled list and two surgeries on his left knee.

The Red Sox and Texas Rangers had been in discussions for weeks about Boston acquiring the reigning American League MVP, SS Alex Rodriguez for outfielder Manny Ramirez.

This caused him to rest after corrective surgery for two months following the injury, after which he began a rehabilitation assignment at the Tigers' AAA minor league team in Toledo.

On October 14, 2006, Ordóñez completed the Tigers' sweep of the ALCS with a three-run homer against Huston Street of the Oakland Athletics, with two outs on a 1–0 count in the bottom of the 9th, the 8th time in MLB history that a post-season series has ended with a home run.

Magglio's records and accomplishments in 2007 include: On April 29, 2010, Ordóñez got his 2000th career hit against the Minnesota Twins' Carl Pavano.

[17] On October 8, 2011, during a playoff game with the Texas Rangers, Ordóñez re-fractured the ankle that he had fractured in 2010, he was then ruled out for the rest of the 2011 postseason.

[22] In Detroit's Comerica Park some Tiger fans sported curly black wigs underneath their baseball caps until mid-2009, when Ordóñez cut his hair short.

[28] As a result, during the 2009 World Baseball Classic, Ordóñez was booed by anti-Chávez Venezuelan fans, during his at bats, and while he was on the field.