Ford Explorer Complaints (2021)

412 consumer complaints on file.

#11690229September 28, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Approximately 6 weeks ago, while driving at 30 -35 mph in residential area, vehicle started lurching/jolting, took to local dealership, nothing found, reported to Customer Service, instructed to write to FMC Consumer Affairs and am waiting on reply.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11690003September 26, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Sunroof shade loose / sagging when retracting. Issue is caused by a worn sunshade spring. When retracted, the sunroof shade fabric sags to the degree that it blocks / obscures the driver's view of the back window and activity to the rear of and/or behind the vehicle. An internet search shows that this in a known / common issue with Explorers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689808September 25, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I bought my 2021 ford explorer limited brand new. I have never used the sunroof for my personal pleasure. I have opened it less than a handful of times, only to appease my grandson. The other day, I had my grandaon and I closed the sunroof, for maybe like the 4th time ever, and the sunshade liner started to sag. If this falls while I am driving I am afraid it may blind my driving. Should FORD have to pay for this defect? I am seeing forums all over the internet where this is happening to a lot of owners. Thanks for your time and help.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688856September 22, 2025
SEATS
Passenger second row (Captain's) seat is loose, shakes (sometimes violently) and rattles loudly when vehicle is moving (and seat is unoccupied).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686064September 9, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed and then lost motive power. The engine made ticking sounds, and the vehicle was running rough. No warning light was illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle into the driveway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who discovered that the timing chain, spark plugs, and intake valves were fractured. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685212September 5, 2025
POWER TRAIN, POWER TRAIN:AXLE HUBS
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the rear differential, with the vehicle vibrating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the drive axle, wheel hub assembly, and the hub splines needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was previously included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V255000 (Power Train); and was repaired by Hutchinson Ford of Forsyth (288 Harold G. Clark Parkway, Forsyth, GA 31029). The vehicle was not yet repaired for the recent failure. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684230August 31, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sunroof shade won't open and bind down covering the rear mirror view
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683487August 27, 2025
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there was a 15x3/4-inch strip on the B-pillar trim of the driver's side rear door that was detaching from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who attempted to use adhesive to secure the trim piece; however, the temporary repair failed to fix the vehicle. The dealer determined that the entire B-pillar trim needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact became aware that the B-pillar trim on the passenger's side rear door had started to detach. The contact informed the manufacturer of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure). The manufacturer advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683418August 27, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
Hi, i am concerned about the safety of my vehicle. i brought it to the attention of ford motor company and an authorized dealer that i am getting a parking brake warning on my dashboard. the authorized dealer inspected it, and said that the braking system is contaminated due to liquid spilling from the damaged cupholders. i communicated to them, that 1. the cupholders are clearly not strong enough to be placed over a critical component of the vehicle such as a braking system. 2. i think that this is a design flaw as there are normally drips and spills from having liquid in your car, especially in the designated place for it (cupholders). I should not be held liable for the repair to the braking system. they insisted this should be for my account, and if i decided not to fix it, it could lead to the entire braking system malfunctioning while the car is in motion or at a stand still. I am noting this with the department of transportation for investigation hopefully prior to an incident/accident taking place and the risk of a fatality, i have communicated to the dealer but they feel they have no accountability for this. while this may seem to be a cosmetic issue "just a cupholder", it is directly over a critical system of the car, and based on research i have done, i am not the only one with a broken cupholder in my ford explorer.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681709August 19, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALD I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO FORD IN ONTARIO BECAUSE IT HAS HAD NUMEROUS INCIDENTS THAT I AM AT A LIGHT AND THE VEHICLE COMPLETY SHUTS OFF. WHEN I HAVE TAKEN IT IN THEY RETURN IT STATING THAT NOTHING ID WRONG WITH THE CAR. THIS MONTH ALONE IT HAS HAPPENNED ATLEATT 5 TIMES. LATEST ONE BEING THIS MORNING ON MY WAY TO WORK. IT SHUT OFF LUCKYLY I AM GETTING FASTER AT 1ST PRESSING ON MY HAZARDS AND THEN RESUMING THE ENGINE AND TAKING OFF THE PARKING BRAKE I AM IN FEAR OF BEING IN A COLLISION. I CALLED DEALER TODAY THEY SAID ALL THEY CAN DO IS KEEP THE CAR AGAIN FOR SEVERAL DAYS BUT IF NOTHING IS FOUND AGAIN I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE RENTAL CAR OUT OF POCKET. THIS IS CRAZY AS MY SELF AND MY FAMILY ARE AT RISK EVERY TIME THE CAR SHUTS OFF WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED NOT TO HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED. THERE ARE NO WARNING LAMPS THAT TURN ON.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680960August 15, 2025
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver’s door window independently rolled down. In addition, the contact stated that the failure had previously occurred with the front passenger’s and rear driver’s side windows. The contact stated that during the first failure the vehicle was repaired by the dealer and covered under warranty. After the second failure, the vehicle was repaired by an independent mechanic and the contact paid out-of-pocket. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,188.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680757August 14, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION, SEATS
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image was blank. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V159000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V393000 (Seats). The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679961August 11, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
While driving, the panoramic sunroof shade on my vehicle failed to retract properly, sagging down into the rear visibility area. The shade hangs low enough to completely block the view through the rearview mirror, significantly impairing my ability to monitor traffic behind me. This is a serious safety hazard, particularly when changing lanes, merging, or reversing. The issue also impacts rear passengers, as the drooping shade hangs down into the back seat area. This obstruction makes it difficult to check on passengers—especially children—while driving. There were no warnings before this failure occurred, and research shows that this problem is common among other owners, as documented in multiple online forums and complaint records. The shade appears to have a design flaw where the guide sliders or attachment points fail, causing it to sag into the driver’s line of sight. This failure should not happen on a safety-critical component affecting visibility. Given the frequency of reports and the direct impact on driver awareness, a recall or mandatory repair campaign should be issued to address this defect in all affected vehicles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679735August 11, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
I was driving down the road and heard a loud pop and it sounded like a golf ball hit my door. I immediately looked in my rear view mirror and was unable to see anything. After merging to the shoulder of the road and stopping safely I turned around and noticed that the headliner from my sun roof had broken and fallen and was blocking all view from my mirror.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679464August 8, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, VISIBILITY/WIPER
Automatic roll up sun shade for the sunroof sags and does not retract anymore, causing visibility issues as it droops down. Car is out of factory bumper to bumper warranty, currently 52k miles, and the aftermarket warranty does not cover the shade. Ford quoted over $2000 for fix, when this is a manufacturer's defect and many cars are affected.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679463August 8, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was driving and pressed the button to open my sunroof (which has a powered sunshade) but the sunshade dropped down on top of the 2nd row seats, blocking my view through my rear view mirror and rear window completely. I made an appointment with my Ford dealer the next day. The dealer had my vehicle for over 30 days waiting for parts to fix the tensioner system that pulls the powered sunshade back in order for the sunroof to open. I've seen in multiple forums online that this has happened to a lot of other people that has this option on their Ford Explorers (2020-2024) models. This was definitely a safety hazard as I was unable to see anything behind me while I was moving and luckily I didn't panic. I pulled over slowly to the soft shoulder in order to try and get the sunshade to at least go back to it's "closed" state which it finally did after trying for a few minutes. I think Ford needs to make this a recall because of the safety issues of this blocking the view of the driver.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679410August 8, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The auto/stop start system is malfunctioning. When I stop at a stop sign, or to turn left, the vehicle stops, but then does not turn on again when I press the gas pedal. Instead, I have to place the car in park and manually restart the engine. This has happened four times over a 2-month period. Sometimes it takes me 30 seconds to turn the car back on. This is harrowing when I am suddenly stuck in the middle of the road. I took my vehicle to the Ford Dealership after it happened three times. They had my vehicle for 3 weeks but could not find anything wrong, and the incident did not happen again. I’ve had my vehicle back for 6 days, and it happened again today at a stop sign. Suddenly, there was a message on my screen to place my car in park and restart the engine. There were many other cars waiting for me to turn.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679130August 7, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was sticking on three occasions. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in a parking lot, the contact had to raise the brake pedal with her foot after the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated that it felt like the parking brake was engaged. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power brake booster was inoperable. The part: L1MZ2005K - Ford Power brake booster was on back order for a month. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who repaired the brakes, and informed the contact that the required parts were on back order for three months. The contact called the manufacturer, who confirmed the status of the parts, and that there was no release date for the parts. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678767August 6, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
My vehicle is equipped with a panoramic sunroof, furthermore the panoramic sunroof has a sliding screen to block out the sun when the owner prefers to block the sun. The issue is with the panoramic sunroof screen, this particular screen also slides on rails below the glass window from the panoramic sunroof. The sliders from the screen part seem to break and cause the screen to sag downward blocking the view from the rear view mirror. In which case it’s a safety hazard for the passengers and public due to limited visibility. Furthermore, it also blocks the view of monitoring the rear passengers in which in this case they are toddlers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11678432August 5, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Center console cup holder base failure causing items to fall through and into the interior of the console. My key fob fell through the bottom and required nearly an hour to be retrieved. The problem is persistent with anything placed into the cup holder. This issue is common and well documented on forums and social media.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Ford Explorer