Ford Explorer Complaints
917 consumer complaints on file.
- #11557719November 30, 2023POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate after coming to a complete stop, the vehicle briefly lunged forward. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V675000 (Power Train) the VIN was included but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 15,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11557691November 30, 2023POWER TRAIN
The contact's daughter owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving from a complete stop in a parking lot, the vehicle stalled. A message indicating a transmission failure was displayed. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer informed the contact's daughter that a diagnostic test cost would be charged because the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11557544November 29, 2023ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
Every time i was traveling in sport mode, shifting was delayed & was very rough transition to next gear. Car was not accelerating or decelerating properly. Burning smell came from the engine. Car’s electrical momentarily went haywire. Wrench light came on. This happened within 18 hours of purchasing this NEW car. And several times over the subsequent week. Indicator light went on intermittently & so did same problems described above. My safety was put at risk because my car was not driving properly which caused distraction. I was confused about what to do. It also made it difficult to change lanes or speed up/slow down because it was jerky. The dealership i bought it from said a ford engineer came out to inspect the car & that several parts were ordered to fix it, including a battery for the electric motor & a wiring harness. They said it was a big issue and those parts were hard to come by, but i only learned this after 30+ days of the vehicle being under their control. I only dropped it off for a “test.” They did not make documentation of any of this work and would not release records to me. They also declined to release the car to me when i was tired of the lack of transparency. They said they couldnt give it back j til it was fixed but never provided work order with estimate or details of coverage. I never signed anything giving them permission to replace or repair the parts, especially because they would not disclose the ford engineer’s findings to me until a few weeks later after i threatened to invoke my rights under lemon law. They had already taken the car apart & ordered parts by then-without my informed consent.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11557338November 28, 2023BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera image was blue. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown software update was performed; however, the failure persisted. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V342000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11556867November 26, 2023POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
I have received six (6) notifications of a power train failure, which causes the vehicle to "shudder" at highway speeds. The first issue took place 09/01/2023, and the last was on 11/1/2023. The vehicle then continues to operate normally. If the vehicle is turned off and then on again, the light clears. I took the vehicle to Tamiami Ford for service. They reported that they can see that their is an issue, but are unable to diagnose it.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11556797November 25, 2023UNKNOWN OR OTHER, BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
The rear camera on my Explorer shows a blue screen most of the time and this has become a serious safety issue. A few weeks ago while backing out of a parking spot I almost hit a pedestrian who came out of a double-parked car because the pedestrian was in my rear view mirrors blind spot. Luckily a passenger in my car saw them and alerted me. The remedy for this recall was supposed to be available after August 7th. I have tried multiple times to get my vehicle in for repair. I have complained to my Ford dealer and opened a case with Ford customer service. They each told me something different and I'm not sure what to do now.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11556064November 20, 2023POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V675000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11555657November 17, 2023WHEELS, TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
Two TPMS sensors have failed on this vehicle. Although these sensors are required under the TREAD act, Ford has advised through their dealer that this is not a safety issue and the TPMS sensor batteries failing less than 3 years from date of vehicle manufacture falls in the category of normal wear and tear. Note that the vehicle has 27,243 miles on it, and these are the original TPMS sensors/wheels/tires that the vehicle came equipped with from Ford.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11555314November 15, 2023BACK OVER PREVENTION, POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V735000 (Back Over Prevention), 22V255000 (Power Train), and 23V675000 (Power Train) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and determined that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11555230November 15, 2023POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V675000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11555228November 15, 2023BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V342000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the image on the sync screen was blue. The failure mileage was 14,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11554924November 13, 2023POWER TRAIN
UNKNOWN My rear axle bolt may fracture. and this repair still has not been done. and Ford doesn't know. when the part will be in, I'm in fear. for my safety.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11554813November 13, 2023POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V635000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11554524November 10, 2023UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I have a 2021 Ford Explorer ST that I purchased as a new vehicle. On 8/27/23 I was driving my vehicle to work. I noticed a loud humming noise upon acceleration when I was approximately 1 mile from work. I drove my car to work, parked it. I attempted to get a Ford dealership to service my vehicle and was informed that it would be "3-4 weeks before they could even look at the vehicle" (Siloam Springs Superior Ford). I managed to find a repair shop 2 miles from the hospital that I work at. As I was driving the vehicle to the shop for repair- the loud humming noise upon acceleration was still present- something very loud fell out from under my car. The right side catalytic converter (a pipe several feet long) was hanging down under my car. I am thankful I was driving at a speed <15 mph and not on the highway. The car was repaired (I have attached the receipt for the repair). Upon further research I found that there were other ST Explorer and regular Explorer models with a customer "courtesy repair" that was offered. No such repair was offered to me. I called in a report to the Ford Dealership (general 1-800- 392-3673 line). I received the case #[XXX] at the conclusion of that call. I brought my car into the shop (Lewis Ford Fayetteville), as per Ford's recommendations, to inquire about reimbursement for my issues- since they are the same issues mentioned in the courtesy repair notice. I was not previously notified of a courtesy repair. Lewis Ford informed me that despite my issue being exactly the same issue noted in the courtesy repair- my VIN number was not a part of the repair. This is a dangerous issue. I am certain that if I was at a higher speed level- my car would have been wrecked. According to the repair shop, they have seen and heard of this same issue with Ford Explorer ST models. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11554410November 9, 2023SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE
The contact owned a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH he depressed the brake pedal to slow for a traffic signal and the vehicle experienced brake failure. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact drove over the median to avoid crashing into vehicles directly in front of his vehicle. The contact stated that he was pumping the brake pedal however, the vehicle seemed to accelerate independently. The contact stated that he attempted to shift the vehicle into neutral(N) however, the shifter dial would not move. The contact stated he had attempted to turn the vehicle off but could not turn off the vehicle. The contact stated he was finally able to stop the vehicle prior to crashing into traffic directional poles. The contact stated that the Police arrived on the scene and wrote a report. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the driver's side front shock absorber was damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11554040November 7, 2023POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
The contact leased a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering uncontrollably and was making an abnormal grinding sound. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front driver's side axle was fractured. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was unprecedented. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 15,629.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11553342November 3, 2023ENGINE
Vehicle purchased in May 2023 (51323) at koons silver spring. Vehicle had computer and 'random stalling' issues where the car would not start/stay on in August 2023. Called dealership, vehicle towed to Koons for repair. Service team said they could not replicate issue. Vehicle continued having intermittent issues, vehicle dropped off for repair in sept 2023 - service team repaired main computer system. Oct 3 2023 check engine light came on and vehicle continued random stalling/jarring/jerking forward for amount of time that vehicle had to be driven back to residence (<1.0 miles from time/location when check engine light came on) tech came out to the residence to check the engine system, they identified a misfire but unable to determine why?. as of 11/3/23 vehicle remains at dealership, notified that Ford Safety Engineers (FSE) was notified of the issue, and no solution is available at this time. Can is unusable and is under 9,500 miles. I have not been able to have consistent use of my vehicle and have continued payments as expected. Dealership has no anticipated return date or repair date for my vehicle and this seems to fit the maryland lemon law criteria (car purchased in maryland, resides in maryland).
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11552796October 31, 2023POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V675000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle started to vibrate. The contact stated that there were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that she drove the vehicle to a dealer and was informed that the failure could not duplicated. The vehicle had not been repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that when the vehicle was shifted into park(P), the parking brake automatically activated, and the contact did not manually set the parking brake. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The contact took the vehicle to recall repaired and adjustments needed from the previous recall . The dealer stated the recall repair could not be done because they did not have the tool to perform the repairs. When the vehicle was delivered, it was detached from the part of the third row seats.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11552623October 30, 2023VISIBILITY
The contact was purchasing a 2023 ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reviewing the purchase agreement, it was discovered that the vehicle was not equipped with fog lights. The contact was concerned that without fog lights his visibility to the roadway would be impaired while driving at night. The vehicle was not yet in the contacts possession therefore it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the issue and referred the contact to call the NHTSA Hotline. The contact has not experienced a failure as of yet.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11552455October 29, 2023POWER TRAIN
Since new the vehicle intermittently fails to shift in or out of reverse instead going to neutral and free rolling. Cycling the shift selected multiple times or performing a battery reset temporarily resolves the issue. This results in the vehicle being unable to move out of the roadway when backing onto a road.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0