Ford Explorer Complaints (2022)

257 consumer complaints on file.

#11759597August 25, 2026
SUSPENSION
While operating the vehicle, a loud clunk occurred, followed by a grinding noise. I stopped the vehicle immediately. Upon exiting, I observed the rear driver‑side tire positioned at an abnormal angle. Inspection underneath the vehicle revealed a fractured rear control arm. This failure is consistent with recall 23S55, which applies to Ford Explorers manufactured between 6/25/21 and 7/6/22. My vehicle’s build date is July 2022, which falls within the affected production window. The damage is clearly consequential to the control arm failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757133August 15, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY/WIPER
Rear wiper was working intermittently now it does not work at all. I notice campaign 26S14 (NHTSA Campaign 26V117) but my vin is not included. Even though I have the same problem
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755278August 6, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
RECALL COMPLIANCE & SAFETY DEFECT DESCRIPTION: The vehicle was transported via roadside assistance to a licensed manufacturer dealership due to severe engine overheating under an active manufacturer safety recall. Service personnel systematically modified intake paperwork to alter the true mechanical state upon arrival, removing safety recall and towing documentation. Intake files were falsified with the notation stating that the customer reported a bad battery, executed solely to evade mandatory factory safety recall tracking protocols and obscure dealer liability for subsequent failures. UNAUTHORIZED SHOP-FLOOR HAZARDS & MECHANICAL DAMAGE: Following custody transfer, shop technicians induced severe physical damage to the vehicle's twin-turbocharger assembly, resulting in a snapped turbo stud and a torn engine air filter. The vehicle was subsequently operated on public roads by shop personnel for 75 to 80 unauthorized miles under active engine overheating conditions without correcting thermal or safety recall failures, creating an immediate risk of catastrophic engine block structural cracking. The safety failures triggered 13 critical system fault codes across powertrain, electrical, and battery systems, which went entirely unaddressed while the shop attempted to compel payment under an altered repair estimate. CYBER SABOTAGE OF OUTBOUND SAFETY TELEMATICS: To actively obstruct diagnostic tracking and safety verification, shop staff executed a forced remote network reset of the vehicle's cellular modem. This reset deliberately severed user profile access and entirely deactivated the outbound telematics pipeline to systematically block the outbound transmission of the 13 powertrain and thermal fault messages to the user and manufacturer databases.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755213August 6, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I purchased a 2022 Ford Explorer XLT in March 2026 with approximately 19,500 miles on the vehicle. While driving, I suddenly heard a loud noise above me. I looked up and discovered that a clip from the panoramic sunroof shade had broken. I took the vehicle to the dealership for inspection and was informed the repair would cost approximately $500. While waiting at the dealership, another customer arrived with the same problem on their Ford Explorer. This is a safety concern because the unexpected noise distracted me while I was driving and caused me to look away from the road to determine what had happened. A component of the panoramic sunroof shade should not fail under normal use, especially at such low mileage.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755072August 5, 2026
ENGINE
Exhaust manifold turbo charged cracked while driving. Exposing everyone in the vehicle to raw exhaust inside the vehicle every time it is driven. The replacement part is back ordered until September 16th from the dealership. I was told this is an extremely common issue with ford explorers. I don’t understand how this part is not recalled. It has slowly gotten worse and worse. No warning lamps came on. You can hear the engine or manifold rattling/ticking while the vehicle is running. The vehicle is available for inspection. I brought the vehicle to a repair shop called MIDAS. Where I was told exactly what was wrong with it. The problem is reproduced every single time the vehicle is on. The replacement part is also not covered under fords “emissions warranty”. Even though it is part of the emissions.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11754722August 4, 2026
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, ENGINE
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle before the engine seized. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle restarted after several attempts and was driven to the residence. The contact's minor grandchild was an occupant in the vehicle when the failure occurred. The contact stated that the temperature was extremely hot outside when the failure occurred. The failure was a persistent failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753910July 31, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
This recall - NHTSA Recall Number25V455 has been issued since over a year ago. Why is there not a fix for this issue yet? This needs to be elevated. Vehicle is driving very rough and could be due to this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753818July 30, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Known defect among Explorer owners. The shade for the sunroof runs along tracks. That track is Known to fail causing the sunshade to fall down and blocks visibility out the rear windshield and inability to use the rear view mirror effectively. My vehicle was unsafe to drive until going to the dealership. They checked it and left it hanging down until I requested for it to be amended before driving home. They noted this is a known issue to Ford. They said the only way to fix it was to install a brand new system & there was no minor fix to components.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11752763July 25, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The interior panoramic sunroof shade cloth has failed along both side tracks and is sagging excessively. This is causing obstructed view through the rear view mirror. Also casues the sun roof not to be able to function. The problem began at 32k miles, vehicle currently has 40k miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751835July 21, 2026
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front windshield wiper was operating intermittently. The contact received notification of NTHSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (Visibility); and associated the failure with the recall. 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 unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751592July 20, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Driving down the highway at 60 mph and the sunroof exploded. No cars in front of me and nothing in on coming lane . I was on a newer road no big bumps. Sounded like a shot gun went off glass all over
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751397July 19, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The panoramic sun roof shade failed on my vehicle where instead of it retracting properly it drops down onto the second row passenger's. This posses a safety risk as it impedes completely the drivers ability to see through the rear view mirror by blocking off the view of the back glass. The issue happened without any notice or noise it just happened all of a sudden I noticed it as I was not able to look through rear view mirror. This also puts at risk others as it impedes the drivers field of view allowing the possibility of an accident of occurring. I like to drive with my sunroof open very often, so now that is a risk I will have all the time I open my sunroof where I will have my field of view blocked. I have called two ford dealership to try to get quotes to repair the issue. First I was shocked with the price for the repair, but I was also shocked when I was told that it is a very common issue with the panoramic sunroof where the shade drops down. I asked do people usually get it repaired or not and they told me that most people don’t fix it that they just decide to deal with it or not use the sunroof at all. One of the dealerships told me the cost of the repair was roughly above $3 thousand dollars and the other told me it would be around $2.8 thousand dollars. A lot of labor is required as they have to bring down the headliner and remove the sunroof glass panels to be able to get it repaired. They also were not able to guarantee that after the repair that it would not happen again as they told me it was a design flaw that it was just a matter of time before it happened again. I believe Ford should be hold accountable for this and provide a permanent fix to this issue that is very common with the panoramic sun roof that creates a safety hazard for vehicle occupants and others. Especially if after customers have to pay considerable amounts of money for repairs and the issue will happen again as it is a design flaw.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750920July 16, 2026
SEAT BELTS
On XXX, in the parking lot of O'Reilly Auto Parts (store #2460, telephone number: [XXX]) [XXX], between 12:10 pm and 12:45 pm, my [XXX] daughter was seated in the rear driver's side seat of my parked 2022 Ford Explorer when the unbuckled seat belt unexpectedly became twisted around her body and would not release through normal operation. She was unable to free herself and the belt continued to tighten as we attempted to untangle her. She experienced difficulty hearing, breathing, lost sensation in her arms and nearly lost consciousness. Multiple adults attempted to release the seat belt using the buckle and by manipulating the belt mechanism, but the belt would not release. Because of the immediate risk to her safety, the seat belt had to be cut in order to free her. The failed component was the rear center seat belt assembly. The damaged seat belt is available for inspection upon request. This malfunction placed my daughter at risk of serious injury due to restricted breathing and the inability to exit the restraint. The vehicle could not be returned to normal operation because the seat belt had to be cut to release her. At the time of the incident, there were no warning lights, messages, or other indications that there was a problem with the seat belt system. UNKNOWN whether there were any prior symptoms before the failure. The incident was witnessed by individuals who assisted in freeing my daughter. Two O Reilly employees and my [XXX] daughter who was a passenger. They assisted during the emergency and can verify what occurred. The manufacturer and local dealership have been notified, and a customer service case has been opened. At the time of this report, the manufacturer has not inspected the vehicle or confirmed the cause of the failure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11750674July 15, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in reverse, the rearview camera displayed a blank blue screen. The contact received notification of NTHSA Campaign Number: 26V123000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); which was associated with the failure. 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 made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 6,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749368July 9, 2026
STRUCTURE, VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the sunroof sunshade detached from the inner roof and sagged downward, creating a visibility hazard. The contact stated that the rearview mirror view was obstructed due to the failure. The contact stated that the failure was caused by faulty clips securing the sunshade. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and a local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749225July 8, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Im being told my car is not covered under the recalls from the Chicago Ford plan when I have the exact same DTC codes currently showing on my car as listed in the recall and SSM. The check engine light is on with DTCs P018C and P04F0. Please have the technician specifically reference Ford Special Service Message (SSM) 51247 and inspect connector C1198 on the driver's side frame rail for water intrusion, damaged terminals, or poor pin fit before replacing any parts. Also, please check my VIN for open Recall 22C02 (Fuel Filler Tube End Form) and perform the recall if applicable. If the P04F0 is related to the recall, please diagnose and repair accordingly. combination of P018C + P04F0 is still the reason to have connector C1198 inspected.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748941July 7, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sunroof sunshade has fallen and causes a blockage in front of the rearview mirror.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747294June 29, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
While driving, parking, or doing any function of the vehicle, the screen will intermittently switch from the cameras being used to the on board navigation and start routing the vehicle to random locations, or it may blank out completely. It has also frozen in place and will not display reverse cameras, show proximity sensors, or anything.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747291June 29, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
On [XXX], at approximately [XXX] PM, my 2022 Ford Explorer suddenly lost power while driving in the left lane of [XXX] in Emporia, VA, at 70 MPH (the posted speed limit), with my [XXX] daughter. My vehicle shuddered and started to decrease in speed. I was able to maneuver safely to the shoulder, and my Explorer became inoperable requiring roadside assistance. My daughter and I remained on [XXX] for several hours due to delayed tow service availability. My Explorer has been at Battlefield Ford in Culpeper, VA since June 19, 2026, and is available for inspection upon request. Battlefield has confirmed the low-pressure fuel pump failure, confirmed this is subject to Safety Recall 25S75 (NHTSA Recall 25V455), and there is no remedy available. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11747170June 29, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The heat from the sun is making the leather dash warp and flipping up in the drivers view. It is also coming apart behind the media control screen.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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