Ford Explorer Complaints

917 consumer complaints on file.

#11645614February 28, 2025
PARKING BRAKE
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing an unintended activation of the electric parking brake while the vehicle was in park(P). The contact stated upon starting the vehicle and shifting into gear, the message "Park Brake Fault - Service Now" was displayed, and the vehicle made an abnormally loud beeping sound and then failed to respond. The contact stated that upon pressing the Push to Start button for several minutes, the vehicle became drivable; however, the failure recurred upon parking the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the failure could be related to the electric parking brake sensor or to the brake booster. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a related recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 45,700.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11645436February 27, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, ENGINE
While driving on an interstate with my children, my automatic braking system decided their was something in front of my car when there wasn't and slammed on the brakes. There was a semi truck behind us and it almost hit us. Took it to the dealer and all they did was shut the feature off for automatic braking. The interior screens have been reprogrammed twice to fix glitches. the rear hatch has been reprogrammed. The windows continue to randomly roll up and down on their own. My engine decided to not start for an hr before randomly turning on for no reason. And to top it all off the windshield washer fluid no longer wants to work.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11644576February 24, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 60-70 MPH, the rear subframe bolt detached, and destroyed the axle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V675000 (Power Train). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear axle was damaged, and the horizontal bolt had fractured in half. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11643208February 17, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I purchased my Explorer used last March. The window switches, on driver and passenger sides (front seats and rear seats) have the black metal pieces peeling off the switch. Metal pieces are sharp and I continue to cut my fingers on them. The dealer shows the recall did not affect my car, yet they are all in need of replacement. My vehicle has faulty window switches and I am asking Ford to replace them under recall or warranty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11643073February 17, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Retracted the sunroof and the fabric didn’t retract and just hung down. I don’t retract the sunroof often so it can’t be over use. I closed it but it billows and is a distraction when looking in my rear view mirror. Can’t make it tight again and can’t be without my vehicle for weeks while dealership has it. This is a major fault with the design. No warning. It’s worked and then it didn’t.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11642961February 16, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The system/component that failed is the panoramic moon roof retractable shade. This is an electronic retractable fabric shade on the inside of the car that covers the moon roof glass. The tracks that hold the shade taught and in place have failed, this is a major safety concern due to the sagging fabric blocking the view of the rearview mirror and side windows. This impairs visual awareness of surrounding vehicles, obstructions, and approaching emergency vehicles from behind. This is a known common issue with this make and model vehicles as read about on multiple forums and social media sites. There were/are no sort of warning lamps as this is a mechanical track with no sensors. Ford has not issued any sort of safety recall thus far.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11642740February 14, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact stated that there was an abnormal shaking and vibrating coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a nearby mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that cylinders #3 and #4 had lost compression, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V598000 (ENGINE). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 105,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11642631February 13, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The dash cluster screen goes in and out. Randomly began and got more frequent as time went on. This screen shows ones speed, gas, cruise control, lane assist, mileage and which vehicle mode it is in. Once the blacked out screen appears driver has no indication of these features. Evaluated by dealership and had to replace and reprogram the entire dash cluster at an out of pocket cost of $1846.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11642546February 13, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The system control display (radio screen) and the digital instrument cluster reboot (screens go black) approximately every 10-minutes while driving. During the screen going black, driver is unaware of speed, condition of vehicle. It is unknown if safety features such are active during these periods. The vehicle has been at dealer since January 2nd, 2025. Today in Feb 13, 2025 Dealer is working with Ford engineering, and they determined the main computer module needed replacing. No other issues were detected prior to the issue identified.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11641351February 7, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Front panel of panoramic sunroof "exploded" into the vehicle while traveling on interstate without any sign of a projectile or rock hitting the vehicle. Outdoor temperature was -3 degrees Fahrenheit with indoor temperature set to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Glass rained down into the vehicle, startling the driver (myself) and passengers. One piece of tempered glass went into one rear seat passenger's eye and was successfully removed without extensive injury. Reported incident to Ford Dealer and had dealer service department inspect the vehicle. Attempted to have it repaired under manufacturer warranty. Coverage was declined from the manufacturer (Ford) and was subsequently repaired via personal comprehensive vehicle insurance. There was no indication of an issue with the vehicle prior to incident. It is concerning this happened without warning and we were lucky to have not gotten into an accident following the event.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11640937February 5, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I have had 4 Ford Explorers that have the same problem that Ford has not commented on when I complain. If the car is parked facing down a hill with less than 1/4 tank of gas it won't start. The design of the tank precludes gas from reaching the engine. Unable to start the car, it cannot be brought out of park and rolled to a flat location. This time I had more than 1/4 of a tank and the same problem occurred. This happened in my driveway but what if you're on a street with an incline?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11640714February 4, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2025 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the infotainment screen intermittently went blank. The failure persisted and the contact stated that the instrumental panel partially went blank at start-up and while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions and several unknown software updates were performed. The contact stated that due to the software updates performed on the vehicle in such a short while, the contact was concerned about the safety of the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and filed a claim. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11640614February 4, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
I was backing out of my driveway and a whoosh of water came pouring into my trunk from my roof of my car. When I took it to the Ford dealership they took the headliner down and found that the drains for my sunroof were clogged and caused the leak. They found that the headliner had mold growing on it. This is currently not a recall issue yet but I believe it should be or should be considered a default from Ford, (my warranty expired a couple months earlier). After speaking with the maintenance manager at Ford, I have been informed that it is not uncommon that the sunroof drains get clogged and this is something that should be checked or cleaned out periodically. With that being said- my 3 year old vehicle has only been maintained at a Ford dealership during its life. I go every 3-4 months and this has never been checked or cleaned out. My vehicle has been at the dealership for 3 months now because the parts are on back order. When I spoke with the dealership on 12/18 I was told there were 16 headliners on order, but when I checked back in January (a month later) there were 437 on order. This seems to be an issue with more and more of these vehicles. This is a dangerous situation because I do not know how long the mold has been growing in my vehicle and could cause health issues with me or my kids.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11638709January 27, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 80 MPH, the power train warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to exit the highway and the contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as needed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to Express Care Automotive, where it was diagnosed that a valve in the engine had failed. The mechanic informed the contact that the engine needed to be taken apart for additional diagnostic testing. The mechanic informed the contact that the failure could be related to Ford Campaign Number: 24S55. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11638451January 25, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sunroof shattered while driving the speed limit of 55 on a normal roadway. I had my [XXX] son in the backseat when it exploded. NO dents/scratches/dings/chips were present on glass prior to shattering. No object hit the sunroof either. Furthermore, It could have caused much more severe injury to our faces and eyes due to glass shattering everywhere. This caused a danger and hazard to myself and my infant while at a high rate of speed which caused me to jolt and could have caused issues with other drivers on the road. 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
#11638233January 24, 2025
POWER TRAIN, SUSPENSION
popping/rattling sound coming from front passenger side and transmission is shifting hard at lower gears. vehicle is in shop waiting on repairs. front struts bad and had to be replaced at 12,555 miles. transmission software had to be upgraded and wiring harness for transmission under vehicle had to be repaired.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11637972January 23, 2025
TIRES
Tire: 275/45/r21 110w all season Reported to authorized dealer (ford dealership) back in November 2024. Authorized representative from Pirelli came out this month to dealership regarding issue. No concern for safety whatsoever. Rep. Only offered maybe 25% that’s with purchasing new set of tires and sending my current tires back. Tires are falling apart in chunks.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11637891January 23, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Fuel Sloshing When vehicle accelerates, brakes, or turns, the fuel moves within the tank, creating waves and sloshing. This can be heard as well when you come to a stop and road noise is less. You can also feel the sloshing on your foot under the driver's side. Excessive fuel sloshing can lead to instability, affecting the vehicle's center of gravity and causing handling issues, especially in extreme maneuvers. I've reported to dealership and Ford manufacturer but they say this is normal operation of vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11636548January 17, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Hard shifting
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11635943January 14, 2025
PARKING BRAKE
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 27 MPH, a vehicle abruptly exited a parking lot without adhering to oncoming traffic. While attempting to avoid striking the vehicle, the contact activated the parking brake. The contact stated that after releasing the parking brake, the contact became aware that the parking brake handle became loosened and appeared to have disconnected from the socket. The contact later became aware that the parking brake had become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was confirmed that the parking brake was inoperable and needed to be repaired. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided a case number. The contact was later referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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