Ford Explorer Complaints

917 consumer complaints on file.

#11737187May 11, 2026
ENGINE
2021 Ford Explorer used a work vehicle (house cleaning business) and family vehicle after hours (driving my daughter to soccer practice 4 times a week). Vehicle has been professionally and properly serviced since we first purchased it in 2021( we have been the only owners). Car has worked great not one single problem other then regular things like tires, brakes and battery all purchased and installed by Ford dealership. The day of the incident the car was working perfectly the entire day. As I drove on the freeway taking my daughter to soccer practice in the evening. I noticed the vehicle started to shake and lose all power the vehicle stopped almost completely in a matter of seconds causing cars behind us to almost crash us from behind it was a miracle no one crashed into us as we were traveling at freeway speed 60-65mph. With the little power the car had I cleared 2 lanes and parked on the side of the freeway. A friend of our picked up my daughter as we were both frightened by the incident. The vehicle gave me no alerts that there was something wrong no warnings on the Ford pass app nothing. I had the vehicle towed to Walnut Creek Ford for inspection. Ford did a diagnostic and found that the engine had a hole from the head to the block. They don’t know how this happened and say they have never seen this before. They said the vehicle is in great shape inside and out and even with 160,000 the car is very well maintained (serviced). This needs to be addressed to Ford as lives were in danger and people could have gotten hurt. They want 13,000 to repair engine, but it seems to everyone(ford technicians and second opinion mechanics) it was an engine factory defect. Vehicle suffered catastrophic engine failure while driving on freeway with no warning from the vehicle system, check engine light never came on nothing. It all happened in a matter of seconds. Engine light only came on after the vehicle was no longer drivable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736843May 10, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I purchased the Ford Explorer in June of 2023. The struts were replaced at 10,400 miles because of this problem. I have tried to work with Ford Customer service and have a case number associated with it XXX . I brought the Explorer in to get it fixed again for the same strut problem. It has 44,600 miles on it. So it’s out of the warranty it 36K miles . Still after working with Ford Customer Relations service they denied any coverage for the repair. They said they don’t cover regular worn parts . Now, I am paying out of pocket $2,097.47. This is a known problem and I feel Ford needs to pay for the repair of the strut . It’s clearly a manufacturer defect. 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
#11736707May 8, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The gear shifter gets tight to put it from park to drive and drive to park, but doesnt stay constant. Brought it in and was told that I am spinning it to fast to spin it slower. I told the dealer I do spin it slow with the same issue. They told me they will not do anything until it gets stuck. Upon doing research, I have found several others have had the same issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736318May 7, 2026
ENGINE
I own a 2021 Ford Explorer ST (3.0L EcoBoost) with 47,680 miles. The vehicle is exhibiting a severe metallic knocking noise at idle, a flashing Check Engine Light, and a dangerous loss of motive power while driving. A certified Ford dealership technician (Kendall Ford) diagnosed the vehicle with catastrophic engine failure, requiring a full engine replacement estimated at $13,000.My vehicle is exhibiting the exact mechanical failure described in Recall 24S55 (NHTSA Campaign 24V635000) regarding brittle engine intake valves. Although my vehicle shares the same build year, engine type, and failure symptoms as the recalled units, Ford states my specific VIN is not currently included in the 'repair' population.The sudden loss of engine power while operating at highway speeds creates an immediate crash hazard. I request that the NHTSA investigate whether the scope of Recall 24S55 should be expanded to include this production range.Furthermore, Ford offered a 'goodwill' assistance of approximately $3,762, which I believe is an admission of a known manufacturing defect. At the time of this failure, the vehicle was only 17 days past the 5-year warranty period and well under the 60,000-mile limit. Despite this premature failure and the safety risk, Ford refuses to cover the full replacement, leaving me with a $9,000+ bill for a defect already acknowledged in 90,000 other units.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736284May 7, 2026
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was restarted. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735827May 5, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
Sunroof retractable headliner
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735162May 1, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Sunroof material when opened sags down and blocks drivers rear view this needs to be a safety recall!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734929April 30, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The interior panoramic sunroof cloth has become detached from both side tracks causing the material to sag. We can no longer open or close to panoramic roof due to cloth stuck in the closed position in fear of the headliner getting worse.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734783April 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Hybrid Fault - Service charging system fault displayed. Verified concern. Hooked up IDS and checked for codes. Multiple codes in multiple modules present for engine restart, battery, and low voltage conditions. Hooked up Ford battery tester and performed battery test on both the 12-volt main and auxiliary batteries - main 12-volt battery failed at 70cca. Received warranty code: 11VBE9140L3K and ACES code: HG1HR. Replaced 12-volt main battery and reassembled vehicle. Performed BMS reset, cleared codes, and retest, OK.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734781April 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN
2025 Hybrid PIU/Explorer) for a CEL with PCM codes P0A1E:00:A8 for a starter/generator control module fault.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734777April 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Vehicle shut down while driving. Stop safely now, red triangle on IC, and engine disabled. PCM code P1A0C:00:28 Hybrid Powertrain Control Module - Engine Disabled.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734759April 30, 2026
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2026 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sunroof glass panel made an abnormally loud sound and shattered without impact. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734686April 29, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was driving on the Highway and all the sudden for absolutely no apparent reason the Passenger side door window completely shattered into small bits of glass. I check the vehicle for any damage other than the window not a scratch on the door at all I have no idea what caused the window to shatter.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11734583April 29, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Powertrain System Fault will cause the vehicle to lose power possibly leaving the vehicle and passengers in danger if crossing traffic, pulling onto a road, etc.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734156April 27, 2026
ENGINE
Ecoboost. Coolant intrusion into cylinder head causing white smoke to come out of the exhaust. This is the second ford vehicle I have owned with the same issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733954April 27, 2026
SEAT BELTS
The contact owned a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the seat belt on the passenger’s side failed to retract as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the seat belt components were replaced. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V093000 (Seat Belts). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,600.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733749April 25, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY, VISIBILITY/WIPER
I am reporting a safety incident involving a 2021 Ford Explorer. While driving at normal speed, the hood unexpectedly flew open and struck the windshield, completely obstructing visibility and causing damage. I did not open the hood prior to driving, and there were no prior warnings or indications of failure. The incident suggests a possible hood latch or secondary safety latch malfunction. I am submitting this report due to a serious safety concern involving sudden loss of driver visibility.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11733462April 23, 2026
ENGINE
While driving my new Ford explorer, with 638 miles on it, on the highway I heard a loud pop, and lost power steering. I was barely able to pull the vehicle over to the shoulder to get off the highway. If I would have been on an interstate or a busier highway it could have been very dangerous. I believe that this has put me in danger having to maneuver the vehicle to the side of the highway and sit there while waiting for a tow truck. The Vehicle was towed to the dealership where we bought it. the service manager told us that the engine had blown, it was a catastrophic failure. There were holes in the oil pan as well as through the top part of the engine from it exploding. I believe that we are lucky that the engine wasn't hot enough to start a fire, as we were only a few miles from the start of our drive. there were no warning lamps or messages prior to the engine exploding. The vehicle is currently at our dealership in Monroe Wisconsin, Alphorn Ford is the dealership.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733312April 23, 2026
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (VISIBILITY); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds in the rain, the windshield wipers intermittently failed to operate as needed. Additionally, the windshield wiper fluid system failed to spray washer fluid while activating the button, even though the windshield washer fluid bottle was full. The local dealer was contacted and stated that the part for the recall would not be available until August 2026. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733012April 22, 2026
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in heavy rain, the windshield wiper motor started to operate at an excessively high speed. The contact attempted to change the setting; however, the wipers continued to operate very quickly. The following day, the contact discovered a significant amount of spider cracks on the windshield, specifically where the wiper blades operated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (VISIBILITY); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not 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 issue. The failure mileage was 42,508.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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