2013 Ford Explorer Complaint Log

The power steering system has an intermittent electric connection and the steering wheel will jerk in opposite directions. There is a recall for the issue with similar year ford explorers but for has told me to contact nhtsa to see if this vehicle can be added to the list for the same issues. Also I am not able to smog it due to bad catalytic converters.

2013 ford explorer. Was driving vehicle at low speed steering wheel became very hard to turn. No warning lights on. Called Ford recall phone number no assistance available was told my vehicle was not included in power steering failure recall.

My explorer has 120000 miles and water pump started going bad. Bought parts to get it fixed. $80 for pump, $300 for timing chain kit due to it being a stupid internal chain driven pump. $1200 labor to break motor down just to change an $80 part. Less than 28 days, was pulling out of driveway. Went about 50 feet and Chain breaks locking motor up ruining motor due antifreeze leaking into motor from where internal water pump was going bad Originally. Now have to pay additional $3000 for a new motor due to internal pump. Please help. An internal water pump is the most stupid idea they ever came up with. Too many critical parts were tied in to this part. Would’ve been easier for it to be external with a serpentine belt driving it. Fire whoever came up with this stupid and very expensive idea.

While driving on highway, 65-70 mph, both sides windshield trim flew off of vehicle. The right side first , then the left side approximately 5 minutes later. Unsure if debris struck any vehicles behind me.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized with the "Power Steering Assist Fault" message displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was 100,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, with the "Power Steering Assist Fault" message displayed. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, which corrected the failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 145,178.

Started car and Power Steering Assist Fail message came on, put car in drive and tried to turn steering wheel and had no power steering. Shut down car and restarted. The message did not show up this time, put car in drive and had power steering. This message has shown up in the past, approximately 10 to 12 times, but this is the first time we’ve had a loss of power steering. It appears Ford has had a recall for this issue already (Recall #14S06) with a limited number of vehicles. Obviously, this is a problem with farther reaching ramifications that Ford should be required to do something about at their expense. If I had lost power while driving down the highway, I could have been involved in a wreck injuring myself and/or others. Please look into this. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 20 MPH, the power steering seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the driver's and passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trims had separated from the vehicle. The contact purchased the parts from the dealer and replaced the trims himself. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); 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 contacted for reimbursement and informed the contact that he would be reimbursed after the parts became available. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Steering rack moving up and down, steering loose

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while turning out the driveway, there was a grinding sound coming from the vehicle. The steering wheel became firm with the power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was 181,324.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving in a parking lot, the steering wheel seized. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle worked as designed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, who referred her to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that he depressed the accelerator pedal while shifted into reverse to exit his driveway and the steering wheel seized. The contact depressed the brake pedal and shifted into park. The contact stated that the “electric power steering assist failure” message was displayed. The contact then stated that he inspected underneath the hood of the vehicle, but no failures were detected. The contact then turned off and restarted the vehicle. The warning indicator had turned off and the vehicle operated as designed. The dealer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

Transmission has failed at 136,000 miles. All maintenance is up to date and has been performed by the dealership. When i pulled out on a main road the car would not accelerate almost causing an accident. I took it to our local mechanic and they had two mechanic's check it and stated the transmission failed. Check engine light show catalytic converter failure, Terraine maintenance failure and solenoid shift failure that came out of the middle of now where .

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, and the "Service Power Steering Now" and "Service Advancetrac" messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was unknown.

The rear subframe fractured while driving nearly causing a wreck. The rear of the vehicle jerked violently to the right. If this had been on the highway I believe it would have cost the car to spin out. At the dealership it was found that the rear subframe was rusted out where the recalled to link attached. I tried to get part from the dealership but they said it was already disposed of i do have several pictures of the rusted frame. There were no symptoms until it broke.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle the Electronic Power Steering had malfunctioned and the steering wheel was difficult to turn in either direction. After restarting the vehicle the failure had self corrected and the vehicle operated as normal. The failure was intermittent but eventually the failure became a permanent problem. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the Steering Rack Assembly was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000(Steering). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 120,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the Electronic Power Steering malfunctioned, and the steering wheel was difficult to turn in either direction. After restarting the vehicle, the failure was self-corrected, and the vehicle operated normally. The failure was intermittent but eventually, the failure became a persistent failure. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering rack assembly was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 120,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) 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 the A-pillar applique trim was loose and had damaged the windshield gasket. 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 115,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

While turning, the power steering assist stopped functioning, leaving me veering into oncoming traffic as I could not complete my turn without the power steering assist.

For the 4th time since I have owned this vehicle, the trim on the driver's side of the windshield came loose, (the other times it snapped off), the gasket seal around the windshield came loose as a result, loosening the edge of the windshield. The first and second times we thought it was a coincidence or installation problem. By the 3rd time, after Ford denied there was an issue, my mechanic's shop took the time to investigate and found that this is a recurring problem and a design defect. This just happened again and once again I found myself hoping to make it to a store where I could buy tape to hold it all in place until I got home. I used a fair amount of 10x tape, but in addition to severe anxiety and stress over wondering if my windshield was going to peel off (that's what it sounds like), I also had the worry of being in an accident or causing one when the trim snapped loose completely and flew onto the highway. Because I travel for work as well as fun, I am now facing another repair bill that I cannot afford, but cannot do without. All four times this has been at highway speeds. I have reached out to Ford Motor Company and they have denied that there are any reports of problems. I looked online to see that you have opened an investigation and that there have, in fact, been numerous complaints about this same issue. Any support or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, and I am happy to speak in further detail with you. Thanks.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000(Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the passenger's side and driver's side windshield exterior A- Pillar trims had detached from the vehicle. The contact replaced the trims with aftermarket parts; however, the failure reoccurred. 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 178,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the steering wheel became firm, requiring extra effort while steering the vehicle. The contact stated that the stability control warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the warning light turned off an hour before the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the power steering functionality had not returned. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the electronic power steering assist had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 156,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear camera was intermittently inoperable while reversing. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V159000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the VIN and the model year were not included. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

The trim on the front windshield blows off constantly at highway speeds. I’ve had this car for a little over a year now and we’ve already replaced it four different times. Every time, it stays on about a month before it detaches and blows off again. The last time, it just barely missed the car behind me. I haven’t replaced it since then because I am terrified the next time it happens, a motorcyclist will be behind me and it could hit them and cause a fatal accident. This is a SERIOUS issue that needs addressed! I should not be scared to drive my car over 45 MPH for fear of causing a serious accident! On top of that, not replacing it means it now leaks into my car when it rains. I love my explorer but the trim on it is absolute garbage..

a Ford Dealership informed me my water pump was severely leaking and needed to be replaced. The water pump is located inside the engine, which is EXTREMELY costly to repair. After digging into it I realized that this is common in this type of engine but Ford has not issued a recall in the US, but Canada has a recall. Now we have to come out of pocket to fix this issue when it is well know to Ford that this water pump inside the engine is a massive design and mechanical flaw.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the high engine temperature and the check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while making a left turn, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the service power steering now warning light was illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal, and the steering wheel was able to turn properly. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 243,000.

The steering system, a known problem which previously had a recall in 2014, is failing. My SUV is apparently not included in that recall, even though it is the same issue. There are no warning lamps. This was confirmed via OBD2 scanner and the SUV's behavior. Confirmed by dealer. It has been an issue since I purchased the vehicle in 2023. On 2/14/24, I took it in for a different recall issue - toe link. The tech told me I needed a front-end alignment, which he did not do. I took it to another mechanic for the alignment, at which time they informed me there was an issue.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering assist fault message was displayed. Over time, excessive effort was required to steer the vehicle because the steering wheel was firm. The contact called the dealer and was referred to the manufacturer. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 216,000.

The back up camera image is reversed. What is on the left appears to be on the right and vice versa. The back up lines have also disappeared. Occasionally, it works properly, but most of the time it doesn't.

My 2013 Ford Explorer had coolant leaking below (No check engine light present). If I didn't notice the coolant on the garage floor, I would've never known of any issue. After taking it in to the dealership, they said the issue was defective Water pump (Actual Replacement Pump Cost: $155.64) that is leaking coolant and failing to properly cool the engine. Due to the design flaw of the engine, the water pump is internally positioned in the engine requiring disassembly of the entire engine to access and replace the faulty pump. Since this is a labor intensive requirement, the $155 part required $1,814.95 in labor costs associated with the replacement. This is uncalled for. Not to mention, the parts that were removed in the engine also were required to be replaced based on manufacture requirement (additional $802 in gaskets/seals/bolts/etc. If the water pump was not replaced, it would lead to complete engine failure. I had no options other to pay $2,930.22 in total parts/labor costs to replace a $155 Water pump. Shame on Ford.

I was driving and the steering wheel got really hard to turn. It continues too do this periodically. I know there was a recall for this on vehicles built before mine.

Over several months at highway speeds the windshield trim on left and right of the windshield flew off. Appeared to be meagerly attached with clips and Velcro strips. These two strips are connected to the forward roof pylons, exposing the weather seals and allowing water to leak into the interior

The back up camera is now inverted. What is coming from the left appears to be coming from the right, and what is coming from the right appears to be coming from the left. Once the problem started, it has not gone away. The problem was confirmed at an independent service center.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the trim panel of the front windshield detached from the vehicle. The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage 108,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the passenger’s side window trim panel detached from the vehicle, and moments later the front driver’s side window trim panel detached. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 88,345.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the power steering assist malfunctioned, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was contacted, and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (STEERING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The local dealer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 140,000.

My car was showing oil engine replace message, it was not performing as usual, when taken for normal service at ford dealer to change oil, they identified cooling liquid leaking inside the engine as it seems in the ford explorer and other models the water pump is inside the engine which makes identifying any leakage very challenging as it is not easily visible.the faulty water pump leaks liquid inside the engine which overheats and damages the engines and lead to car failure when driving it. Since leakage is not easy to detect the faulty water pump and bad design(by putting the water pump inside the engine) may lead to engine failure when driving the car and accidents leading to life threatening situation. When seaerching on the net it seems several ford explorer 2013 owners faced same issues and were not able to identify the leakage easily and had engine damage and had to pay a lot of money to fix it. Ford should recall and change the pumps on its own cost.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH and exiting the highway, while making a left turn, the steering wheel failed to respond. The contact stated that while switching to the center lane, the vehicle kept drifting to the left. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the rack and pinion steering arms needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 204,049.

The driver side windshield panel flew off/broke off while driving at 55-60 mph.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, the backup camera display screen turned black and there was no image displayed. The contact stated that the failure caused a visibility hazard for the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 141,000.

Power steering assist fault

The driver-side outer windshield trim moulding panel flew off of my vehicle while I was driving at highway speed. Upon inspection, I discovered the passenger-side panel is loose, as well, and could detach at any time.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the front driver’s side and passenger’s side A-pillar trims detached. In addition, the contact was able to retrieve both front A-pillar trims and temporarily repaired the vehicle with adhesive. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

I was driving down the highway yesterday (Sunday, March 26, 2023) and the windshield trim panel on the driver's side flew off. I was doing the speed limit, which was 70 MPH. Thank goodness there wasn't anyone behind me! It could have smashed into their windshield!

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated the water pump needed to be replaced. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called an independent mechanic who provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance provided. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); 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 contact stated that the windshield trim had detached from both the passenger’s and driver’s sides of the vehicle. The contact had reinforced the trim with glue and tape several times; however, the trim persistently detached. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Windshield Trim on right side passenger came off while driving on the freeway luckily no was behind at the time to avoid further collision

Power steering assist fault I was driving when it came on and almost wrecked with my 3 year old in the car with me