NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Ford Explorer. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
MY 2020 FORD EXPLORER WHICH I PURCHASED A WEEK AGO AND IS EQUIPPED WITH HANKOOK KINERGY GT TIRES HAS ME ALL OVER THE ROAD WHEN TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY AT SPEEDS ABOVE 55 MILES PER HOUR ON STRAIGHT AWAYS ALONG WITH CURVES. IT IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE WITH SHORT NOTICE THE VEHICLE WILL DRIFT TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY OF THE TIRES, UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT APPEARS THAT MANY OTHERS THAT HAVE VEHICLE'S WITH THESE TIRES EXPERIENCE BLOW-OUTS, UNEVEN WEARING, AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT RIDE QUALITY. *TR
THE ELECTRONICS IN SYNC HAVE BEEN GENERATING BLUE SCREENS, WHICH DISABLE: TRONT & REAR SENSORS & CAMERAS, FRONT & REAR COLLISION AVOIDANCE, CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE, AND ADVANCETRAC. FORD THUS FAR IS UNABLE TO FIX ISSUE. 3 ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO FIX THIS, A 4TH IS PENDING. FORD SUPPOSEDLY HAS NO REPAIR PARTS AVAILABLE FOR THIS ISSUE. VEHICLE SAFETY IS AN ISSUE. TWO FORD CASES HAVE BEEN OPENED: FORD VEHICLE BUY BACK CASE NO.[XXX]CRM:0688061 FORD SYNC PROBLEMS CASE NO.[XXX]CRM:0382088 INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
SINCE WE HAVE PURCHASED THE SUV IT HAS ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS FLASHED CROSS TRAFFIC SYSTEM FAULT, BLIND SPOT SYSTEM FAULT, AC SHUTS OFF, AND THE WINDOWS WILL NOT ROLL DOWN. HAVE TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE, ONCE THEY CHARGED THE BATTERY, THE LAST TIME THEY RESET A MODULE. IT DID IT AGAIN TODAY SO WE WILL HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK. WE HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM HAPPEN WHILE MOVING BUT TODAY WE WERE STATIONARY WHEN IT HAPPENED. *TR
IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING VEHICLE (IN GARAGE) AND WHILE IT WAS STILL IN PARK, I SAW WHITE SMOKE RISING UP TO THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR. IT LOOKED AS IF THE SMOKE HAD COME FROM THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW DEFROSTER VENT. AS A RESULT, I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND WENT TO GRAB THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER. I LET THE VEHICLE SET FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND THEN PULLED IT OUT OF THE GARAGE; HOWEVER, I DID NOT NOTICE ANY MORE SMOKE WHEN I MOVED IT. *TR
DRIVER DOOR AND WINDOW VIBRATING WHEN REAR WINDOWS ARE ROLLED DOWN IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH. *TR
PURCHASED FORD EXPLORER ST IN SEPT 2019 AND WINDSHIELD WAS NOT PROPERLY INSTALLED. TOOK MULTIPLE RIPS TO DEALERSHIP TO CORRECT. AND IT IS STILL NOT PROPERLY FIXED. THEY HAD TO REINSTALL WINDSHIELD AND PASSENGER SIDE PILLAR. THE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTIVITY WITH SYNC 3 HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY. I HAVE BEEN TO DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY COULD NTO FIX IT. THEN I WENT TO START THE CAR (EARLY IN MORNING) AND 3 DIFFERENT TIMES WHITE SMOKE CAME BILLOWING FROM EXHAUST. THE FIRST TIME I SHUT OFF THE CAR THINKING IT WAS ON FIRE. THE SECOND TIME, IT DISSIPATED QUICKLY. THE THIRD TIME, I DROVE TO DEALERSHIP. THEY COULD NOT FIX IT. 5 DAYS LATER MORE WHITE SMOKE WHEN I STARTED IT, AND THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER 7 DAYS AT THE DEALERSHIP, THEY REPLACED A ECT SENSOR. STILL PENDING TO SEE IF A 'SENSOR' CAUSES BILLOWING WHITE SMOKE FROM EXHAUST. DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO CHECK HEAD GASKETS, CYLINDER HEAD, OR ENGINE BLOCK WHICH ARE THE MAIN SOURCES FOR WHITE SMOKE. THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. SUCH A FRUSTRATING TURN OF EVENTS THAT CONTINUE.
WHILE MAKING A TURN AROUND UNDER THE FREEWAY, I SAW AN UPCOMING SUV STOPPED FOR CROSS TRAFFIC. BY THE TIME I WAS WHERE THE SUV WAS I SAW THE SUV ACCELERATE TO MERGE. I CHECKED OVER MY SHOULDER FOR THE CROSS TRAFFIC UNAWARE THE SUV HAD STOPPED AGAIN IN FRONT OF ME. MY SUV'S COLLISION WARNING AND BRAKING SYSTEM NEVER ENGAGED OR ALERTED ME. I ENDED UP REAR ENDING THE SUV IN FRONT OF ME CAUSING A FENDED BENDER.
HAS HAPPENED TO ME A FEW TIMES. FOOT ON BRAKE, PUT THE CAR IN GEAR AND IT STARTS ROLLING. BRAKE PEDAL WON'T DEPRESS ANY FURTHER, BUT IT DEFINITELY WAS NOT ALL THE WAY IN, ALMOST LIKE IT WAS LOCKED OR SOMETHING. ONLY WAY TO GET IT TO STOP IS TO PUT IT BACK IN PARK OR NEUTRAL AND LET OFF THE BRAKE. *TR
BACK UP CAMERA MALFUNCTIONING. MY CAR WAS BUILT NOV 1, 2019 NOT COVERED BY CURRENT RECALL BUT HAVING SAME ISSUES.
CAR GOES INTO DEEP SLEEP AFTER TWO DAYS OF BEING PARKED AND HAS TO BE JUMPED TO START. HAPPENS ON REGULAR BASIS. DEALER UNABLE TO CORRECT PROBLEM AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR THE CAR SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED.
I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND SUDDENLY HEARD A STRANGE SOFT REPETITIVE NOISE. THERE WERE NO INDICATOR LIGHTS/WARNINGS ON THE DASH. I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AND THANKFULLY DECIDED TO PULL OVER INTO THE SERVICE LANE. THE VEHICLE STRUGGLED TO PULL OVER AND THEN STOPPED MOVING. AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT THEN CAME ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY THE DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD LATER THAT DAY THAT THE ENGINE WAS END OF LIFE, IN OTHER WORDS, DEAD. MY 2020 EXPLORER HAD 7,038 MILES. I FINALLY GOT MY SUV BACK 1 MONTH LATER. *TR
PERIODICALLY, AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, AND SELECTING A GEAR (EITHER DRIVE OR REVERSE), I EXPERIENCE A "HARD BRAKE" WHERE I CANNOT PRESS DOWN THE BREAK PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE WILL BEGIN TO ROLL. THE VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO ROLL AND I CANNOT USE THE BRAKE PEDAL (THEREFORE I CANNOT STOP). THE ONLY SOLUTION I HAVE FOUND IS TO SWITCH THE VEHICLE TO PARK, TURN OFF THE VEHICLE, AND TURN BACK ON THE VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENS APPROXIMATELY 2 TIMES PER MONTH. THE 2020 FORD EXPLORER USES AN ELECTRIC BRAKE BOOSTER, AND I BELIEVE IT MAY BE A CALIBRATION ISSUE UPON IGNITION/VEHICLE START UP. IF IT DOES NOT CALIBRATE PROPERLY, THE BRAKES WILL NOT WORK. THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE, AND THERE IS A THREAD AT THE EXPLORER FORUM WITH VARIOUS MEMBERS EXPERIENCING THIS SAFETY ISSUE. YOU CAN FIND THE THREAD, AND STATEMENTS FROM OTHERS, AT THE BELOW WEBPAGE: HTTPS://WWW.EXPLORERFORUM.COM/FORUMS/THREADS/BRAKE-ISSUE.483026/ *TR
WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, IN THE LEFT MOST LANE, THERE WAS ROAD ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SIGHTED AHEAD THAT WAS EXTENDING INTO THE LEFT LANE I WAS TRAVELING IN. TO AVOID THE UPCOMING LANE INFRINGEMENT, I NEEDED TO ACCELERATE TO CHANGE LANES TO THE RIGHT OF ME. I HAD PLENTY OF ROOM TO EXECUTE EVASIVE MANEUVERS; THE 2020 EXPLORER ST HOWEVER, DID NOT ALLOW ME TO CHANGE LANES AND INSTEAD APPLIED THE BRAKES AND FROZE MY ABILITY TO STEER - ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE ON THE INTERSTATE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO FORD - NO EXPLANATION/CANNOT FIND A PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE ALSO UNEXPECTEDLY BREAKS WHEN NOTHING IS NEAR IT. THIS ALSO HAPPENS IN REVERSE. THE CAR WILL NOT LET ME REVERSE OUT OF MY GARAGE - NOTHING IS ANYWHERE NEAR IT!!! I HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART IT TO CLEAR ITS SENSORS. NOTHING IS THERE!!! I HAVE HAD THE CAR ABOUT 7 MONTHS AND ONLY HAVE ABOUT 2000 MILES ON THE CAR. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE IT AND WANT TO RETURN IT. THE SENSORS ARE OBVIOUSLY MALFUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT REMEMBER SEAT SETTINGS OR MIRROR SETTINGS. IT ALSO INADVERTENTLY CHANGES THE SEAT LOCATION WHILE GOING FROM PARK TO DRIVE OR SITTING AT A LIGHT AND PUSHES IT ALL THE WAY FORWARD RAMMING MY KNEES/LEGS INTO THE DASH.... IT WILL NOT STOP GOING FORWARD UNLESS I TURN THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY OFF. THIS IS DEFINITELY A MALFUNCTION. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO FORD DEALER SERVICE - THEY CANNOT FIND A PROBLEM. *TR
In April 2020, I brought my car into the Lafayette Ford Dealership in Fayetteville, NC bc I had been experiencing issues with the car moving when it was not supposed to. I would start the car with my foot on the brake, switch it into reverse/drive and *without taking my foot off the brake* the car would jerk forward or back, depending on if I was in reverse or drive. The event that caused me to bring my car into the dealership occured while I was in front of my garage. I had my foot on the break, and was planning to adjust my direction toward the garage when my car propelled forward and took a hit that resulted in bad damage to my driver side bumper. The dealership held my car for over a week and was not able to replicate the problem, so they told me my car was fine. I have since mentioned this problem every time I get my car serviced to see if there have been any similar complaints and nobody has shared anything. At my last service appointment, they updated my firmware so that the car keeps the emergency brake on until I disengage it, which nullifies the issues that I had been having. Today I can across the following article that sounds exactly like the cause of the damage to my car. What are my options for taking this information to Ford to have them acknowledge the fault and fix the damage? Thank you. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2023/06/25/ford-explorer-recall-investigation-nhtsa/70354653007/
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STAND STILL AND ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE MIRROR FAILED TO OPEN. THE CLIMATE CONTROL FAILED TO OPERATE CORRECTLY, WHICH CREATED A VISIBILITY HAZARD FOR THE DRIVER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BLIND SPOT DETECTION, CROSS TRACK, SIDE OBSTACLE DETECTION, PRE-COLLISION ASSIST NOT AVAILABLE WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO EMPIRE FORD OF HUNTINGTON LOCATED AT 333 W JERICHO TURNPIKE, HUNTINGTON, NY 11743, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING TO UPDATE AN UNKNOWN SOFTWARE AND TO REPLACE AN UNKNOWN MODULE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, HOWEVER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OPENED A CASE WHICH WAS RECENTLY CLOSED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 8,000.
VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGINS JERKING HARD AT SPEEDS OF 45 MPH GOING DOWN A TWO LANE ROAD, THEN WRENCH WARNING LIGHT COMES ON DASHBOARD AND VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPS AND NO LONGER WILL ACCELERATE FORWARD OR REVERSE. MESSAGE APPEARS AND SAYS GEAR WILL ENGAGE IN LOW SPEED ONLY, HOWEVER GEARS NO LONGER MOVE THE VEHICLE. WARNING APPEARS THAT POWERTRAIN ISSUE HAS OCCURRED CONTACT YOUR DEALER, THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH THE POWERTRAIN OR 4X4 SYSTEM. THIS IS A NEW 2020 EXPLORER WITH 453 MILES ON IT AT THIS TIME. HAD TO HAVE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO DEALER.
AUTO HOLD FEATURE CONTINUES TO DISPLAY FAULT. I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES AND EACH TIME THEY SAY IT'S FIXED. IM CONCERNED THAT IT WILL FAULT WHEN IM STOPPED AND CAUSE A COLLISION. FORD CUSTOMER CARE CAN BARELY UNDERSTAND ENGLISH LET ALONE LISTEN TO ME DESCRIBE THE ISSUE. FOR A VEHICLE WITH 700 MILES THIS IS RIDICULOUS.
AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND WITH BRAKE DEPRESSED SHIFTING TO REVERSE THE CAR MOVES REGARDLESS OF BRAKE PRESSURE APPLIED. ISSUE ONLY STOPS AFTER PUMPING THE BRAKES OR SHIFTING BACK TO PARK OUR NEUTRAL. ALL SITUATIONS HAVE BEEN ON FLAT LAND AND HAS OCCURRED WITH MULTIPLE DRIVERS. BRAKE PEDAL IS NOTED TO BE 'HARD' WHEN EVENT OCCURS, ALMOST LIKE IT IS LOCKED.
TRANSMISSION ISSUES AGAIN. SAME BROKEN / CRACKED WELD AT TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER. PART REPLACED. THIS IS THE VEHICLE'S 3RD OIL COOLER (WE'RE AT 12,600 MILES NOW)
THIS HAS HAPPENED OVER AND OVER . . THE CAR WILL NOT START. SOMETIMES IT WILL JUST STOP AND WILL NOT START AGAIN. SOMETIMES IT WILL HAPPEN IN A PARKING LOT. SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS IN THE GARAGE. I HAVE HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 4 TIMES. THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. I CAN'T BE THE ONLY PERSON THIS IS HAPPENING TO!
WHEN TRYING TO MOVE THE VEHICLE OUT OF PARK, EITHER REVERSE OR DRIVE THE VEHICLE JERKS INTO GEAR HARD AND THEN STALLS. TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES TO GET THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE DRIVE WAY STARTS UP NO ISSUE, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT YET KEEPS STALLING. THIS IS NEW OWNED FOR 3 DAYS WITH LESS THAN 200 MILES ON IT.
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAYTHE 'STEERING FAULT SERVICE NOW LIGHT' CAME UP ON THE DASHBOARD WHILE TRAVELING 75 MPH MILES ON ODOMETER 900. AFTER STOPPING THE CAR AND RESTARTING IT THE 'STEERING LOSS STOP SAFELY' MESSAGE POPPED UP ON THE DASHBOARD I HAD TO DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP WITH NO POWER STEERING OR ANY TRANSMISSION OPTIONS LIKE SPORT, ECONOMY, REGULAR, DEEP SNOW, NO ASSIST FOR UPHILL OR DOWNHILL PARKING
THERE ARE MANY ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE FIRST ISSUE IS THAT WATER IS COMING INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND POOLING UP ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR. THE SECOND ISSUE IS WATER INSIDE THE PASSENGER TAILLIGHT. THE THIRD ISSUE IS THE ALLWHEEL DRIVE SENSOR IS MALFUNCTIONING. THE FOURTH AND LAST ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE IS THAT THE CONVERTER IS CRACKED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND EXHAUST FUMES ARE COMING INTO THE CABIN AND IS MAKING THE PASSENGERS SICK. THIS IS AFTER FORD HAD REPLACED THE MOTOR AT 12,000 MILES BECAUSE CYLINDER TWO MALFUNCTIONED.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the rear end of the vehicle would make an abnormal, roaring sound as well as vibrate without warning. The contact also stated that the vehicle would violently jerk upon depression of the brake pedal or the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that she had taken the vehicle to the dealer several times for repair and had the transmission replaced; however, a year later, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The contact stated that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V154000 (Suspension). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS BETWEEN 65-75 MPH AND NOTICED A MEDIUM VIBRATION AT ABOUT 2500 MILES. AT ABOUT 3000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION WOULD JERK AND START WHINING AT LOW SPEEDS UNDER MILD ACCELERATION.
ABS BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AT APROX. 3,000 MILES. TOOK TO DEALER TOLD BAD GROUND AT MODULE CONNECTOR. DEALER SAID WOULD HAVE TO ORDER 2 NUTS AND BOLTS WOULD CALL WHEN PARTS ARRIVED. TWO WEEKS LATER NO CALL. CALLED DEALER & GOT VOICE MAIL, LEFFT MESSAGE NO CALL BACK AFTER 2 HOURS. DEALER COULD HAVE PROVIDED LOANER TILL FIXED AS WE ARE DRIVING A CAR WITHOUT ABS BRAKES. PAID 63K AND DRIVING A VEHICLE NOT AS SAFE AS REPRESENTED AT PURCHASE AFTER ONLY 3K MILES!. THERE SHOULD BE A SERVICE LETTER AT LEAST FOR THIS PROBLEM. CONCERNED MECHANIC WILL MAKE UNAPPROVED IMPROVISED REPAIR.
PURCHASED A 2020 EXPLORER ON FEB 11, NOTICED SMOKE FROM THE HOOD RIGHT WHEN I ARRIVED HOME FROM THE DEALER, CONTACTED THEM AND THEY SAID IT MIGHT BE NORMAL FOR A NEW VEHICLE TO HAVE SOME SMOKE IN THE BEGINNING, LATER I NOTICED THAT THE INTERIOR HEAT IS ONLY BLOWING COLD AIR SO I WAS ABOUT TO TAKE IT TO THE NEAREST DEALER TO CHECK IT OUT, I REMOTE STARTED THE CAR THROUGH THE OFFICIAL FORDPASS APP AND THEN 10 MINUTES LATER I ENTERED THE CAR AND THE ENGINE LIGHT AND THE COOLANT LIGHT WAS ON BEFORE I EVEN STARTED DRIVING (CAR HAS 78 MILES ON IT) , ( I ALSO GOT 2 NOTIFICATIONS FROM THE APP THAT THE ENGINE IS OVERHEATING) SO I CALLED FORD TO TOW IT, NOW ITS SITTING BY FORD SERVICE FOR 2 DAYS AND THEY ARE SAYING THAT IT'S A COOLANT LEAK BUT THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE IT LEAKS TO AND THEY ARE WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM FORD ENGINEERS ON HOW TO PROCEED, IT SEEMS LIKE FORD MAY HAVE SERIOUS ISSUES WITH THE ENGINE COOLANT SYSTEM AND THIS IS POTENTIALLY PUTTING ANY EXPLORER DRIVER AT RISK OF THE VEHICLE STALLING WHILE DRIVING, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY
TRANSMISSION COOLER DRAIN SYSTEM LEAKED METAL FOUND IN TRANSMISSION PAN REPLACED WITH AN OEM TRANSMISSION. CAUSING POWERTRAIN MALFUNCTION
WHEN STARTING AT INTERSECTIONS OR STOPPING YOU CAN HEAR AND FEEL THE FUEL IN THE TANK SLOSHING BACK AND FORTH. I'VE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CONFIRMED THE NOISE AND DOCUMENTED IT. THEY REACHED OUT TO FORD WHICH SAID THEY KNEW OF THE ISSUE AND AT THIS TIME THERE IS NO FIX.
FUEL TANK SLOSHING AND CLUNKING NOISE UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS. THE VEHICLE FUEL TANK DESIGN LOCATES A PORTION OF THE GAS TANK UNDER THE VEHICLE AND BELOW THE SEATS. WHEN THE GAS TANK IS ABOVE HALF FULL, YOU CAN HEAR AND FEEL THE GAS MOVING IN THE TANK, ESPECIALLY AT LOW SPEED, DURING TRAFFIC WITH FREQUENT STOPPING. NOT SURE HOW SAFE IS TO FEEL THE GAS MOVING INSIDE THE FUEL TANK AND THE NOISE WHEN THE GAS IMPACTS THE GAS TANK WALLS. WHEN THE TANK IS FULL AND YOU BRAKE, THE FUEL SLOSHES FORWARD AND MOVES SOMETHING INSIDE AND SLAMS AGAINST THE INSIDE OF THE TANK.
VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY BREAKS, AS IF DETECTING A CRASH, WHEN THERE IS CLEARLY NO CAR AHEAD. VEHICLE TAKES OVER CONTROL OF BREAKS UNEXPECTEDLY. HAS HAPPENED ON REPEATED OCCASIONS AND ALREADY REPORTED TO MANUFACTURER MONTHS AGO.
I WAS DRIVING VEHICLE AND ALL OF SUDDEN IT STOPPED, STARTING JOLTING US... THEN NO LONGER WOULD ACCELERATE.. WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. WITH LESS THAN 400 MILES ON IT
FALSE ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE ALARM ISSUE - VEHICLE BELIEVES IT IS OVERHEATING WHEN IT ISN'T. THIS RESULTS IN THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, WHERE THE VEHICLE IS UNABLE TO DRIVE FASTER THAN 50MPH AND IS EXTREMELY SLOW TO ACCELERATE CAUSING A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON MY EXPLORER ST MODEL 3 DIFFERENT TIMES ALL WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE SECOND TIME WHILE I WAS TRYING TO MERGE ONTO THE FREEWAY AND NEARLY COLLIDED WITH A SEMI TRUCK SINCE I LOST ALL ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. ALL TIMES THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FORD DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. MY VEHICLE HAS CURRENTLY BEEN WAITING FOR REPAIR FOR OVER 30 DAYS & ONLY HAS 13,000 MILES ON IT.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle both the digital display screen and instrument gauge cluster would randomly malfunction, scramble, and the display screen would turn blue. Also, the transmission would shift abruptly and while driving the vehicle would lose throttle response causing the vehicle to slow before abruptly accelerating. The contact indicated that the failure had occurred while driving 60 MPH on a six-lane highway. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who indicated that the collision avoidance system had malfunctioned. In addition, while driving, the engine would randomly rev extremely high and had occurred while letting off the accelerator pedal. The local dealer and manufacturer were both notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100.
I JUST PULLED OUT FROM A PARKING LOT INTO TRAFFIC AND THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNK AND WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED ON THE DASH. ONE SAID "SERVICE ADVANCETRAC" AND THE OTHER SAID "4WD FAULT SERVICE REQUIRED." THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF LOW GEAR AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 25MPH. THEN, SEVERAL OTHER WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, SUCH AS "PRE-COLLISION ASSIST NOT AVAILABLE." I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPAIR/RESOLVE THE ISSUE.
AFTER INITIALLY STARTING THE VEHICLE AND BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT IT WAS SHIFTED TO DRIVE. WHILE DRIVING THROUGH THE PARKING LOT THE ENGINE WAS REVVING HIGHER THAN NORMAL. UPON MAKING A RIGHT TURN ONTO A DIVIDED BOULEVARD THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF 1ST GEAR. THERE WAS TRAFFIC COMING BUT LUCKILY IT WAS FAR ENOUGH BACK THAT I COULD PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION BACK INTO PARK AND THEN BACK INTO DRIVE. WHEN I STARTED MOVING FORWARD AGAIN IT WOULD NOT SHIFT PAST 1ST GEAR STILL. . I PULLED INTO A GAS STATION PARKING LOT AND LET MY HUSBAND TRY TO SEE IF HE COULD FIGURE IT OUT. WE TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON. STILL WPULD NOT SHIFT PAST 1ST GEAR. HE ATTEMPTED TO USE MANUAL SHIFTING AND IT WOULD ONLY GO TO 2ND GEAR THEN CHUG SEVERAL TIMES AND GO COME TO ALMOST A COMPLETE STOP. SHUT IT OFF AGAIN AND BACK ON. THIS TIME IT SEAMED TO BE WORKING. HE PULLED OUT ON TO THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE AGAIN ALMOST STOPPED HALF WAY THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. HE PULLED OFF INTO A PARKING LOT AND TURNED IT OFF AND LET IT SIT FOR 15 MIN. WHEN IT TURNED BACK ON IT WORKED FINE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID COME ON AT THIS POINT. WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE THE 10 MILE DRIVE HOME. THIS IS VERY CONCERNING AS THE VEHICLE IS ONLY A WEEK AND A HALF OLD WITH LESS THAN 600 MILES ON IT. I WAS SKEPTICAL OF THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION TO START WITH BUT THIS DOES NOT HELP BUILD MY CONFIDENCE. ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT OUR 10 MONTH OLD BABY WAS IN THE VEHICLE AS WELL AND HAD WE NEEDED TO MAKE ANY TYPE OF QUICK ACCELERATION WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO AND COULD VERY WELL HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE GROUND WAS DRY AND SMOOTH.
VEHICLE STALLED WHEN PULLING OUT FROM A STOP LIGHT ONTO A HIGHWAY (65MPH). IT TOOK SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE ONCE PUT IN DRIVE JERKED FORWARD/BACKWARD WHEN I HIT THE GAS. THE RPMS WENT UP BUT THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVING WELL. IT STALLED AGAIN. I HAD TO REPEAT THIS PROCESS 4 MORE TIMES. IT FINALLY BEGAN TO DRIVE AND THEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE FORD PASS APP GAVE ME AN ERROR CODE. MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP. THE VEHICLE HAS 109 MILES. THE CAR IS WITH THE DEALER LESS THAN 2 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE.
2020 FORD EXPLORER HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE PRE-COLLISION ASSIST, WHICH OVERRIDES THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND EFFECTIVELY DISABLES THE VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENED TO ME NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE THEN PUTS ITSELF INTO A SAFE MODE, WHICH PREVENTS ACCELERATING AND IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO OPERATE. FORD ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN OCCURRING, BUT THEIR SYSTEM TECHS AT FORD HQ HAVE NOT LOOKED INTO THE ISSUE.
I BELONG TO A FORD FORUM AND THEY'RE HAS BEEN SOME TALK ABOUT AN AIR DEFLECTOR MISSING IN THE REAR BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE BETWEEN THE MUFFLERS PART # 17788. THEY'RE ARE MANY CLAIMING THAT THEY DON'T HAVE IT ON THEY'RE ST LEVEL EXPLORER. PLEASE CHECK ON SEE THIS MATTER. RUMOR IS THAT AT HIGH SPEED THE WIND CAN DAMAGE THE REAR BUMPER AND RIP IT OF THE VEHICLE.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while reversing the vehicle, the back over protection screen turned blue and the contact was unable to see the road. The contact stated that the reverse brake assist warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer ten times within 11 months, but the mechanic was unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,100.
AFTER TURNING CAR ON AND TAKING IT OUT OF PARK, BREAK BECOMES EXTREMELY HARD WHEN YOU LIFT UP OFF OF IT MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO BREAK. THE CAR THEN ROLLS FORWARD OR BACKWARDS DEPENDING ON IF IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. EVEN WHEN PUTTING ALL MY WEIGHT ON THE BREAK, THE CAR MOVES FORWARD OR BACKWARD FOR ABOUT A SECOND OR TWO BEFORE THE BREAK FINALLY SOFTENS AND I'M ABLE TO BREAK. CAR THEM WORKS AS NORMAL. I HAVE ALMOST ROLLED INTO OBJECTS BEHIND ME OR IN FRONT OF ME DUE TO THIS. BOUGHT IT NEW. TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP BUT THEY CANT RECREATE IT AS IT HAPPENS ONLY A COUPLE TIMES A WEEK. WE DID HEAR SOMETHING ROLLING AROUND IN THE COMPARTMENT BELOW THE STEERING WHEEL AND THEY HAVE FOUND SEVERAL FACTORY SCREWS JUST ROLLING AROUND. NOT SURE IF THAT IS CAUSING THIS.
ON JANUARY 6, 2020, I WAS DRIVING TO WORK, APPROACHING A RED LIGHT AND COULD NOT STOP. I WAS GOING AROUND 40 MPH. THEN, I BEGIN PRESSING ON THE BREAK WITH MY RIGHT FOOT AND COULD NOT STOP. NEXT, I USED BOTH FEET PRESSING THE BREAK PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND COULD BARELY BRING THE TRUCK TO A STOP. AT THE SAME TIME, THERE WERE WARNING LIGHTS FLASHING (PARKING BREAK, ALL WHEEL DRIVE, TRACTION CONTROL) ON THE DASH. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED IT. THEY PROVIDED ME WITH A LOANER VEHICLE. ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 2020, THE DEALERSHIP CONTACTED ME TO PROVIDE ME AN UPDATE. THEY ADVISED THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY ADVISED THEM THAT THIS WAS A SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT (MEANING THIS INFORMATION IS KNOWN TO FORD AND ALL FORD DEALERSHIPS NOT TO THE CUSTOMERS). DEALERSHIP ADVISED REAR BREAK CALIBERS NEEDS REPLACING, REAR BREAK MOTOR NEEDS REPLACING, AND REAR BREAK PADS NEEDS REPLACING. DEALERSHIP ADVISED ALL PARTS ARE ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER AND DOES NOT KNOW WHEN THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE.
WE BOUGHT THE CAR ON 9/21/19 FROM UPLAND FORD. WE HAD AN ISSUE WHERE THE INFOTAINMENT SCREEN BLACKED OUT, BUT THANKFULLY, AFTER LETTING THE CAR SIT FOR AN HOUR, ALL IS WORKING FINE ON THAT MATTER. HOWEVER, VERY EARLY ON, WE NOTICED ROUGH SHIFTS, AND OTHER RED FLAGS, COMING FROM THE DRIVETRAIN. IF I HAD TO GUESS, WE NOTICED IT BEFORE 3K MILES. TOOK IT TO VISTA FORD IN OXNARD ON 1/04/2020 (ODO: 4960), WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER. WHILE THEY REPLACED THE COOLER, THERE ARE STILL SIGNS OF THE ISSUES... ESPECIALLY IN THE LOWER GEARS. I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR HAS 6200 MILES ON IT, AS OF TODAY, 2/13. I ALSO HAVE AN ISSUE OF THE CAR NOT SHIFTING INTO REVERSE, UNTIL AFTER A LONG DELAY, AND WITH SOME JERKING. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN THERE ROM THE VERY BEGINNING. AS A TALL MAN (6-FOOT4, WITH 36-INCH INSEAM), I HAVE GROWING CONCERNS ABOUT HOW UNCOMFORTABLE IT IS FOR ME TO DRIVE THIS CAR. THESE PROBLEMS ON A BRAND NEW CAR, FROM A BRAND LIKE FORD, ARE DISAPPOINTING AND UNACCEPTABLE.
LEAKED TRANSMISSION OIL.VEHICLE SHIFTS HARD INTO GEAR LIKE IF IT WERE UP HILL AND ITAS ON A FLAT SURFACE. THIS VEHICLE MAKES A LOAD NOISE AND WOULD JERK.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon rapid acceleration at various speeds, exhaust fumes from the tailpipes would enter the cabin of the vehicle. The contact also stated that after heavy rains, water-filled the spare tire compartment located in the rear of the vehicle. One day while his wife was driving and coming to a complete stop, the water spilled out of the compartment and flooded the cabin floor of the vehicle. Once the contact discovered where the water was located, he vacuumed up nearly four gallons of water out of the spare tire compartment. As a result of the internal water intrusion, there were several electrical failures. The forward collision warning light would illuminate on the instrument panel without any vehicles in near proximity. The contact also stated that his wife received multiple alerts on her phone through the Ford app that an intruder had attempted to open the tailgate however, each alert was a false alarm. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where the service manager agreed to have the vehicle thoroughly inspected. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.
DEEP SLEEP MODE ACTIVATES AFTER 2 DAYS. MOST RECENT EXPERIENCE INVOLVED HAVING TO JUMP START THE CAR AFTER SETTING 3 DAYS.
MY BRAND NEW 2020 FORD EXPLORER PLATINUM TOP OF LINE MODEL (VIN [XXX]) BROKE DOWN ON CHRISTMAS EVE 2019 AFTER A COMPLETE ENGINE SEIZURE WITH LESS THAN 2000 MILES AND LEFT US STRANDED WITH MY FAMILY FOR HOURS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER AND CONTROL AND HAD THIS HAPPENED ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY DOING 80 MILES PER HOUR THE RESULT COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC AND POTENTIALLY FATAL. IT HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP SINCE AND I AM BEING TOLD IT NEEDS A NEW ENGINE BUT FORD CANNOT PROVIDE A DATE WHEN THE ENGINE WILL BE AVAILABLE. REMEMBER....THIS VEHICLE WAS ONLY A MONTH OLD! A 2020 VEHICLE BROKE DOWN IN 2019!!! THE DEALERSHIP IS BEING FANTASTIC AND TRYING TO SWAP THE VEHICLE OUT FOR ME BUT FORD HAS DENIED THEIR REQUEST. I FINALLY SPOKE WITH A FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE REP ([XXX]) AND SHE TOLD ME THAT THE ENGINES FOR THIS MODEL (YES ENGINES PLURAL!) ARE BEING SHIPPED AT THE END OF THE MONTH. I ASKED HER DIRECTLY IF I WAS THE ONLY ONE EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE AND SHE FLAT OUT SAID "NO, YOU'RE NOT". I REGRET HAVING PURCHASED A NEW MODEL YEAR VEHICLE OF THIS EXPLORER AND NOW FULLY THINK THIS IS A DANGEROUS VEHICLE. I HOPE FORD SEES THIS. I THINK THEY HAVE A SERIOUS ISSUE AND SOON IT WILL COME OUT THAT THERE ARE SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE 2020 EXPLORER. JUST WAIT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
AT 4,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING IN AND OUT OF GEARS UNTIL IT WAS ALMOST NOT DRIVE ABLE. WHILE DRIVING IT WOULD SLIP OUT OF GEAR AND AT 26 MILES PER HOUR IS WOULD JUMP GEARS.
CRUISE CONTROL CAN NOT BE DISABLED BY PRESSING BRAKE PEDAL. REQUIRES PASSING STEERING WHEEL BUTTON TO TURN OFF. ALSO "PRE-COLLISION ASSIST NOT AVAILABLE" MESSAGE COMES ON DASH EVERY TIME VEHICLE IS STARTED.
BREAKS GAVE OUT WHILE BACKING OUT OF LANE. SEPARATE ISSUE PRESSED ON GAS NO RESPONSE OR DELAYED RESPONSE IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. ACTED LIKE IT WAS ALMOST OUT OF GAS BUT NOT. ALSO OTHER SMALL ISSUE IS LOUD HIGH WHISTLE NOISE ABOVE 70MPH.