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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
12 / 0
Average Mileage:
2,307 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2020 Ford Explorer miscellaneous problems

miscellaneous problem

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2020 Ford Explorer Owner Comments (Page 5 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #15

May 012020

Explorer

  • 5,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Back up camera malfunctioning. My car was built Nov 1, 2019 not covered by current recall but having same issues.

- Grosse Pointe Park, MI, USA

problem #14

Sep 242020

Explorer

  • 3,300 miles
Hood has no safety latch. Car was in motion at approximately 10mph on a subdivision street and hood abruptly lifted onto windshield and busted windshield. This resulted in glass particles flying into the cab onto both front seating areas.

- La Vernia, TX, USA

problem #13

Sep 152020

Explorer

  • 5,761 miles
Tried to start the car and would not start. The screen on dash board went crazy and everything was flashing. Head lamps came on and air blower for heat came on high automatically. Seemed like some kind of electrical problem. The dash was flashing everything and would not start the car. Waiting for the tow truck for 2 hours and I tried again and it started just fine. Brought the car home but can not duplicated the problem. There is something wrong with it. I take 5 boys for football practice and don't want this car to let me and those boys sitting in the dark..this is why I bought a new car so it would be more dependable. It would not allow me to start it and the whole dash was going crazy and flashing many things. Hope this helps.

- Albrightsville, PA, USA

problem #12

Sep 072020

Explorer

  • 5,900 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Total electrical shutdown when stopped at turn lane of 6 lane hwy intersection. Reportedly due to low transmission fluid automatic shut-down. Vehicle was recall buy-back repair to transmission cooler failed to correct leaking line connections. No warning. Shuts down all power to all systems. No warning flasher. No window power; no door lock controls. Reset after 30 min. Stranded in center turn lane; could not open windows, rear hatch, or doors. Had disabled wife & 3 dogs in 95 deg. Temps. Inside car 115 deg. Plus. Computer protects drive trane over life & safety! when it reset after 30 min. Engine check light came on. No actual message. No way to check transmission fluid levels! no option to add fluid. Only dealer service option to check or remedy. This is unacceptable. I figured by-pass by turning transmission to park before each full stop. Kept running for 300 miles on return home to safety. Error message is appropriate. Safety over-ride is appropriate with warning signal like no seat-belt alarm. Shut-down of all systems is absurd response to low fluid levels. Add means to read fluid levels, mech. Or electronically. Add method to restore fluids w/O dealer service. My company owns 2 Ford Explorer & former Ford vehicles.

- Augusta, GA, USA

problem #11

Jan 172020

Explorer

  • 800 miles
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.

- Bristow, VA, USA

problem #10

Jan 082020

Explorer

  • 250 miles
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.

- Oceanside, CA, USA

problem #9

May 112020

Explorer

  • 126 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Oceanside, CA, USA

problem #8

May 202020

Explorer 6-cyl

  • 4,500 miles
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).

- Fuquay Varina, NC, USA

problem #7

May 142020

Explorer 6-cyl

  • 896 miles
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.

- Cypress, TX, USA

problem #6

Mar 072020

Explorer

  • 750 miles
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.

- London, KY, USA

problem #5

Sep 272019

Explorer

  • 15 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The vehicle is randomly braking for no unknown reason. Almost like if I was driving and put on emergency brake. It mostly does it while in reverse when there is literally nothing around me. There is an option and it has still does it with option off. It has nearly caused 1 accident when I was in my sons car pool line at school. Otherwise it has caused extreme anxiety because I don't know when it will happen. The brake assist fault is also on, and dealer cannot find fix to that either. The dealer (capital Ford raleigh) was aware of sensor issues, as well as faults the day I took delivery on vehicle. They knowingly sold it to us anyways. I took vehicle to service dept the very day after we took delivery. There is no fix for these dangerous issues, and I am forced to keep driving with my kids in this dangerous vehicle.

- Clayton, NC, USA

problem #4

Jan 142020

Explorer

  • miles
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.

- North Beregn, NJ, USA

problem #3

Dec 102019

Explorer

  • 2,000 miles
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.

- Fremont, NE, USA

problem #2

Nov 192019

Explorer

  • 2,200 miles
On a 400 mile road trip on a highway, we started feeling exhaust fumes in the inside cabin. Felt nausea and watery eyes and had to stop couple of time to get a breath of fresh air. Not sure what the issue was it disappeared after an hour. Scary thing is I see some else also has reported the same issue. Could be very hazardous having exhaust fumes coming in side the cabin.

- Vienna, VA, USA

problem #1

Sep 252019

Explorer

  • 75 miles
HAVE EXTREMELY STRONG EXHAUST FUMES COMING IN THE FRESH AIR INTAKE-MAKING ME AND MY PASSENGERS EXTREMELY SICK-NAUSEUS, REALLY BAD HEADACHES, EXTREMELY SLEEPY, ACID REFLUX AND EVEN HAVE PEOPLE ASK HALF HOUR AFTER LEAVING THE VEHICLE IF WE'VE BEEN STANDING NEXT TO AN EXHAUST PIPE!!!! ONE OF THESE TIMES, IM NOT GOING TO REALISE JUST HOW TIRED ITS MAKING ME-THAT I CRASH AND KILL MYSELF OR WORSE KILL SOMEONE ELSE OR FAMILY!! SERIOUS ISSUE ANS FORD CLAIMS......NOTHING WRONG!! [XXX]!! THIS IS A DEADLY FLAW THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH RIGHT NOW!!! WAY STRONGER WHEN IDLING, NOT AS BAD IF YOU PUT THE HVAC ON RECIRCULATE CABIN AIR-BUT EVEN THAT WONT STAY ENGAGED FOR MORE THAN 15MINUTES!! THAT IN ITSELF TELLS ME THERES A FLAW WITH THE FRESH AIR INTAKE MODE DOOR SOLENOID!!! PLEASE HELP ME AND MY FAMILY. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Williston, ND, USA

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