general problems of the 2013 Ford Explorer - part 2

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 backup camera on this vehicle stopped working correctly a while back. The image usually is shown mirror. . . So everything left-right is flipped which causes confusion for the driver. Other times the screen goes completely blank/black. Both of these create a safety issue when backing up, for cross traffic and pedestrians. This is issue just suddenly started one day. I asked the Ford dealer about it and being outside of the warranty period, there wasn't anything they could do. I can pay to replace the camera, but others reported doing that and the same problem came back later. I see now that Ford as active recalls for the same problem - but only for more recent model year vehicles.

The SUV will swerve into other lane when it switches gears. Replaced both struts. Odor in the cab. Coolant will not stay and after spending $1000 for repairs, it still cannot be fixed. Cracked head gasket.

The windshield trim (passenger side) was detached and flew off my car, while driving on a highway at 75 mph.

The front windshield trim starting flapping and hitting my side window and windshield while driving approximately 65 miles an hour. At first I had no idea what the loud noise was. Something was in my eye sight hitting my window and windshield. I did not know what was happening, it was very startling and scary! I was in traffic. I pulled over as soon as I could, trying to avoid getting hit by other vehicles. When I was able to get out, I saw the trim had come loose. I taped it so I could continue on my trip. It is very frightening and unsafe while in traffic. The other side of the windshield trim is now coming out. I fear that the windshield is not secure. A couple of months ago, I received a letter about this problem in the mail. We made an appt. With Ford dealer to get it fixed. I had to cancel that appt. Due to an emergency. I contacted the dealer last week and said I could now bring the Explorer in to get it fixed. I was told that there has never been a recall or any letters addressing this problem sent out to owners. I did receive a letter several months ago, my husband took the letter to Ford when he scheduled the original appt. And the dealer kept it as reference! now I am told that a letter about this windshield trim has never existed! I will take my Explorer to a dealer and get it repaired, letter or no letter. I feel like Ford is not being totally honest with me about an unsafe problem.

The windshield cover on the driver side flew off while I was driving down the interstate.

I have owned this car since 2013 - since it was new. For the 2nd time, I am getting messages saying "switch to park" when I put the car in park. The first time was in 2017 after about 48000 miles. When I took it to the dealer they replaced a part of the transmission. Now again it is happening in 2022 at almost 72000 miles. Obviously the replacement part is just as bad as the original - probably worse since the 2nd time it only lasted about 24000 miles. I now have had to pay to replace a part of the transmission 2 times. Is this a message I could have ignored? is it only a faulty sensor? or is the transmission really not in park? who knows what else it wrong with the transmission. If you google "switch to park Ford Explorer" you will see that there are many many others with the same problem. Even the dealer's service person when I brought it in to be fixed a 2nd time said they see this problem a lot. I have bought and driven Fords for the last 40 years - usually past 100000 miles each - and have never had this problem occur.

I own a 2013 Ford Explorer. While driving in the rain exiting the freeway at approximate speed of 25 mph the steering wheel seemed to lock up and then was extremely difficult to steer, making it impossible to maneuver the vehicle causing me to hydroplane across several lanes until I crashed into a mature bush. Causing damage to my radiator. I have not taken it to the dealer and have only shopped around for independent mechanics. I am not sure of the extent of other damage. I just became aware that this is a similar problem for other owners. The car is currently undrivable and is going to cost me a large amount of money - now the registration has lapsed (cannot smog) and I have dmv fees to. This was a solo car accident and no other people were in my vehicle at the time. I saw the recall notice (recently) on NHTSA but my VIN number is not included. I have not contacted anyone yet regarding this - I am already have trouble with Ford regarding covered repairs and being charged for a rental car (that was supposed to be included) not sure what to do! now I am making payments on a vehicle that I cannot drive and I cannot afford to purchase another one.

The passenger side windshield trim panel has flown off. When asking the dealership about it, they said it was an issue with the Explorers and that it will most likely happen to the second one as well. We are unable to attach it back on but have kept the piece as we were able to pull over and retrieve it.

Ac is not blowing cold air, it is also making a hissing noise. I got it inspected by an independent service center, and was told it will be expensive to repair. It is very common with my year and make of vehicle. A freon leak it is very dangerous for a person to breathe in, and can cause significate damage to me and my baby.

Passenger side windshield trim panel flew off and hit another vehicle after it bounced off the road. I replaced the trim parts for about $65. It appears that the seal and then the plastic retaining clips failed to secure the trim panel.

A-pillar applique trim clip attachments are not properly engaged due to improper assembly or repair.

The trim piece on the windshield post along the side of the windshield fell off while traveling on a highway. It flew into the air and may have struck another vehicle. We replaced that piece on the drivers side of our car but a few months ago the trim on the passenger side flew off while traveling. This causes a safety problem to other drivers and could cause an accident. The first piece of trim was replaced. The problem has not been reviewed by the manufacturer, police or a insurance representative. There was no warning that this problem was about to occur.

Transfer case stopped working within 4 days. Known to be an ongoing problem for this vehicle. Made a screeching sound, locked up, clicking sound inside case and rendered vehicle undriveable instantly.

Water pump leaking.

2011-2019 Ford Explorer windshield-outer trim molding passenger side with clips7- molding detached - randomly while driving on the interstate - had to purchase new molding and trim - recently saw the info on the news and felt the need to report - it was scary when it detached and startled me - have receipts and pictures I sent to parts company to obtain the right part.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford explore. The contact stated while driving 65 mph the vehicle engine stop warning lights turned on. The engine started overheating and the contact pulled over and added water. The contact drove the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was notified. The failure mileage was 72,000.

I have been going through multiple sites trying to figure out what is going on with my car. I have only had my vehicle for less than a year and I barely even gotten to drive it. I'm now realizing every recall on the vehicle which there was like 13 has not been repaired. And I also have 4 different numbers for the odometer when I when I bought the vehicle at a 177000 but everything is reading at a 169000. I also purchased the vehicle in June not July like the title says. Also one of the titles said plate's not allowed. When I looked it up I believe this is a fleet vehicle and it does not say that anywhere on my title or in my paperwork. It did come from canada. Is there any way you could possibly help me out with any of this? also I had broken fuses and missing fuses. I had the 4 dealership look at it and a mechanic look at it and they both told me it looked like someone messed around with the wiring in my car.

Carbon monoxide levels in the cab. Persistent 10ppm co2 in the cab of the vehicle. Peak at 30ppm. The recall for this issue had previously been completed. 2nd issue was a valve allowed oil to infiltrate the intake which resulted in odor in the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated there is a water pump failure which put coolant in the motor. The contact was driving approximately 35 mph when the motor was locked. The contact had his vehicle towed to his home. The contact had checked his oil and discovered the motor failure since he is mechanically knowledgeable. There was no diagnosis from the local dealer, he just spoke with them over the phone. There is a recall NHTSA recall number21v746 (suspension) . The contact also said there is a class-action lawsuit regarding the pump issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available September 22, 2021 NHTSA campaign number: 21v746000 rear suspension toe link fracture a rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash. Nhtsa campaign number: 21v746000 manufacturer Ford motor company components suspension potential number of units affected 150,723 summary Ford motor company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in connecticut, delaware, the district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, and wisconsin. These vehicles may be equipped with a cross-axis ball joint (cabj) replacement part that could seize, and result in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link. Remedy dealer will inspect for the presence of a cabj. If a cabj of any design is found, the dealer will inspect the tightness of the cabj, and replace the cabj, knuckle, and/or toe link as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters were mailed November 10, 2021. A second notice will be sent once the remedy is finalized. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21s43.

I drive a 2013 Ford Explorer limited 4wd. While driving to the store last week I entered a roundabout when suddenly the wrench icon showed on my dash with a message display that read, "terrain management fault. " the car would not accelerate even when I pressed the pedal all the way to the ground. My momentum took me out of the roundabout where I pulled over in a parking lot. As I put the car in park it begin to shake in idle. I turned the engine off and waited a few seconds then tuned it back on. The car drove just fine after that for about two days then this incident happened again twice in one day. I took the vehicle to the local Ford dealership and they said they could not get the issue to present again so there was nothing that they could do. I took the car back home and it has happened a few more times. This is a total of about 7 times in the past 3 weeks and Ford cannot help remedy this issue. These incidents have put my family in dangerous situations. When researching online I found multiple accounts of this same issue. According to online forums it looks like it may be a problem with the throttle body.

See the recall report.

I recently had a deeply concerning issue occur with my 2013 Ford Explorer. While I was driving on the freeway my passenger side windshield trim flew off my car (no previous damage to the trim, it was not lifting before the incident). . . . Almost hitting the vehicle behind me. In my eyes this should be a safety concern for the company and replaced by the manufacturer for the safety of their consumers (I reached out to Ford corporate, but they said nothing could be done). This is dangerous for the people driving around vehicles having this issue as a large piece of windshield trim can hit their windshield going 60 mph on a freeway or cause someone to swerve to not get hit by a flying object on the freeway. Upon reading up on the issue this is not uncommon so something should be done before someone is harmed.

Rear back glass has shattered on two separate occasions. First, in November after using auto start to warm the vehicle. Second, almost three years later while driving in the summer. Had to pay for replacement out of pocket.

While shifting my Explorer (which I had just purchased used 3 days prior) from reverse into drive after backing out of a driveway, a prompt appeared on the left side of dash instrument panel saying ‘power steering assist fault,’ and then the power steering failed completely. After struggling to steer the car off the road, I parked and turned the ignition off and back on again and the problem went away (power steering resumed as normal). Then, after backing up again, the same thing happened in the same sequence. Again, I parked, turned the car off and on again and once again, the power steering worked. After this happened twice (in about 15 minutes), the next time I started the car, the power steering assist fault prompt came up again and the power steering never resumed working. I was about an hour away from my home and had to drive the car on the interstate and back home with no power steering and a traction management issue as well (steering became very jerky while adjusting wheel left or right to stay in lane, causing car to swerve back and forth). I notified my salesperson right away, but since it was Saturday, he said to bring it in first thing Monday. I took the car to the dealership I bought it from the following Monday and it was diagnosed and the part was ordered, but apparently is on a national backorder due to the chip shortage. Other prompts that came up (that never came up before) were ‘service advance trac’ and another about the terrain management system. The blinker also stopped working automatically- meaning it would not stay on when engaged all the way. I had to hold it down to keep the blinker on, whereas before, it would stay on by itself if blinker arm was depressed all the way. This became difficult when trying to turn the vehicle with no power steering. The car is currently at phil long Ford motor city dealership in colorado springs awaiting the backordered part.

On July 12, 2021 on I-20 about 25 miles from atlanta, the front windshield driver's side molding flew off without previous warning. This is on a 2013 Ford Explorer. This was a piece about 3" wide and 2 feet long that flew into the lane behind me and could create a safety issue for drivers behind me. I saw on the newspaper today that 16- other people have report. I did have it replaced at aelders body shop at my expense ($307) and they also refastened the right piece which was loose.

The traction control , hill assist and abs light comes on and when it does the stability light warning come on also. When traveling in mountain you don’t know if the braking system is working or not.

The back up camera failed several times over the past few months. Just recently it has completely stopped. I have seen recalls for Ford Explorers with later years.

Unknown. Get gas fume smell inside cabin of vehicle and other times it will smell like rotten eggs when accelerating spoke with the dealership and they don't seem concerned.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while making a right turn at 15 mph, the power steering assist warning light was illuminated, and the steering wheel seized. The contact was able to park on the side of the road. The contact stated he turned off the vehicle 3-5 times, until the warning light turned disappeared, before continuing to drive to his residence. The contact called lafayette Ford, inc. (5202 raeford rd, fayetteville, nc 28304, (910) 424-0281) & crown Ford (256 swain st, fayetteville, nc 28303: (910) 600-6598) and made them aware of the failure. The contact stated that September 2021, he experienced the failure for a second time. The contact took the vehicle to crown Ford and was informed that the brakes needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

I feel very nauseous, dizzy and have a headache after driving my vehicle a short distance. Vehicle also smells like fuel strongly inside the car.

Catalytic converter failed at 137,000 miles.

Hydraulic failure my steering wheel gets stuck and very hard I cant move the vehicle I need to turn it off and back on then is drivable but it has done this to me on the highway with my kids I'm scare when this happens I need to stop and in the highway everyone is driving high speed I dont have time because I cant even turn the wheel because it gets very hard and it has happend to me couple of times.

I am a 100% disabled veteran and I need a reliable vehicle. Please advise me of my options related to my safety recall. I received a safety recall notice 19s17/NHTSA recall 19v-435 in June 2019 for the rear suspension toe links. The work was completed on July 2, 2019. I received another safety recall notice 20s62/NHTSA recall 20v-675 for the rear suspension toe links (same issue) in Dec, recall dated Nov 2020. I contacted the Ford dealership and scheduled an appointment for Dec 7, 2020. My advisor stated to me that my car had failed inspection and my vehicle would be kept overnight. She also stated the parts were on back order. I was taken to enterprise to obtain a rental vehicle. I called Ford headquarters to explain to the agent my vehicle had failed inspection and was at the dealership. The agent stated that Ford had cancelled the recall and only certain models were affected. I was still perplexed because my vehicle failed inspection. My advisor sent me a text on Dec 9, 2020 stating the eta is Dec 11 when the part would be sent, and she would provide me with an update on Dec 11, 2020. She called me on Dec 10 or Dec 11, 2020 and stated that Ford had cancelled the recall and that I could pick up my vehicle. I told her I was confused because my vehicle failed inspection. She stated that Ford headquarters was called, and she was also confused as to why Ford had cancelled the recall. The invoice never stated that the part(s) failed only the recall was listed. If I had not promptly called when I received the safety recall I would never have made the appointment, never had known the part(s) failed and never contacted Ford headquarters. If the dealership states that the part did not fail, then why was I provided a rental for a week? also, when I typed in my VIN on owner. Ford. Com and NHTSA. Gov zero recalls came up. Thank you for your attention for my concerns.

Smelling a weird smell coming from the cabin like carbon monoxide smell .