general problems of the 2020 Ford Explorer - part 2

The power retractable fabric sun shade / sunroof cover came out of the rails while retracting this while driving, causing the fabric to hang down in my baby's face and cause loss of rear mirror visibility.

The sunshade that covers the sunroof when not in use has separated from the track. I am told (via several forums) this is a very common issue that affects most Ford Explorers in some cases multiple times even after replacement. When the shade opens, rather than retract as intended it drops down into the cabin of the vehicle obscuring visibility via the rear-view mirror as well as falling on any passengers in the second row of the vehicle. This is a definite safety hazard when driving.

Rear camera does not detect traffic passing or people walking behind the vehicle. Sometimes the screen goes blue. Crash alert goes off any time it wants. Even when parked.

The electric sunroof/moonroof shade malfunctioned and pulled off the track, with part of the shade falling into the car compartment and obstructing the driver's view out the rear, including obstructing the rear view mirror. The dealer looked at it and stated that a spring had broken, but that the entire sunroof shade assembly needs to be replaced —a $2100 repair. In my opinion, this is a safety issue due to obstructed driver views, not just a cosmetic or convenience issue.

On [xxx]. , in heavy rush?hour traffic on [xxx] , my vehicle (~75,417 mi) suddenly lost motive power w/o warning at ~55 mph. It became immobile in a live lane, creating a roadblock and rear?end crash risk. Drivers swerved/honked. Accelerator had no effect; limited/no power?steering assist; I coasted to an in?lane stop (no safe shoulder) and activated hazards. Cluster displayed “shift sys fault—service required” and wrench icon. Attempts to restart failed; the vehicle remained disabled ~30min until a tow arrived; police responded. After tow, on a slight incline, the vehicle rolled backward when started and the parking brake was released, though the cluster showed park—clear rollaway concern. Recovery/diagnosis: towed first to autotech clinic (advised replacement trans). Then to bill brown Ford (livonia, mi): fractured planetary gear and broken park pawl; recommended full transmission replacement (~$8,500). Repair history (pre?purchase): I’ve owned the car <6 mos (now ~75k). A Ford dealer later informed me the vehicle previously had major work at taylor Ford of trans?cooler plumbing cracks between cooler and trans lines at ~34k, and major internal trans repair at ~46k (“burnt clutch a; full reassembly”). None of this appeared on carfax or was disclosed by the selling dealer. Costs/downtime: ~$700 towing/diagnostics to date; trans replacement quoted ~$8,500. Mfr/dealer response: reported to Ford on 10/13/2025, case [xxx]. Initial response: no assistance; pending. The Ford 10r60 has multiple tsbs for trans issues, but neither the dealer nor csr cited any, and no assistance has been offered. Maintenance/mods: vehicle stock; maintained per mfr schedule. Safety concern: sudden loss of propulsion in traffic + inability to move to safety, combined with a park indication that allows rollback, present significant crash/rollaway hazards. Please investigate and, if warranted, require a recall. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Panoramic sun shade flap sags greatly, causing visibility issues to the rear viewing window as well as causing blind spots on both passenger sides.

The sunroof shade has fallen out of its track and blocks the use of the rearview mirror. Upon attempting to open the sunroof shade, it began to fall out of the track and hang down enough to block the view out of the rear of the vehicle.

We have a 2020 Ford Explorer limited and the sunshade for the sunroof has come off the tracks or something has broken that keeps the sunshade from operating correctly. When the sunshade is open, it hangs down blocking my view of the back window. This seems to be a problem for many people with this model car. The dealership has looked at this and quoted me $1500 for repair.

My got multiple warning messages while driving my 2020 Ford Explorer. My local repair shop ran test and determined it needs a new front axle disconnect actuator/shaft - technical service bulletin 23-2174. Without this repair, several sensors are deactivated: 4wd, hill start assist, forward collision warning, blind spot system, pre-collision assist and service advancetrac. With those functions disabled, it puts the driver/passengers at higher risk of collision - especially in the winter months. This repair is costing me over $2000. A vehicle with less than 70000 miles should not be having an issue like this, and Ford is award of the problem, yet have not issued a warranty extension or recall.

The panoramic sunroof rolo shade has malfunctioned and is currently sagging. This condition is expected to worsen over time, potentially obstructing driver visibility or posing a safety risk due to the possibility of entrapment or flammability. The vehicle has been brought to a certified Ford dealer for inspection; however, no additional inspections have been performed by other authorities at this time. There are no warning lights or alerts displayed in the vehicle related to this issue.

Panoramic sunshade droops and sags creating obstructed rear view.

Issued started happening when I tried to get into my car and my keyfob was not working. Then notice the number pad was working and was able to get into the vehicle. Once inside, vehicle did not want to start. I turn on and off the headlights and thats when the vehicle started. Once started, vehicle started showing orange warning messages. The following messages were shown: pre-collision assist not available hill start assist not available 4wd fault service required service advancetrac see manual with a wrench on it. There is also a wrench light on with the advance trac light on. This issue was diagnosed by Ford scarsdale and they charge me $209 just for the diagnostic and stated that I need a new awd module plus performing TSB 23-2174. With a list of parts totaling $926. 42 plus labor of $1,463. The labor seems a bit over price as I don't believe it will take 7 hours to fix this if we take the labor at $200/hr. There were no prior messages prior to failure. Issue started happening around August 9th, 2025 where my car would start with no issues and after 10 minutes of driving, all the above messages would start showing. Now, messages show when car starts and dont go away. In addition, I have taken my vehicle to Ford scarsdale on July 2, 2025 from front/read differential and transfer case fluid change and pinion seal change. In addition, on 03/27/2024, I took my vehicle since there was oil leak in the front axle and was repaired under warranty. Dealership should have suggested to do this TSB 23-2174 knowing this was a common issue and I was still under warranty.

1. Passenger rear middle seat folds up randomly and repeatedly when someone is sitting in it. It's triggered by pressing on the middle of the back of the seat. This is not related to the current recall, I've had that recall completed and the buttons passed inspection. Basically the seat is trying to eject the passenger repeatedly. Huge safety issue. Sheehy Ford of ashland has documented this in their report when completing recall. 2. Sunshade has broke and sags down, creating zero visibility in the rear view mirror. Huge safety issue 3. Cupholders are falling through, plastic rivets broke. Cups fall through cupholder.

The panoramic sunroof shade in my vehicle failed unexpectedly in August 2025 when I pressed the factory roof/shade retract button during normal operation. The sunshade fabric ripped and detached, causing it to hang down across the rear visibility area and partially obstruct the driver’s view through the rear of the vehicle. This created a safety hazard by reducing visibility while driving and creating a distraction. The failure occurred without misuse or modification. The defective sunroof shade assembly appears to be a design or material failure that has affected other vehicles with the same roof system. I am unable to utilize my sunroof due to visibility issues.

The panoramic sunroof shade failed causing it to drop down on one side, this is a poorly engineered and built by Ford, not an owner's fault. The panoramic roof shade have plastic clips that hold the shade that break by themselves causing the shade to fall. If both clips failed or the one on the drivers side this could cause temporary visual obstruction. This is a poorly designed system and needs to be secured in case of failure.

The transmission failed at 61,000 miles. When I got to the shop where I was getting it looked at they had another Ford Explorer 2020 with 70,000 miles also had transmission issues.

Sunshade - bought the car 2 years ago. Hit the button to close the sunshade and it stopped closing. Turns out the frame cracked on its own. No accident, no one pushing or pulling on the sunshade, the frame just cracked on its own. This is a 2020 model so I find it very hard to believe it is "wear and tear", this is definitely a defective part or Ford used too cheap of a product on a expensive vehicle. This issue can cause health concerns as my family is being cooked by the sun, not to mention the potential for skin conditions/sunburn that could develop as a result of this.

Interior driver door handle - coating is metal, it partially peeled off. Several times it has cut my finger when I open the door (paper type cut). Due to fast paced life, I forget to open door is a way to avoid the metal flake and tend to always cut my finger which is scary if I touched it when vehicle was in motion, there is a quick second of shock/pain from cut. Ford has this common problem as we had the window openers replaced when it was warrantied, same issue. I think it's a safety issue and should be replaced by Ford. They want to charge me over $300 for the repair, I'm not going to give them the satisfaction. Driver side is more affected because it is used 3x as much and other doors.

Panoramic moon roof shade cover has detached from the roof of the car. The fabric shade falls into the car blocking vision of the driver. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer. I am unaware if the vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer. There were no warnings of the problem. The fabric just fell into the car blocking the vision of the driver.

Sunroof shade sagging preventing rear visibility and potential injure to rear passenger.

On the glass panels in between the rear and front side windows, the panels are shattering underneath both sides. When looking up online to see if anyone else has this problem, there’s all kinds of pictures of this problem posted online. . I’m including photos of mine. Have included photos of driver and passenger side.

On [xxx], after starting my vehicle, I received multiple safety warnings, prompting the check engine light and a wrench icon on the dashboard. The alerts included issues with the anti-collision system, hill assist, traction control, lane departure, and adaptive cruise control, as well as my drive modes which were also unavailable. I contacted raceway Ford in riverside, CA, and dropped off the vehicle that day, reporting the errors. The dealership informed me the next day that the half shaft speed sensor had failed and would cost $870. 52 to replace. Since the warranty had expired a month earlier on [xxx], this was no longer covered under the drivetrain warranty. I agreed to the repairs. After installing the new sensor, and conducting a test drive, additional errors appeared. After two weeks in the shop and multiple follow-ups, the dealership concluded that the awd/fwd sensor had also failed and replaced both sensors. The repair documentation references TSB 21-2270, ssm 49045, and c0631. I believe this raises serious safety concerns and should warrant a recall, especially since other vehicles are experiencing similar issues just a month after warranty expiration. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The panoramic sunroof shade has lost its tension when opens. The roller may have broken its clip to hold since being plastic. When open it blockes from seeing from rear view mirror as it sags down. In short cant use sunroof as it poses a risk of view.

Under 23s55 my rear bolt was supposed to be replaced at my recall appointment at the nice Ford dealership in sioux falls south dakota. Only the bushing always replaced as stated by the service writer and also the paperwork says they found no broken bolts and the bushing and ‘hardware’ was replaced. I have the invoice. 1 1/2 year later the bolt snapped causing my differential to nearly come completely off, hanging by one bolt, nearly killing my wife and I, coconut point Ford in estero FL, had the audacity to say bolts aren’t covered under my 100k warranty and the recall is closed so you have to pay. Then they said they’d pay 2100 then 2600 towards the 5300 repair which is not fair as this is a known recall issue that Ford failed to fix at my recall appt. Please assist and pressure Ford to fix this under the recall. They are saying it is closed which seems inaccurate,.

Recently, my 2020 Ford Explorer showed a front passenger tsmp failure followed by the rear driver tsmp failure light about 3 weeks later. Within a day or two of the second tsmp light displaying, I had multiple codes lighting up my dash: 4wd fault, hill-start assist unavailable, service advance track, pre-collision assist unavailable, check manual, etc. I found my car was not accelerating every time I pressed the acceleration pedal, and it would stop maintaining my speed and appear to drift like power was lost for a couple to few seconds before resuming power. This caused me to move into a turn lane or make an unexpected turn off the road as I could not maintain speed in the midst of traffic. It was terrifying and dangerous to myself, my children and the vehicles moving around me. One reputable repair shop replaced the tsmp sensors; however, the codes for the other warning lights showed a communication error that only Ford could diagnose. Ford stated the awd module failed, which meant the different systems were not in communication when I was driving which led to the loss of power that I experienced multiple times while driving to repair shops. Ford stated the awd module needed to be replaced. It is unbelievable that I would have 2 tsmp sensors and an awd module fail in less than 5 years of the vehicle being manufactured when I have never replaced any of those items in 7-8 years of owning other vehicles with similar components. I believe Ford has used inferior parts that they know will fail to drive their repair revenue, which is unethical and unsafe to consumers.

This recall has been remedied and there is nothing wrong with the car. I need this recall marked taken care of so that I can continue renting it. Please remove this care off the unrepaired list ASAP!!!!!.

The vehicle’s transmission system has been malfunctioning exhi jerky, delayed, and unpredictable shifting behaviors, especially noticeable at speeds between approximately 27 an 30 mph and higher. At lower speeds, the jerking is less frequent, but as speed increases, the jerks become more severe and abrupt. These issues manifest during various driving conditions, including accelerating, decelerating, coming to a stop, and lane changes on highways and city roads. When the problem first occurred, the vehicle suddenly jolted in a manner that felt as if I had been rear-ended, causing a sharp, uncomfortable sensation akin to whiplash. The unexpected jerks cause the vehicle to surge or hesitate unpredictably, significantly affecting my ability to maintain smooth control. On multiple occasions, this behavior happened while I was slowing down at stop signs, red lights, or in traffic, with vehicles close behind me, increasing the risk of rear-end collisions. In one hazardous incident, while attempting to merge from the right lane to the outermost left lane in order to cross an intersection, the vehicle jerked suddenly and unexpectedly, nearly causing me to collide with multiple vehicles behind me. This loss of control was alarming and made it unsafe to continue driving in this condition. At the time of these transmission malfunctions, my children were passengers in the vehicle, which made the situation even more alarming due to the increased risk of injury to my family. To date, this transmission issue has been consistently reproducible during everyday driving but has not been formally inspected, diagnosed, or repaired by any dealership or independent mechanic. There have been no warning lights, messages, or dashboard indicators that signaled this problem prior to or during these events. The transmission system and related components are available for inspection upon request. Because of these unpredictable and unsafe transmission malfunctions, I am currently u.

The panoramic sunroof sunshade assembly on my 2020 Ford Explorer limited failed when the sunshade suddenly came off the guide track during normal operation. Prior to the failure, the sunshade operated normally with no warning signs, messages, or indicators. Once detached, the sunshade hung down into the rear window area and obstructed rearward visibility while driving, creating a safety hazard during lane changes, merging, and reversing. An authorized Ford dealer inspected the vehicle, confirmed that the sunshade had come off the track, and quoted approximately $1,500 for repair. The component remains installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request.

Back up camera glitches and back up lights went out cause me to back into a tree at night.

Vehicle has a water leak inside the cabin. We tried pouring water down the sunroof drains and can hear a gurgling sound inside the cabin and observed water entering the cabin next to the dead pedal. Took vehicle to dealership and they replaced a different part and did not solve the issue. Musty mold smell present in vehicle causing allergic reaction and reducing driver's vision posing an accident risk. Unable to drive vehicle until leak is fixed and mold is remediated.

Back up camera turns off out of nowhere while in use. We have to stop immediately and turn back and not always is there visibility through the rearview window. Has not been inspected, they wanted to charge me $200 just to look at it. Once it goes out after a while it states that backup camera not available and to contact the dealership on the screen.

My 2020 Ford Explorer required a transmission replacement just after 100,000 miles. The service department that handled the repair informed me that the issue with my vehicle’s transmission matches the same issue affecting 2021 and newer Ford Explorer models — models which, I understand, have been recalled due to this known transmission defect. Despite this, my vehicle—just one model year earlier—was not included in the recall, and I was required to cover the full cost of the transmission replacement. This is frustrating and concerning, as it indicates the issue may extend beyond the currently recalled model years. To make matters worse, about a month after the replacement, I had to return to the dealership because the transmission required an update that had not been performed. As a loyal Ford customer, I’m disappointed that I’ve had to endure these issues — both with a known transmission defect and with the quality of the repair — at my own expense. Ford motor company cannot cover the repairs due to it not being included in the recalled vehicles, even though the issue is the same.

Panoramic sunroof shade came off track causing it to sag.

Back latch is getting stuck in secondary position when released. Module is intermittently not communicating.

I was involved in an accident. I was traveling through a green light and a car was coming towards my driver side, they failed to yield. I attempted to accelerate and my transmission slipped prior to impact. I have tried to address this concern with Ford in the past and have reported the vehicle jerks on acceleration and when slowing down. You can feel the transmission slip when it is attempting to go from gear to gear.