general problems of the 2020 Ford Explorer - part 1

Vehicle issue description – 2020 Ford Explorer limited (transmission failure) the issue involves the transmission system in a 2020 Ford Explorer limited. The transmission began exhibiting hard and erratic shifting, particularly between lower gears and when decelerating to a stop. A within days experienced complete failure, leaving the vehicle unable to properly move or engage gears. There were no warning lights, messages, or dashboard indicators at any point prior to the failure. This lack of warning prevented any opportunity to address the issue before it became severe. This failure created a significant safety risk, as the vehicle became unreliable in traffic conditions. Hard shifting and delayed engagement made it difficult to predict acceleration and deceleration, increasing the risk of being rear-ended or unable to safely merge into traffic. The final failure rendered the vehicle inoperable, which could have been dangerous if it occurred in a high-traffic or unsafe location. The problem appears consistent with known transmission issues reported by other owners of 2020 Ford Explorers, including hard shifting, jerking, hesitation between gears, and sudden loss of drivability. ? many drivers report similar symptoms progressing to severe transmission problems or complete failure. At this time: •confirmation by dealer or service center: 3/18/26 despite the number of similar complaints and documented issues, there has not been a specific recall issued for the transmission system itself, although other drivetrain-related recalls (such as rear axle or driveline failures) have been issued for this model year. ? based on the pattern of symptoms and widespread reports, this appears to be a systemic issue affecting the transmission in this model year, rather than an isolated incident.

On 2/27/26 I heard a knocking sound in my car, no warning lights came on, took it to local car place and was told there was no oil in the tank. I immediately made an appt to take it to river view Ford dealership for service. They looked at it on 3/2 and found the engine to be damaged from the turbos pulling oil out of the oil tank and sucking it into the engine. They informed me nothing was being offered to replace the engine for that year 2020 and my warranty just ended 11/25. This car is worth $70,000 new, just paid it off early, otherwise in great condition. I called the customer service line and was told there is nothing they can do or offer and filed the complaint. My husband called back and spoke to 3 different rude people requesting someone call our dealer and talk with the service people- this didn't happen. Earlier this year this car had a differential leak that cost $3000; it also had the undercarriage of the car that holds the flex pipes up, fall apart and required the entire undercarriage to be replaced. I find it appalling that you google st engine issues and they specifically say 2020 models have issues with and suffer from severe oil-related issues, including high oil consumption, oil starvation, and, in some cases, turbocharger failure or engine knocking. How is this not a recall? no warning signs til its too late.

2020 Ford Explorer with the 10r80 transmission went bad. Shuttering between 2/3 gear, neutraled out of gear. Shop wants $5,800 for a remanufactured transmission.

The catalytic converters (both) on my 5-year-old Ford Explorer both failed due to cracked welds. This failure appears to be common with the v6 ecoboost engines. It happened sometime before 124000 miles, it was only noticed because my wife and daughters started complaining about headaches and sleepiness when riding in the vehicle. The failure was only noticed when a mechanic evaluated it, the failure was not noticeable otherwise. I believe this is a very dangerous condition, as the fumes were evidently getting into the vehicle somehow and causing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. The estimate to repair both is $5000, but according to the repair shop, there are currently none available. Ford has acknowledged this defect in customer satisfaction program 21b35 and the 2025 service bulletin covering cracked weld failures. At about the same time, the transmission suddenly. The failure is very specific, and is documented in Ford technical service bulletin 22-2411 as a known defect. The vehicle experienced harsh shifting, delayed engagement, and ultimately complete transmission failure requiring full replacement at a cost of approximately $7000. This appears to be a widespread defect, and I believe it represents a safety concern due to unpredictable loss of drivetrain function.

Summary of facts for legal consultation bad faith redhibition claim — louisiana civil code art. 2545 prepared for attorney consultation 1. Vehicle & transaction information vehicle2020 Ford Explorer st — awdpurchase datemarch 2025purchase structure$17,000 trade-in applied + $17,000 remaining loan balanceadditional warranty$2,500 paid warranty purchased through dealership at time of saleselling dealerindependently licensed dealership (non-Ford franchise)warranty servicewarranty work performed during coverage period 2. The technical service bulletin (TSB 23-2174) Ford issued TSB 23-2174 in July 2023 — nearly two years before the vehicle was sold to the client. Key facts about the TSB: •covers: 2020–2021 Ford Explorer/Lincoln aviator awd vehicles •component affected: front axle disconnect actuator (fada) — left side •failure mode: fada o-ring seal failure causing awd malfunction, triggering powertrain warning light (wrench icon) with dtcs c00a6 and/or c0631 •required repair per TSB: full replacement of fada with revised intermediate shaft and reprogramming of transfer case control module •result of proper TSB repair: permanently eliminates front axle disconnect capability — a fundamental, permanent change to vehicle drivetrain operation •TSB was publicly available on [xxx] at time of purchase — free, searchable by VIN 3. Critical pre-sale service record — January 2025 the dealership's own service center performed the following repair on the vehicle approximately 1–2 months before the sale to client: date of servicejanuary 2025 (approx. 1–2 months pre-sale)work order descriptionleft axle disconnect/hub actuatorparts listedmotorcraft left axle seal onlylabor hours9 hoursdtcs or TSB referencednone listed on work orderawd module reprogrammednot indicated on work order critical observation: the terminology used on the dealer's own work order — "left axle disconnect/hub actuator" — mirrors the exact component language of TSB 23-2174. A technician with suffici information redacted pursuant to the freedom of informat.

Car will be in drive or reverse, start to move with foot on gas then will shift itself into park.

I own a 2020 Ford Explorer with approximately 85,776 miles. The vehicle has experienced two separate loss-of-propulsion events in traffic. On both occasions, the vehicle suddenly lost power while driving and stalled in the middle of a busy intersection. There was no prior warning of imminent engine failure. After stalling, the vehicle would crank but would not restart. The vehicle was disabled in the intersection for approximately 45 minutes to one hour each time. My family was inside the vehicle during these incidents. The vehicle displayed multiple malfunction warnings including “shift system fault” and messages indicating the vehicle was not in park even when the shifter was in the park position. The dealership, hansel Ford of petaluma, verified the concern and referenced Ford technical service bulletin (TSB) 23-2249 related to internal transmission components, including the valve body and park pawl actuator system. The dealership confirmed that when the vehicle is placed in park, it may actually remain in neutral. This creates an additional safety risk of unintended vehicle movement. This issue presents a serious safety hazard due •sudden loss of propulsion in traffic •vehicle disabled in active intersections •extended inability to restart •potential rollaway risk due to park malfunction the vehicle is currently pending major transmission-related repairs. I am submitting this complaint due to concerns about loss of propulsion and park system malfunction creating a safety risk for occupants and surrounding traffic.

I was driving on the highway and I heard a loud bang , with grinding and a jerk I assumed the rear axel or differential something in the rear area along with smoke and I was able to swerve to the side of the highway along the grass and jump out with my kids multiple cars where behind me but I turned on my emergency lights & got out just in time before causing a accident , this is all tied to a recall that’s been fixed twice now here we are a third time and it’s back again at Ford dealership.

Power train, automatic transmission issue the vehicle is a 2020 Ford Explorer XLT with approximately 71,000 miles. The automatic transmission has developed delayed engagement and harsh shifting during normal driving conditions. The issue occurs most often during low speed driving, rolling stops, and when shifting from park into drive or reverse. The transmission will hesitate or pause before engaging, followed by a sudden harsh shift or jerk into gear. The condition has been reproduced multiple times during normal driving and is consistent. This behavior creates unpredictable vehicle response when I accelerate into traffic or proceed from a rolling stop. The delay followed by sudden engagement can cause the vehicle to lurch forward unexpectedly, which could increase the risk of a crash when entering intersections, merging into traffic, or operating near pedestrians. The vehicle is scheduled for inspection at a Ford dealership, and the issue will be evaluated under known Ford technical service bulletins addressing harsh or delayed shifting in the 10-speed automatic transmission. At this time, the vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer. The vehicle will be inspected by an authorized Ford dealer Monday March 9, 2026. No warning lights or messages have appeared. The condition occurs without warning indicators and is noticeable through delayed engagement and harsh gear shifts. My vehicle has been regularly maintained and received the recommended 60,000 mile service prior to the issue appearing. Similar transmission complaints appear to be widely reported among owners of 2020–2022 Ford Explorer vehicles equipped with the 10-speed automatic transmission.

On December 26, at approximately 7:08 p. M. , I was driving on the belt parkway during a snowstorm. I was traveling in the middle lane and began to safely change lanes to the right. During the lane change, the vehicle’s four-wheel-drive system suddenly displayed an error and appeared to malfunction. Immediately after this occurred, I lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle veered to the right, struck the median, and flipped over twice before coming to rest on its side. Prior to the system error, I was operating the vehicle normally and driving cautiously given the weather conditions. The loss of control occurred abruptly and without warning.

The transmission developed a harsh engagement from part to reverse and a harsh downshift when decelerating. The vehicle would frequently not change gears at highway speeds. Inspection showed that the transmission pan was full but fluid was burnt.

Transmission had hard downshifts, whining, would. Not change gears intermittently and would clunk when going into reverse or drive. Upon inspection at the dealership, the fluid was burnt and there were chunks of gears in the transmission pan.

My Explorer was very slow/unable to accelerate onto the highway. The next time I started it there was rattling and lots of non engine noises, along with all kinds of warning lights. I took it to the dealership. In his words ‘the turbo grenaded itself into the engine. Quoted me 15k to fix/replace the engine, turbo and half shaft. I still owe 9k on it. Extended warranty that I purchased expired 4,000 miles ago. I have had multiple issues with this vehicle since I purchased it brand new in 2020. I am trading it in tomorrow??.

The car started hard shifting, bucking like an animal in the middle of driving 70 on the highway, hard to control, hard to stay out of traffic, started to smell like fuel was in the cabin, it took all I had to keep it in my lane and get over to safety without killing myself or someone else, took it to the dealership, they could not look at it for two weeks, took it to a different shop, he found that a wire had been cut and some hoses were zip tied to the frame ( previously only work on this car has been at dealership) he then towed it to the dealership at the two week appointment and they say its burning transmission fluid and hard shifting and needs a new transmission. The warranty expired two days before this occurred so not covered, it is a 2020 , should not have to completely replace a transmission only 74,000 miles on it . I had taken it n three times previously for hard shifting but it was an occasionally occurrence, they could never find any codes to explain so did not look further than what the computer said. That day, it did not throw any codes, until the secondary mechanic took the time to look under the hood, find the cut wire and fix that. Then he had 3 pages of codes. Now I not only have to pay the financed amount on this vehicle but I have to pay an additional 10,000 for a car that did not do its high functioning job and report a problem when I was feeling the problem and probably could have been a warranty fix before the warranty expired if the code appeared the first time, telling the computer to tell the technician to fix it.

Transmission randomly kicks out of gear causing a grinding noise and loss of acceleration. This is the second transmission that has been put in this vehicle due to the same issue. No warning lamps. No codes stored. Each time it has happened has been merging on or off of a highway/interstate causing me to almost be in a rear end collision.

Since I have bought my 2020 Ford Explorer (brand new off the lot) it has had to have the turbo replaced several times now . Currently the turbo is bad again and I’m looking at a $3500 repair for a turbo that was already replaced 2 times since I bought it. I feel there is an issue with this car handling the turbos , I am a single mom of 5 kids and cannot afford to keep replacing turbos every couple years. I now have it sitting in my driveway cause it can’t be driven and still have a $740 momthly payment to pay on it and because I can’t use the car I can’t go to work anymore so I need help with this please.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission was shifting roughly while upshifting or downshifting. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed about a TSB with a similar failure, and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN related to the transmission. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Driving at speed and starting to slow down the vehicle downshifted hard and afterwards would shift hard on every shift. Vehicle was taken to dealership and was diagnosed with cdf drum failure. Vehicle was under 100k miles and not under warranty.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was shifting roughly while upshifting or downshifting before slamming into gear. Several warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that the failure persisted and worsened. There was transmission fluid odor coming from the vehicle and entering the cabin of the vehicle through the a/c vents. The contact stated that the engine unexpected revved while driving on the freeway. The contact stated that when the transmission slammed into gear, the vehicle felt like the parking brake was activated. The vehicle was taken to another dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact stated that the repairs were put on hold until the warranty had ended. Most recently, the contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was shifting roughly while upshifting and downshifting before slamming into gear. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road. The contact was called for assistance and went to where the vehicle was pulled over. The vehicle was driven back to the residence in limp mode. The vehicle was towed to another dealer, where it was confirmed that the transmission had failed. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The contact stated that the failure was more predominant during colder weather. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Vehicle did not want to shift above 35 mph. When letting off gas - harsh downshift (with no break lights) at 25mph. Diagnosed transmission problem - repaired- Ford dealership rebuilt transmission. No warnings or messages prior to failure.

Hard shifting in lower gears when transmission warms up, hard downshifting to lower gears as well. This is extremely harmful if the shifting jerks hard, causing whiplash or can cause a wreck.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted from 3rd to 2nd gear as indicated on the console shift indicator. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to technical service bulletin: 22-2428. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 83,000.

On my way to visit my cousin down south my vehicle wouldnt go in park. A warning came across stating that it was a shift system fault. I went to the Ford dealership in north carolina. They werent helpful. I went to a nearby auto repair shop alerted me that it was an issue with tge powertrain that Ford covered in vehicles same as my yr make and model. Ford refused to honor it due to the fact that it doesnt fit my VIN number even though it is the very same issue presented in the other vehicle with the similar yr make and model. It is unsafe. I have a family. I would not move.

The component that failed was the cdf clutch hub. Very hard shifting when accelerating from a stop and when going up hill. The problem has been confirmed by the Ford dealership. I had no warning prior to this happening. Safety concerns in that I could not accelerate quickly to avoid impending traffic.

Transmission starting to fail at around 91,000 miles. Diagnosed at dealership. Just out of warranty. Other repair shops say this is a common issue. This should be a recall matter.

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).

Ford has released a technical service bulletin for this issue , however they are not being held accountable for the issue at hand that I believe poses a safety issue while driving and could cause other drivers to run into the back of your car. The TSB was posted for a part inside the transmission which is a snap ring that comes dislodged from its groove and causes harsh down shifts between gears. This has happened to thousands of owners of these vehicles with a simple internet search. To say a harsh downshift is the issue is putting it mildly. When you are decelerating and the transmission downshifts as it does, it feels as if you slammed on your brakes, however the cars behind you see no brake lights light up to tell them you just slowed down considerably which could cause a pile up accident, especially in rush hour traffic. I feel this is the same type of recall that Ford was made to put out on all the 2011-2014 f150's where the transmission would randomly down shift to first gear on the highway. Ford has major transmission issues that cause safety concerns and I do not feel they are being held accountable on these newer vehicles. Theyve created a TSB on a known issue, yet let people drive around and pose risk of harm to themself or other drivers. Its only a matter of time until the downshift causes a major accident or pile up and people are seriously injured due to Fords negligence. They are aware of the issue and should be held to fix it for the drivers as well as everyone elses safety.

I have been seeing complainants about the 2020 Ford Explorer transmission, I just want to say that I also had transmission issues with my 2020 Ford Explorer, I had vehicle down shift issues at or around 50,000 miles, I took it back to the dealer because it was still under the 60k miles power train warr. The dealer had my Explorer for about a week to do repairs, I do remember them saying there was a technical bulletin about this problem. I still have transmission jerking issues when I am driving slowly and have to let's say step on the gas to accelerate. I am at 67,000 miles now and worried is this thing going to make it to 100k.

Transmission shifts hard from first to second gear upon acceleration, then shifts hard down at approximately 25-30mph. Dealership is aware. Has been happening since I got vehicle, but no fix has been available.

The transmission has failed due to a snap ring being dislodged. This caused substantial damage requiring complete transmission rebuild. The vehicle is currently at a Ford dealership where they have identified the issue. The serviceman stated that the snap ring failure is due to manufactures defect and that it is a well known and common failure. Ford has a service bulletin describing this issue. Failure to repair this in a timely manner will cause catastrophic failure that could lead to loss of control of the vehicle. There were no warning lights for this issue. The first symptom was harsh shifting. The vehicle was taken to the dealership the day following the first symptom but the damage had been done.

Bought my car 2020 and every year I have been on and off the shop to fix it. Last year I just paid them to fox my transmission gearing, clutch and axle. The other dy I have them service it again due to power train malfunction. And sent me an invoice of $1700 not including the $195 to diagnostic test for my car.

Ford st 2020 just 37000 miles, the window from driver side can’t complete close when you try to roll up. When it all most close- it will automatically roll down. Tpms fails cause 4wd fault, abs turn off and a lot of warning symbol turn on like pre-collision…etc. Dealer can’t fix and claim for client need to paid for 4wd program.

Vehicle down shifts hard from 7th to 6th gear tested in manual mode but was originally feeling it while driving automatic when slowing down between 25 - 35 mph then I found a TSB that suggested trying it in manual in those gears and it happens every time.

I recently had my vehicle serviced for reprogramming of the awd control module after it failed. When the dealer returned the vehicle, I expected the issue to be resolved. Instead, I immediately noticed a new check engine light with code c00a6, related to the front axle disconnect. This was concerning because the dealer had assured me there were no active codes after programming the new module. After driving with the new fault, it became clear the vehicle was operating only in rear-wheel drive. I contacted Ford and was quoted $4,030 for repairs to the front axle disconnect. Given the cost, I researched whether this issue had a recall but found none, despite widespread reports from other owners experiencing the same failure. My main frustration is that this problem stems from Ford’s design of the intermittent awd system, which engages the front wheels only when needed to improve fuel economy. The official “fix” eliminates this design entirely—converting the vehicle into a full-time awd system. This requires removal of the front axle disconnect shaft, installation of a standard shaft, and reprogramming to support permanent awd. The technical service bulletin (TSB 23-2174) even directs technicians to cut and discard the electrical connector for the front axle disconnect actuator, confirming that the original intermittent system is abandoned rather than repaired. This is a major concern for owners. Many of us are facing the same issue, yet Ford’s solution shifts the burden of an expensive design flaw onto customers. I strongly urge Ford to address this problem responsibly and provide coverage for affected vehicles, rather than leaving owners to pay thousands for what appears to be a widespread defect.

Th car goes into gear but does not go anywhere.