general problems of the 2020 Ford Explorer - part 2

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 26v402000 (power train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that after his wife had parked the vehicle, the message "parking malfunction" was displayed and the vehicle rolled forward. The parking brake was activated to prevent the vehicle from rolling away. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,612.

The transmission shifts into park while driving causing the vehicle to jerk and slow down or stall. I contacted Ford and they stated that this was not a safety issue and that this was an advance notice and that no remedy is available until June 2027. They refused to provide a loaner vehicle until this time when the recall is "released". June of 2027 is a year from now and I drive this car daily with small kids and I am afraid that this vehicle will stall while driving and cause harm or death to my family members.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 26v402000 (power train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked back and forth and then stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a transmission specialist; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 26v402000 (power train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-55 mph and coming to a stop, the vehicle shuddered and jerked. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while driving from a complete stop. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

My 2020 Ford Explorer limited has a broken transmission matching recall 26s48. The car cannot be driven. My local dealer wants to help but has zero loaner vehicles available. Ford corporate is refusing to fund an outside rental car or an emergency interim repair while delaying the official fix until next year. I am completely stranded by a manufacturer safety defect. It is setting at the dealer, and they have said it needs a whole new transmission.

Vehicle started hard shifting while driving and noticed hard shifts when slowing down. Vehicle then began to lose power while driving. Display screen has issues at times screen will only display blue or stay in backup camera mode.

My vehicle started downshifting hard, making a jerking motion, specifically from around 7th-6th gear. It is an automatic transmission but when I went to slow down at stop signs, stop lights, etc. It would make a jerking motion in the slow down process. It has inhibited my ability to drive it. There are times when it have difficulty accelerating. I took it to an independent mechanic shop to have them look at it. Immediately when examining the transmission fluid, it had a strong burning smell. This is not normal. This vehicle has 158,000 miles and has not had issues with the transmission before. There are no warning lights on the dash. I haven’t gotten any notifications that something is wrong in the Ford app. I cannot drive it to work or elsewhere due to the fact of the shifting and not knowing how much longer before it stops working all together. This is a known issue with the transmission my car has and yet does not have a recall.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission shifted erratically. The messages "service advancetrac”, "see owner’s manual" and an unknown message were displayed. The contact stated that the failure mostly occurred while depressing the brake pedal, and the vehicle lurched forward while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the failure progressively worsened, and the vehicle had become undrivable. While researching the failure online, the contact discovered that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 26v402000 (power train); however, the recall remedy was unavailable. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Transmission failure caused my vehicle to jump/jerk and left me out of control of the speed of my truck at times. It has been confirmed that I need a new transmission. A service light came on only after issues started. Said light would turn off once the vehicle was turned off and not come back on until driven again.

Transmission with known defects failed at 72,000 miles under normal driving circumstances and a vehicle only six years old.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 23v675000 (power train), 26v117000 (visibility), and 26v402000 (power train); however, parts for the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle with the foot on the brake pedal, the gear shifter was shifted to park(p), and the vehicle unexpectedly reversed and crashed into a nearby brick mailbox and came to a stop. There were no injuries or medical attention needed. A police report was not filed. The contact stated that the vehicle rolled while parking the vehicle. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 87,159.

Rear bolt recall. The small leak due to technician replacing bolt caused the rear end to eventually lose all fluid.

When trying to accelerate on interstate drive train light and I have to pull over turn off car on interstate then start again to keep out of limping mode also when backing up car stalls jumps and makes a grinding noise need a remedy.

Back in 2026 I bought a vehicle from wild west Ford in guymon ok about three weeks after I bought the vehicle there was a safety recall on it for the rear axle bolt. Ever since the recall was done, I noticed a significant change in my vehicle rear and it shook real bad. Basically I was eating my tires and so I took about to wild west and they told me to go get alignment done so I went and got an alignment done, and it still was doing it and I had taken it to at least four different Ford dealerships across two different states and they all told me that there is nothing wrong with my vehicle, so I looked it up on the forum in the procedure on how the recall was done and I find out that the bushing was improperly installed. One of the Ford dealership is the one who send me a picture of the bushing even starting to rip. Please help my kids ride in this vehicle everyday and wild west claimed the recall but did it completely wrong and refuses to fix it so I took it to different dealerships and with each dealership, I specifically asked them to re-look into the recall because I feel like it was done wrong and they all said that it was all up to four specs in the end. There was nothing wrong with it, but here’s the proof that it is so how do I get my vehicle fixed?.

Transmission failed at 83k miles.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, there was an abnormally loud, dragging sound underneath the vehicle. The contact believed that an object was dragging underneath the vehicle; however, there was nothing on the roadway that could have caused the noise. Shortly afterwards, the message "system shift to park" was displayed. The driver pulled over and left the vehicle running, but the vehicle failed to shift out of park while attempting to resume driving. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer the following day, where the vehicle was diagnosed. The dealer determined that the powertrain control module needed to be replaced; however, the repair was denied, and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the dealer failed to repair the vehicle under NHTSA campaign numbers: 23v069000 (power train) and 23v675000 (power train). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.

The vehicle downshifts hard while driving at regular speeds, revving the engine. As you drive, you can feel it downshifting heavily. The transmission now has metal in it and is undriveable.

Sudden transmission issues, no warnings. Ford Explorer 2020 XLT, had sporadic issues while driving on the highway, decided not to take it to pick up my children a few hours away after sudden jerking and revving high rpm's on the highway, proceeded to take backroads home. Following day, only issue in slowing down to under 35mph with a hard jerk into first gear and delayed reaction. Transmission needs a complete replacement at about $9k, with $19k still being paid on the vehicle. Ford is refusing to acknowledge or offer any help on a known transmission issue with the 10 speed transmission in this model year.

While the vehicle was under warranty, I reported a transmission problem to an authorized Ford dealership involving sudden slipping out of gear into neutral at highway speeds, resulting in momentary loss of power and acceleration. The dealership performed diagnostic testing but stated they could not identify a problem and advised that the vehicle was safe to continue driving. The condition persisted intermittently. After the warranty period expired, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic transmission failure while on a heavily traveled highway. The vehicle suddenly lost power and the rear wheels locked, creating a dangerous traffic situation requiring assistance from two state police vehicles until the vehicle could be towed. The vehicle was taken to the same Ford dealership that previously evaluated the transmission concern. The dealership then diagnosed a complete transmission failure requiring replacement at a cost of approximately $9,000. I contacted Ford headquarters regarding this issue and the prior warranty period complaint, but Ford has not responded to the matter in any way. I believe the transmission failure is a continuation of the original transmission defect that was reported during the warranty period but not repaired. I am submitting this complaint because of the significant safety risk created by sudden loss of power and rear wheel lockup while driving at highway speeds. All documentation of original issue and current repair is at the Ford dealership.

Car starts to jerk all of a sudden when breaking ( from 30-26 miles) .

Vehicle stuck in park. But will go in gear but just won’t move.

I am filing a safety complaint regarding my 2020 Ford Explorer (2. 3l engine) experiencing a transmission-related failure. At approximately 112,000 miles, the vehicle began exhibiting a dangerous failure pattern. While braking, a loud mechanical noise occurs, followed by hesitation and inability to properly accelerate. The vehicle then displays a “shift system fault” warning. After this occurs, the vehicle struggles to respond when attempting to accelerate, creating a serious safety hazard, especially when merging into traffic or crossing intersections. This issue appears to be consistent with Ford technical service bulletin 23-2249, indicating the manufacturer is aware of a defect involving the transmission system. Despite this, no recall has been issued, and I have been quoted a significant out-of-pocket repair cost. The sudden loss of acceleration and erratic shifting presents a clear safety risk that could lead to a crash. I am requesting that this issue be investigated for a potential recall due to the safety implications.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power. While attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that after pulling over, an unknown warning light illuminated. Additionally, while depressing the brake pedal, the message to activate the electronic parking brake was displayed due to a critical fault within the shift lever and parking system. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 124,000.

Vehicle suffered a catastrophic drivetrain lock-up while traveling at approximately 25 mph. The rear wheels physically halted, creating an immediate loss of control and safety hazard. Upon inspection, the rear drive unit (rdu) was found to have a failed pinion bearing/internal gear failure, resulting in dual fluid leaks. This is a remedy failure related to safety recall 23s55 (NHTSA campaign #23v675000). The vehicle underwent the 23s55 recall repair 90 days prior (Jan 2026). The internal failure is a direct consequence of latent fatigue and stress placed on the rdu pinion and housing due to the defective axle mounting bolts and subframe bushings addressed in the recall. Furthermore, the vehicle is within the coverage window of Ford customer satisfaction program 24n01 (10-year/150,000-mile extension for rear axle bolt and housing). The dealer (hertrich Ford) and Ford corporate case management (aso case #xxx) have refused to authorize an administrative rental or acknowledge the related damage, leaving the owner in a hazardous financial and logistical situation. I am reporting this as a failure of the federal safety remedy to adequately protect the vehicle’s drivetrain from consequential damage. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My 2020 Ford Explorer XLT sustained a major transmission failure at 94,574 miles without any warning lights. On a 200 mile trip home from long island NY to new jersey the car began to jerk when changing from highway speed to a complete stop due to traffic. As we slowed down the jerking was more pronounce. When reaccelerating the car again jerked forward and at sporadic times did not respond. This was very scary and stressful for my family with the fear of being hit from behind! we made it through the mile long midtown tunnel and to [xxx] were a red light turned green and as I stepped on the gas the engine reved up and the car just rolled into the intersection as I stepped on the gas a second time again the car just jerked and rolled luckily I rolled through the cross walk into a empty spot due to a fire hydrant. Backed up traffic was able to pass and my car was done. I needed to put my family in a uber for the last 60 miles home at 250. 00 dollars on a Saturday night. While I waited for a tow truck back to the Ford dealership. Thankyou aaa! after a diagnostic inspection I needed a new transmission. It took the dealer one month to repair and the cost was 8,500. 00 dollars. This issue is consistent with this Ford transmission system. There is a severe safety risk with sudden loss of acceleration and erratic shifting and jerking when braking and no warning lights. This is a clear safety risk that could lead to a crash. There is enough complaints on this site to warrant am investigation for a potential recall due to safety !! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

This vehicle has sustained a complete transmission failure at 117,000 miles. There are known issues with this 10 speed transmission that the automaker needs to own to and address. This poses a safety risk when traveling and there were no apparent signals of anything prior to this. The vehicle is a garage to have a new transmission installed and had to get a rental car to continue to work and will cost thousands of dollars out of pocket as a result of this issue.

On Tuesday April 7 as I was driving to work, as I was stepping on the break to pull into the parking lot and when the car hit 25 mph it jerked forward. ; this was the first time I’ve ever experienced this so I didn’t think much of it. When I was leaving work that evening pulling out of the parking lot onto the main street the car jerked forward once I hit hit 35 miles an hour and then again jerking as I was slowing down to 25 to make the stop at a light this happened five or six times I live 3. 9 miles away from my job. This had never happened before. I called the Ford dealership in brentwood, CA bill brant Ford as I had an oil change scheduled for Friday, April 10. They told me they would check it out at the time of my appointment. I got a call from the service department saying that my transmission was shot and then I would have to buy a new one for $8000. My car is a 2020. It has 53,000 miles on it and I need to buy a new transmission? I’ve had cars for over 10 years that had never needed a new transmission!! there was never a maintenance light or a check light, so who knows how long this was going on and I wasn’t aware and now five days after the first experience I have to replace the transmission. The service department says it is an internal issue that is why I was not seeing any warning lights… so the owner does get to know there is a problem until it’s too late far a repair?? this does not sound like something that can happen in 5 days.

Thank you for your time reviewing my complaint. I've answered each of your bullet points below. - the transmission is hard shifting in low gears however no warning/no dashboard lights to indicate issue. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. - I use my car for work which includes transporting individuals to work and appointments. This hard shift happened with a passenger while on the freeway in traffic, then continued for the remainder of the ride each time I approached low speeds. - a vehicle diagnostic was performed by an independent service center/certified mechanic and no errors registered with the transmission. However the transmission diagnosis was determined by the service center driving the car and experiencing the hard shifts. I have a copy of the report. - the vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance or any other representatives. _ there were no warning lamp messages leading to the problem or a this current time and currently there are no warning lights indicating the transmission issue, although it has been diagnosed by a certified mechanic/service center as "engine concern - neutralizing in gears between 1st & 2nd". There were sporadic episodes of this "hard shifting" within the last few months and the frequency of hard stops occurring were random. Additionally, there were no warning lamps or messages to indicate an issue. On 4/4/26 a hard shift happened on the freeway and has been consistent daily at low speeds.

The failure involves the automatic transmission system (10-speed 10r60) in my Ford Explorer 2020. The issue appears to be internal, affecting clutch packs and/or internal components (spring-related failure was initially noted by the dealership). Yes, the vehicle and transmission are available for inspection upon request. The transmission malfunction caused delayed engagement and loss of proper power delivery, which created unsafe driving conditions. There were moments where the vehicle hesitated or failed to respond properly when accelerating, increasing the risk of being struck in traffic or being unable to move out of the way of oncoming vehicles. This presents a clear safety concern, especially in traffic or intersections. Yes, the issue was inspected and confirmed by an authorized Ford dealership. The dealership initially diagnosed the problem as an internal transmission failure involving clutch-related components. However, those diagnostic notes were later removed or altered in the service record. I have retained screenshots of the original diagnosis as evidence. The vehicle has been inspected by an authorized dealership representing Ford motor company. At this time, it has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. The manufacturer has not physically inspected the vehicle but has reviewed the case and offered partial financial assistance. Yes. Prior to the failure, the vehicle experienced symptoms including harsh shifting, delayed engagement when shifting into drive or reverse, and abnormal transmission behavior. These symptoms developed over time before the failure occurred. In some cases, there were no warning lights present before the issue became severe, which made the failure more sudden and unexpected. I was informed the original technician is no longer employed and there is no service manager currently overseeing the department. This lack of oversight makes it difficult to verify the original diagnosis or changes made to service records.

7/2024- harsh transmission shifts- lost power on very busy highway on 4th of July weekend- spent 12 weeks in the shop for transmission repair 64,000 miles 3/2025- harsh transmission shifts again- vehicle slammed into gear very hard- 3 weeks in the shop for another transmission repair 71,000 miles 3/2026- harsh transmission shifts again- 1 week in the shop- told it needed an adaptive relearn 88,000 miles 4/2026- still experiencing harsh transmission shifts!!! 90,000 miles.

Was driving on highway with 55 mph speed limit. Car in front slowed to turn right so I slowed briefly and then was accelerating back to speed limit and heard a loud bang and severe grinding noise after. Stopped at next safe area to inspect. Found that both cv axle boots were damaged. Was only a couple miles from home so placed hazard lights on and slowly crept the car to house for further inspection. Upon closer inspection found that when car was placed into forward gear the whole rear end would drop onto the exhaust and was causing cv axles to rub on exhaust.

I was driving the vehicle through a neighborhood and there was a clunk noise and it sounded like my brakes were metal on metal. I stopped to ensure my brakes were okay. Then I continued to drive home when there was a louder clunk and the reared on my vehicle locked up and the car would no longer move. The reared differential unit had failed and exploded parts and put holes in the unit causing fluid to exit onto the street and lock up the drive tires. The vehicle was stranded in the middle of the street and could not move. There was no warning or indication of a failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and components were replaced under extended warranty.

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.