general problems of the 2020 Ford Explorer

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.

With no previous problems, over the course of the past two days the transmission has begun to hard and delayed shift in multiple gears between 10 to 75 mph. When slowing down to go through tolls this morning, as I accelerated, there was a sudden loss of power transmission and a loud rattling sound. The engine would rev in this case. I had to coast for about 150 ft before I regained control of my speed. Once I was slowing down to take my exit to get to work and wait at the light, when I attempted to accelerate to go through the light, I experienced another loss of power. However, this time the engine would not rev. Once in the intersection I was moving slowly. Had this happened (loss of power) while I was in the intersection or through the toll and someone was behind me accelerating, I could have been rear ended and injured. I am taking the Explorer to the dealership next Tuesday to find out if they can reproduce the issue. There are no warning lamps associated with this problem. The vehicle has not been inspected by any third party yet.

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.

Since purchase as a preowned vehicle, we noted this vehicle is equipped with a faulty transmission/tcm software design that is dangerously unpredictable and creates erratic driving conditions. This passenger SUV is equipped with a 10 speed automatic that (once at operating temperature) the gear shifts and operation become highly unpredictable, often causing severe safety issues navigating in traffic, slowing down to sudden stops, and any acceleration, frequently getting stuck in 1st gear or neutral while attempting to accelerate on roadways from a stop. The (10r60e) has nearly caused several accidents severe accidents while under normal use as our primary family vehicle. The Ford dealerships I contacted were aware the problem was concurrent on every vehicle equipped with that transmission and deemed it normal operation. This is highly concerning there hasn’t been some sort of safety recall implemented as it is a known flaw that creates very unsafe driving conditions on a vehicle marketed to families.

Transmissions “a” clutch failure diagnosed by Ford service department. There were no warning lamps indicating there was an issue car start jolting upon acceleration and deceleration in 2nd to 3rd gear. Because of the jolting effect, especially upon deceleration, it put me at greater risk of an accident. Vehicle is only 4 years old.

While vehicle was driving in motion, all system error messages began to sequence on the dashboard (steering assist fault service required, check park aid, see manual, service advancetrac, front camera fault service required, full accessory power active, park brake fault service now, pre-collision assist not available, navigation fault). Vehicle lost acceleration and had decreased steering and braking capability. This happened on 5/20/2024 and was "repaired" by dealership then happened again on 6/21/2024. It also happened in 08/17/2021 and was repaired by dealership until most recent reoccurrences. This does not include the instances where the same error messages sequenced prevented the vehicle from even starting (for hours) leaving the motorist stranded. This is also not the first time this concern has been submitted to the NHTSA.

When braking and slowing down between 30-25 mph the transmission catches and feels like it “bucks”. Almost to a sudden stop and I’m afraid the cars behind me are going to rear end me. I took it to my local Ford dealer where they reprogrammed and reset adaptive tables, then told me to drive it like this for 500-1000 miles to see if it worked itself out! I feel this is dangerous! I have an extended warranty 5 yr/ 60,000 miles, I’ve owned it 4 yrs with approximately 30,000 miles on it. Ford needs to just fix it!.

1. Issues with navigation / map display 2. Issue with speedometer display changing location on dash while driving have previously written issues with the backup camera system on this vehicle. This a new recurring issue with the navigation system and driver information center display. 10/02/23 – upon starting vehicle, map only displayed on the bottom 1/3 of center 10” display. Attempts to restore settings unsuccessful. Searched internet, found procedure for “soft reboot” of system (press and hold volume on/off button, then press right “next track / seek” button simultaneously. ) this restored map to full screen. 10/03/23 - start vehicle, map reverted to 1/3 screen. A soft reboot restored screen. This happened repeatedly over next several days. 10/08/23 – map back to 1/3 screen, and navigation kicks in telling me to resume a route previously cancelled. I cancel route and proceed. I don’t soft reboot. 10/09/23 – start vehicle, map displays full screen, and navigation again wants to resume the cancelled route. Cancel the route and drive 1 mile. Return to the vehicle within 15 minutes. Restart vehicle, map back to 1/3 screen, and navigation again wants to resume cancelled route. Go to next destination and exit vehicle upon return, map is back to full screen. 10/09/23 – evening – map back to 1/3 screen. 10/10/23 – map back to full screen. Drive approximately 40 miles. During drive map repeatedly zooms in and zooms out, and a new problem appears. During drive, speedometer display on the dash driver information center repeatedly shifts back and forth from left side of the display to center of the display. Am out of vehicle for approximately 30 minutes. Upon restart map is back to 1/3 screen. I press the “home” button and am provided driving instructions to some address never before visited and not even remotely close to my home. The map display is annoying. The repeated shifting of the speedometer display is a real distraction while driving.

When the car starts all warning lights come on. Hill start assistance, pre collision assistance, all assistance. There is no cruise, no safety collision assistance at all. First appeared on June 13 2023. Ford dealer is currently trying to fix the problem. They are unsure why it’s doing it. It puts all occupants life at risks as the car doesn’t have any safety assistance.

I had an oil change at the feldman Ford dealership on or around 3/7/2023. On 4/14/2023 at or at round 5-6 pm; I was traveling southbound on I-75 when my 2020 Explorer suddenly slowed down from 70 miles per hour to around 40 miles per hour while I’m in the farthest lane and it wouldn’t go pass 45 miles per hour almost causing the vehicle behind to rear end me. The dash displayed a reading stating the oil pressure is low and to get engine serviced. I put on my hazards and safely made it to exit off of the freeway. I stopped at a gas station because the engine was making a loud screaming noise. I called my salesman from feldman Ford and explained what was happening and what the dash was saying so he asked me to shut off the engine and to check the oil. So when I opened the hood I saw oil everywhere and the engine was so hot that the heat was burning my face. The dipstick was indicating that the oil was low to empty. He stated that’s impossible you just had an oil change 4-5 weeks ago and the engine appears that it’s not cooling. So he advised me to put in 2-3 quarts and get on my knees to see if any oil is leaking underneath and there was no leak after I put in 3 quarts of oil. So he asked how far was I from home I told him no more than 15 minutes, then he asked me to start the car to see if the noise diminished and it was not as loud so he said to see if I could get the car home because I had my 1 month old grandson and my daughter with me and he will have a tow truck to come and get it. I made it a block from my home then the car shut off and wouldn’t start. So I had family to come get my daughter and grandson and I stayed with the vehicle until 930/10 pm when the tow truck arrived and my vehicle has been at the feldman Ford service lot ever since 4/14/2023 and it has not been fixed or worked on. I was told that the oil pump failed causing 2 or 3 seals to go bad in the back and front of the motor. The Ford app displayed engine issues 2 months prior to my purchase.

When stopped at a light the engine suddenly accelerated forcing a hard braking action to prevent an accident. After 2-3 seconds it went to idle still in gear. This has happened 3 times the third time 2 witnesses said that it was not caused by braking with their foot on the accelerator. In reviewing the three episodes I noted that the air-conditioned switch was engaged all three times when this uncommand occurred. This never occurred when the car was moving only at a stop. It seems that the air conditioner was called to turn on by the body control module which cause the engine rpm to decrease which cause the power train control module to react increasing the demand to the throttle body which either stuck high or was over commanded in not reacting in a fast enough manner to satisfy the power train control module. When this occured I thought we were going to hit the car in front of us. I think this is correctable with some changes in the power train control module programing.

The gas pedal snapped off where connected to the floor.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, the vehicle started to shake abnormally. While driving, the vehicle lunged forward without the accelerator pedal being depressed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be rebuilt. The software was reprogrammed and set for the parking brake to remain engaged. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound and accelerated unintendedly. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact depressed the brake pedal continuously until the vehicle stopped. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred intermittently while driving from a complete stop. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while driving downhill, and the vehicle nearly drove into highway traffic. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure had occurred while reversing in a parking lot, nearly causing the vehicle to crash into other vehicles. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer several times to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

Transmission - available for inspection upon request (yes) vehicle will lunge or stall as it searches for the right gear. Have had the vehicle to Ford authorized dealers 3 times with varying degrees of success. Now problem has reoccurred and is worse that ever. Searches for the right gear, lunges, sometimes will not go into gear at all. Feel unsafe driving the vehicle. Currently have a 4th apt with Ford to look at the transmission. No warning lights or messages present on the dash.

On March 14, 2021, a failure with the vehicle posed a serious safety hazard when my two children, another minor child and our dog were accompanying me, with the car fully loaded for spring break, and the brake system completely failed, among other electrical issues, as we were departing our neighborhood. The vehicle was subsequently towed to the dealership. I cringe to imagine what would have ensued if this defect would have occurred only a few minutes later, as we pulled into traffic or made it to the highway for our trip. I don't recall what lamps came on as it was very scary at the time, but the alerts on the Ford app were, antilock brake fault, hill start assist warning, hill descent control fault warning and pre-collision assist not available.

This particular problem has occurred on more than one occasion, most recently today (January 30, 2021). While driving and then accelerating, the car sputtered and almost died. We were pulling into oncoming traffic and needed to accelerate. We pushed on the accelerator and the car made a sound as if it would speed up, instead it stalled. (a message flashed on the screen, but it was too quick for me to read. ) we were almost hit by a car before we were able to pull into a parking lot. We turned off the car and drove around for a few minutes. We went to pull back out onto the street and accelerate when it sputtered and stalled. We turned the car off and sat. We were lucky we were not on a highway or busier street.

Vehicle detected possible collision and applied brakes. There was nothing anywhere near me. Then several faults appeared. Service 4wd, pre collision assist fault, stabilitrack fault, drive mode unavailable fault. Info screen went all black. I was driving at 45 mph and a straight 2 lane road with no traffic in site. This is now the second time this has happened.

The first issue was with the car accelerating without pressing the gas. Rpms would increase and car would sound as if it was accelerating as well, when slowing driving through a parking garage. The car also down shifts and accelerates roughly. It is not smooth when transitioning to acceleration or DE acceleration. When braking the car jerks until stopped enough to where our heads jerk. Putting car into gear, to drive from reverse, it lags until it kicks in and jerks hard. When shifting into reverse with the foot firmly on the brake, the vehicle begins to roll backward with my foot still on the brake. When you try to press the brake pedal to get car to stop moving, brake pedal does not depress all the way and does not stop the vehicle from moving. If you attempt to pump the brakes, there is a hard stop that prevents the brake pedal from going all the way to the floor. The only way to stop the vehicle is to put it back into park.

I have numerous fault messages, pre collision assist fault, 4wd temp disabled, 4wd system fault service required, service required, drive mode unavailable fault,auto hold system fault,service advancetrac, vehicle will not swtich into park or neutral. I was in motion at the state speed limit of 70 on the ohio turnpike when out of the bule the warning cluster lit up like a christmas tree with mutiple faults and system errors. Vehicle has limited braking.

I have put my 2020 Ford Explorer platinum in the Ford shop several times because my cruise control has never worked properly. While using the cruise control it will reset to 85 mph whenever it chooses. This is a dangerous issue. Sames Ford dealership has looked at this issue 4 or so times with no fix. This issue needs to be addressed as my car is not the only one with this same issue.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 10,200.

Transmission issues again. Same broken / cracked weld at transmission oil cooler. Part replaced. This is the vehicle's 3rd oil cooler (we're at 12,600 miles now).

Vehicle unexpectedly breaks, as if detecting a crash, when there is clearly no car ahead. Vehicle takes over control of breaks unexpectedly. Has happened on repeated occasions and already reported to manufacturer months ago.

Tl- the contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while in the park position the engine suddenly began to rev very high and the vehicle attempted to accelerate forward. The driver pressed to brake pedal to prevent the vehicle from moving. The transmission was switched to neutral but the failure continued to occur. After turning the vehicle off and back on the vehicle operated as normal. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer levitown Ford(3195 hempstead tpke, levittown NY levittown NY) was notified the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 2000. Jft.

The Explorer was put into reverse. The vehicle drove forward about 3 ft, jerked, then slammed into reverse. Reaction time on my behalf was slow as it was unexpected, I almost hit a light pole. This occurred in a parking lot.