Table 1 shows one common other fuel system related problems of the 2025 Ford Explorer.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Other Fuel System problems |
I am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding an immediate, drastic increase in fuel consumption and erratic fuel range calculations following a manufacturer recall repair. My 2025 Ford Explorer st-line was operating perfectly until a Ford mobile service technician performed safety recall 26s21 (ipma reset). According to official Ford manufacturer specifications, this SUV has an expected driving range of up to 501 miles on a full 17. 9-gallon tank of fuel. However, immediately following this software update, the vehicle's total driving range drastically dropped. On a 100% full tank of gasoline, the dashboard's "distance to empty" (dte) display now only reads 316 miles left to empty—nearly 200 miles below the manufacturer's expected capability. Furthermore, during a subsequent continuous, short 1. 8-mile drive near my residence with no stop-and-go traffic, the dte display rapidly plummeted from 15 miles down to 5 miles remaining, dropping visibly every two seconds. The vehicle is physically burning through gasoline at an accelerated, unsafe rate. This creates an immediate safety risk. If the vehicle is suffering from an uncalibrated software glitch in the powertrain/fuel modules due to the recall update, or if the procedure triggered a mechanical fault, the vehicle is at high risk of a sudden highway stall or leaving the driver stranded in live traffic due to inaccurate fuel signaling. I request that NHTSA look into whether the software installation process for recall 26s21 can corrupt engine/fuel management maps or trigger fuel delivery faults on the 2. 3l ecoboost platform.
Car was parked on a driveway, decent grade, with 50 miles left to empty (no low fuel light on). Facing downward. Car did not turn over. Had to use manual override to put vehicle into neutral and coast to a more level area and start it up. Seen this issue posted on the Explorer st facebook group multiple times, so I was lucky I knew what the issue is. Most other people would be stranded. There is a flaw in the Explorer's fuel tank system that will not allow the car to start if fuel level gets below a certain threshold when parked facing down a steep street or driveway.
I would need to change many more of the points on the top, see report.