Table 1 shows one common equipment related problems of the 2026 Ford Explorer.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Equipment problems |
On several occasions when trying to drive from a stopped position I press the gas and the car will move slowly but not shift into gear and then after turning off it struggles to restart. The check engine light is solid but goes away by the next day. This has happened after sitting idling in a parking lot most often but recently it happened 2 times as I was turning left onto a street where I luckily was able to slow roll to the side and not get hit. I brought it in once for service and they struggled to find the issue for hours and eventually said pins in the fuel injector were lose and replaced but it is continuing to randomly happen.
On xxx around 6:30pm: car would not go into reverse. Upon pressing the gas a 2nd time, a loud pop was heard from the back of the car. The car was then able to drive forward, however, when pressing on the brakes, the rear end of the car would wobble, and the brakes were rubbing and making a loud noise. I contacted rich Ford, explained that my car is brand new (2 months), with less than 4,000 miles, and this should not happen. I was told that “someone would call me the following morning around 7am”. I drove to work the next morning, xxx, avoiding the use of the brakes as much as possible. I called rich Ford again, at around 07:45, and spoke to “toby”. Explained to him what had happened, and asked that they pick up the vehicle to see what’s wrong. I was told that they couldn’t look at it until Monday xxx. I told toby that I did not feel comfortable or safe driving my car anywhere, and asked that they pick up the car and provide a loaner. Toby then told me I could drop the car off on Friday, xxxat 08:00. Around 3:48pm, Wednesday, I called rich Ford again and asked them to pick it up because I didn’t feel safe to drive it. They said “no, just drop it off on Friday”. At around 5:35pm, I got to my car, which was parked on the side street of [xxx]. I pressed the brakes, pressed the start engine button, and then went to step out of the car to talk to a CO-worker. The car was in “park”. Once I stepped out with my left leg, the car began rolling forward, knocked me face down onto the road, and then ran over both of my legs. My coworker ran after the car and it stopped on the side of the road. I was rushed to a level 1 trauma center, unmh, with severe injuries to both of my legs. I was unable to take my car to the dealership on Friday, xxx, because of my injuries. Rich Ford had not reached out to ask why the car was not taken in. I plan on contacting my insurance company on xxx. I have very serious injuries as a result. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).
We were driving our new 2026 Ford Explorer on the highway around 7:45 am on 8/15/26 when suddenly we heard what sounded like an explosion. Fortunately, my husband did not wreck, roll the car or stop on the highway like I would have given the pure terror I felt. He pulled over, and we looked around and confirmed the sunroof was completely shattered. Fortunately, the shade was closed, or our daughter and dog would have been covered in glass. No object impact, collision, extreme temperature, or weather event was observed before the sunroof shattered. Fortunately traffic was light, and we feel lucky to be unharmed/alive.
Moonroof had a seal leak. Ford replaced entire moonroof assembly. 3 weeks later the moonroof spontaneously shattered while driving down 40 mph road, no trees, no rocks, etc. Fortunately, the inner cloth canopy was closed or shattered glass would have fallen down and hit driver and passengers.
Put vehicle in drive to pull out of driveway started moving when all of a sudden the Explorer started rolling in reverse and the the d on the transmission knob blinked green the e brake did not work I ended up in my garage door and in the back of an ambulance for neck pain and whiplash.
Purchased brand new vehicle two months ago, only has 2000 miles on it. We took it on vacation 14hours from home. Made it to our destination and started getting “vehicle communication errors” on the screen. Jumped the vehicle, notifications went away. We scheduled an appointment with a local Ford dealer who told us to bring it in. On the way to the dealership and while driving on the road, the vehicle screen listed the same “vehicle communication error” indicator and every single vehicle service light was on. We lost all electrical power. No blinkers, no miles per hour indicator, no lights etc, but we were able to continue driving to the service dealership. Drove an additional 15 miles with absolutely no electrical power and did not want to stop as we were afraid the car was not going to turn back on, on the side of the road per previous experience.
Hello, I am contacting Ford regarding a serious concern with my newly purchased 2026 Ford Explorer st. Within days of purchase, we discovered water leaking from the moonroof area into the interior of the vehicle, including water coming through the seatbelt pillar area , wetting the roof as well, during rain and vehicle washes. In addition to the leak, there is noticeable wind and air noise coming from the moonroof area even when the roof is fully closed, (we notified them the day we got the vehicle about this) which raises concerns that the seal is not properly seating or sealing against the vehicle. After noticing these issues, we inspected several similar vehicles on the dealership lot and observed that multiple vehicles appeared to have uneven or improperly fitted moonroof seals as well. This has increased our concern that this may be a manufacturing or assembly defect rather than normal wear or an isolated issue. Because this vehicle is brand new and the issue was reported almost immediately after purchase, we are requesting that Ford review this matter seriously and assist in ensuring the vehicle is properly repaired or otherwise resolved. We are concerned about long-term damage to the interior, electronics, airbags, mold or mildew risks, and the overall value and reliability of the vehicle. We have documented the leak and seal concerns with photos/videos and are currently working with the dealership for inspection. Thank you for your time and assistance.
While driving, sirius xm pushes advertisements to my infotainment display. These notifications are distracting to driving and they will cause an accident. This practice should be banned outright and a monetary fine placed on sirius xm for impairing driving. Completely unacceptable placement of advertisements and it is going to get someone seriously injured or worse.
I was driving home from work on the interstate. It was not overly crowded and not many vehicles around me. I was going the speed limit. All the sudden I heard a loud pop and a very loud sound. I wasn’t sure exactly what happened. I thought maybe I blew a tire so I pulled over to the side of the road. I then figured out that my sunroof had shattered/exploded in my brand new 2026 Ford Explorer. I just purchased it new on 1/30/26 and it has approx 3k mileage. Luckily I had the shade on my sunroof closed otherwise glass would have been everywhere in my car and all of me while I was driving. I was now on the side of the interstate cleaning glass off the top of my car into a bag so I could continuing driving home and it wouldn’t blow off onto the highway into traffic. Needless to say it took a long time. I have no idea what could have caused this to happen other than a manufacture defect in the glass. It is very scary for that to happen while traveling at a higher speed on an interstate. In addition if the sunshade would have been open. I have not spoken to the dealership or insurance company yet, but will call them tomorrow.