Electrical System Problems of Ford Explorer - part 1

I am reporting a potential safety defect involving the upper steering column shroud and the driver-facing driver status monitor camera on my 2026 Ford Explorer equipped with bluecruise. The upper steering column shroud became extremely loose and will not remain securely attached. The driver-facing camera is mounted in this area. Ford states that bluecruise uses the driver-facing camera to monitor the driver’s eyes and head position during hands-free operation. I personally observed the shroud and camera assembly loose while bluecruise remained active. I cannot determine whether monitoring accuracy was affected, but I am concerned that a driver-monitoring camera used during hands-free level 2 driving can physically move or become unsecured without bluecruise immediately becoming unavailable. The loose assembly could also detach or distract the driver while the vehicle is moving. Before the repair was completed, the original authorized Ford dealer advised me to temporarily tape the loose shroud assembly back together while waiting for parts. I am reporting that recommendation because the affected area contains the driver-monitoring camera used by bluecruise. The dealer later documented “swap steering column shroud with stock unit” and returned the vehicle to me as repaired. The same loose condition remained. The next day, a second authorized Ford dealer inspected the vehicle and documented loose steering-column-shroud fitment, stated the upper and lower halves appeared mismatched in size or tolerance, and recommended replacement of both pieces. The vehicle has now been returned to the original Ford dealer for another repair attempt. Ford motor company also has an open customer case. I am asking NHTSA to evaluate whether this physical mounting or retention condition could affect the bluecruise driver-monitoring function and whether similar conditions exist in other bluecruise-equipped Explorers.

On August 14, 2026, the power liftgate on my 2020 Forde Explorer unexpectedly began closing while I was loading my dog into a kennel in the rear cargo area. I did not press the liftgate close button and no one else activated a liftgate control. My key fob was inside my purse on the front seat of the vehicle. The liftgate came down while I was underneath it and struck me directly on the head. The impact knocked me to the ground. I saw stars and was confused immediately afterward and sustained a scalp laceration with significant bleeding. I did not lose consciousness and did not require stitches. One person directly witnessed the incident and was also struck by the closing liftgate. Because the liftgate struck my head first, its force was reduced before it contacted the other person, who was not injured. Other people arrived immediately afterward and can confirm my condition following the impact and that the key was in my purse on the front seat. This was not the first time this has happened. It has occurred on multiple occasions while loading without intentionally activating. I have been hit in the head before but not enough to cause bleeding. The incident occurred Friday evening on 8/14/2026. Vehicle has not yet been inspected because the service department is closed for the weekend. I plan to contact Ford once open on Monday. I am reporting this because I am concerned there may be a defect involving unintended activation of the power/hands-free liftgate and/or its safety obstacle-detection system. The unexpected closure has now caused an injury and also struck a second person.

See all problems of the 2020 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2025 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle was started and the doors were unlocked and the contact walked over to the front passenger’s side door to put her purse inside the vehicle; however, after the contact walked over to the rear driver’s side door to place a child into the car seat, the doors inadvertently locked and the child was trapped and locked inside the vehicle. The key fob failed to operate as designed, and the contact was unable to unlock the doors. The contact broke the rear driver’s side window to remove the child from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the dealer stated that the failure might be related to a software malfunction; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000.

See all problems of the 2025 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Backup camera only works sometimes which is a safety risk when backing up. Other year models have had a recall for this same reason. It has been doing it for at least 6 months now.

See all problems of the 2013 Ford Explorer 🔎.

This is a 2013 Ford Explorer experiencing the exact catastrophic power steering failure described in recall 14s06 / 15s18. The rack has failed twice, creating an immediate crash hazard. The current recall parameters are inadequate as they exclude my VIN despite identical component failure. Not only is this an immediate crash hazard, it is difficult to find any mechanic or dealership to remedy this problem because it is a major part with heavy labor. I have been sidelined and quoted high repair fees for a repair that should be covered as Ford admitted to the design flaws in the electrical steering, however restricting who actually gets protection from it. I feel this is reckless and greedy of Ford to do this. The failure to the electric steering went out while I was driving and I was unable to turn or control my steering, it is deeply frustrating this is a known issue that I was completely unaware of. I feel that Ford is not a good company to purchase from and their products are not safe for drivers. I'm posting this so others are warned that safety is not a priority with Ford and to shop with a brand that cares about safety and integrity for their consumers and families.

The power steering has fully stopped working , the car cannot be steered, this started to happen on the road, I had to steer the entire weight of the car myself, at fast speed it was difficult but not impossible, at slow speed and zero speed or while the vehicle is stationary it was impossible or unmovable to steer. There were no warning lamps about this, the Ford dealer has not detect this in my vehicle's previous recall, further vehicle has two more recalls this year, that have been cited this year by the dealer. This needs to be addressed on their recalls because this can cause a very severe problem on the road.

See all problems of the 2011 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The vehicle acm shorted and caused a fire while driving. My safety was put as risk because the car quickly filled with smoke and unbearable fumes causing me to swerve and attempt to find a safe place to pull over.

See all problems of the 2017 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Begin with cliff, I was not wanting to lock or locked or start the vehicle as I was driving. I stopped at the light vehicle started shaking, and as I drove through the light to pull over power steering assist failure, terrain, failure, and control failure.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced intermittent starting failures, and upon starting the vehicle and shifting into gear, the vehicle shut off. No warning light illuminated. Additionally, the electronic parking brake was unintendely engaged. The contact replaced the battery; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Recently my car has had a series lights come on including 4wd fault, pre-colliosion assist not available, service advance trac, hill start assist warning, and something with the brakes when in reverse. I took it to the dealer and they said it's something electrical that will need parts, and further investigation with removing the seats. That will be another day. Today, while driving with my son in the back, I was taking a u-turn on a busy street. The car acted like it switched into neutral (but didn't), and wouldn't accelerate, leaving me inching into traffic at 1 mph with cars going 40mph coming at me. Luckily I was not hit, but easily could have been. I drive almost 60 miles a day for work and this is a safety hazard not just for me, but my family too.

See all problems of the 2021 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Sudden and complete loss of power steering assist while vehicle was in operation. Vehicle became extremely difficult to steer, creating safety hazard for driver and child passenger. Inspection revealed 150a epas mega fuse, part #l0114875aa, was melted due to electrical short in power steering control module. This is identical to the defect described in NHTSA safety recall 14v316000 / Ford 14s06. Fire risk confirmed by melted/burned fuse condition. Photos of failed component attached. Component is available for inspection. Ford customer service denied assistance under recall 14s06 on 07/10/2026, claiming vehicle was not covered despite physical evidence of the exact defect described in the recall. Vehicle manufacture date is 06/2014. Ford technical service bulletin 15-0082 acknowledges some 2014 vehicles may still have defective modules installed. Vehicle is currently inoperable. Owner has dependent child with medical therapy appointments requiring reliable transportation. Current mileage approximate as vehicle cannot be driven. Request immediate NHTSA investigation and enforcement under federal safety law 49 usc 30120.

See all problems of the 2014 Ford Explorer 🔎.

On xxx, my 2025 Ford Explorer platinum experienced a complete unexplained no-start failure while approximately six hours from home. The vehicle had less than 1/4 tank of fuel but was not empty and was parked on a slight decline. It remote-started normally and ran for approximately 10 minutes before automatically shutting off. Afterward, it would not restart, repeatedly displayed "accessory power only," and later displayed and audibly announced "system failure, contact dealer. " multiple jump-start attempts failed and the vehicle required towing to lugoff Ford in [xxx]. Lugoff Ford documented fuel and transmission-related codes and initially advised that the vehicle appeared to need a transmission replacement. That explanation later changed, and the vehicle was returned without an identified cause or repair. I subsequently took the vehicle to cleveland Ford in [xxx] for a second evaluation. Their repair order specifically states that Ford connected data showed a fuel-pressure code on the day of the failure, but they found no active dtcs and could not duplicate the condition. The vehicle was again returned without diagnosis or repair. I am concerned that an intermittent defect involving the fuel system, transmission controls, electrical system, software, or related components could cause another sudden disabling event. Two Ford dealers have evaluated the vehicle, evidence of the original failure exists, and the underlying cause remains unidentified and unrepaired. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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.

Truck turns off.

See all problems of the 2016 Ford Explorer 🔎.

First the fuel pump control module went out and now for the 3rd time the electrical to the fuel pump control module has faulted.

The sync touch responsive interface for climate control fails. This failure causes the system to repeatedly respond without prompt continually causing the driver to continually attempt to disengage the system causing a significant safety hazard. The chip in the system for the effected buttons is the component that fails. There is no solution. Replacement or upgraded interfaces are not available and disconnection of the panels renders the climate control, radio/entertainment, navigation and all other systems relayed thru the touch screen completely inoperable which is unreasonable. This occurs at random while operating the vehicle with the error often occurring continuously or at very high frequency. Ford discontinued the sync touch panel control due to issues but has provided no solution for the safety hazard it has created.

My wife was driving and the horn started blowing and the rear wiper started ejecting all the wiper fluid. When I showed up to assist, it smelled super hot and I had to pull the fuse and negative lead to make the wiper pump and horn stop. It was towed to a Ford dealer, who found the main engine harness had melted going into the engine compartment fuse box. The horn and wiper fluid pump also had to be replaced. It's fortunate this did not result in a fire. Ford dealer had the vehicle for two months to repair (and we had to take it back for the horn and washer pump). The Ford dealer said they could not give any reason for why this happened. The entire main harness and fuse panel had to be replaced. No check engine or warning lights appeared when this happened. My wife had to pull over on the side of the road.

The center display went blank and a/c controls under it would not work. Stopped vehicle and pushed ignition button to off and waited 1 minute and pushed ignition back to on on and display was still blank. Got to destination and pushed ignition to off. The next day when I got into vehicle and pushed ignition button to on the display worked.

See all problems of the 2024 Ford Explorer 🔎.

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.

The front windshield wiper on my vehicle,may become inoperative. The Ford motors says that they don't have the part to replace,and when they have it I have to pay for the repair.

Recall compliance & safety defect description: the vehicle was transported via roadside assistance to a licensed manufacturer dealership due to severe engine overheating under an active manufacturer safety recall. Service personnel systematically modified intake paperwork to alter the true mechanical state upon arrival, removing safety recall and towing documentation. Intake files were falsified with the notation stating that the customer reported a bad battery, executed solely to evade mandatory factory safety recall tracking protocols and obscure dealer liability for subsequent failures. Unauthorized shop-floor hazards & mechanical damage: following custody transfer, shop technicians induced severe physical damage to the vehicle's twin-turbocharger assembly, resulting in a snapped turbo stud and a torn engine air filter. The vehicle was subsequently operated on public roads by shop personnel for 75 to 80 unauthorized miles under active engine overheating conditions without correcting thermal or safety recall failures, creating an immediate risk of catastrophic engine block structural cracking. The safety failures triggered 13 critical system fault codes across powertrain, electrical, and battery systems, which went entirely unaddressed while the shop attempted to compel payment under an altered repair estimate. Cyber sabotage of outbound safety telematics: to actively obstruct diagnostic tracking and safety verification, shop staff executed a forced remote network reset of the vehicle's cellular modem. This reset deliberately severed user profile access and entirely deactivated the outbound telematics pipeline to systematically block the outbound transmission of the 13 powertrain and thermal fault messages to the user and manufacturer databases.

See all problems of the 2022 Ford Explorer 🔎.

While driving, parking, or doing any function of the vehicle, the screen will intermittently switch from the cameras being used to the on board navigation and start routing the vehicle to random locations, or it may blank out completely. It has also frozen in place and will not display reverse cameras, show proximity sensors, or anything.

While driving the infotainment center will randomly go black and loose all function. Eventually only the defrost icon will show up and if I stop and go into reverse , there is a delay for the back up camera to come on. Another issue with this happening is that if you’re using your gps or carplay gps and relying on it while in heavy traffic especially on the highway, this becomes very nerve wracking and could cause an accident if drivers aren’t sure where they are going or distracted by the blacking out of their screens.

On xxx at approximately 4:30pm, while driving through a parking lot (between 5-10mph), I tapped my brakes and then the parking brake activated and caused several errors on my dash, such as the abs light, a brake failure error, a service advance-trac error, and others. The brakes became incredibly stiff and would not work when I pressed them. The car would continue to roll and stop randomly. I was able to pull into a parking spot out of traffic and when attempting to disable to parking brake, it would not work. I had to attempt to disable it, turn off my car, and then turn it back on. After a few seconds, the parking brake audibly unlocked and then my brake pedal became usable again. I called two rivers Ford in [xxx] the next day and they advised that they would look at it, but it would be the end of July before they had a service loaner available. I brushed it off as an electrical glitch. On xxx at approximately 7:30pm, my car did the exact same thing again while coming to a stop on a highway. This again occurred around 10mph. I was able to get off the highway and reset the parking brake again by turning the car on and off and was able to begin driving again with no issues. On xxx I called the same dealership again and they were able to provide me with an emergency service loaner same day due to the urgency of the situation. They advised that this had happened to 5 other Explorers in the country prior, the first step is to reset the abs module, if that doesn't fix it, they will replace the brake booster. On xxx at approximately 9:45am, while braking prior to turning in an intersection, at approximately 30mph, the same issue occurred again. This time I rolled into the middle of the intersection, because my brakes wouldn't work. On xxx, I called the dealership and they provided me with another service loaner to attempt to replace the brake booster. This is a major safety issue due to loss of brakes. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Rear wiper was working intermittently now it does not work at all. I notice campaign 26s14 (NHTSA campaign 26v117) but my VIN is not included. Even though I have the same problem.

The driver side keyless door entry pillar has come off on the highway and hit something. The keyless door entry panel came off in 2023 and koons Ford of annapolis charged me $ 523. 00 to fix the panel. The panel has a small clip and double stick tape. Sorry, double stick tape is not going to hold up to weather variations throughout the year, wind speed and age. Terrible and dangerous design. You gave 2017 a recall 25s53 for Ford but not 2018.

See all problems of the 2018 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owned a 2023 Ford Explorer. When the contact’s husband activated the air conditioning system after the vehicle had been parked for several hours, a fire started underneath the console inside the vehicle. The driver pulled over to the side of the road, where onlookers assisted with extinguishing the fire with a fire extinguisher. The contact’s husband received burns on his fingers. Medical attention was not needed. The fire department was not contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be inspected; however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The contact was provided with photos of the vehicle and became aware that the wiring was burned. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

See all problems of the 2023 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The horn on my vehicle activates (blows) when I turn the steering wheel to certain positions. I believe this to be a road hazard. Especially since I had to remove the horn relay to prevent the horn from blowing in traffic until I can get it repaired. Several other Ford vehicles have been recalled for this exact problem. Just to diagnose this problem at the Ford dealer is $170. 00. Help!.

Description on your vehicle, it may be possible that one or more engine camshaft roller finger followers were not properly installed at the time of engine assembly. Safety risk an improperly installed engine camshaft roller finger follower may result in engine failure, resulting in a no-start condition or a loss of motive power. A loss of motive power increases the risk of a crash. Your vehicle may also experience engine ticking or tapping noise, and or a low-volume oil leak due to this condition. Remedy a remedy is not yet available. Ford motor company is working to provide parts for this repair. When the remedy becomes available, Ford motor company will notify you via mail to schedule a service appointment with your dealer for repairs to be completed free of charge. The remedy is anticipated to be available 4th quarter of 2026. Next steps contact your dealer for more information to schedule the free service.

Vehicle is very hard to steer, will not reset when restarting the vehicle. Two dash messages; advance track warning and power assist failure. I have not attempted to drive on road due to difficulty of steering the wheel. I am afraid the vehicle is uncontrollable at this point and needs to be towed to a repair facility. Not sure if this incident is linked to the recall under 14s06 for Ford recalls.

Unknown! sometimes the rear back up camera goes into a black screen and then once in drive the info screens stays black for about 30 seconds. The cars shifting is hard at times especially when going from slow to fast like for instance on a highway on ramp the shifting is very sluggish. The cupholder are a real hazard my cupholder bottomed out and my drink fell thru luckily there was no liquid in the cup otherwise it could have spilled into the electrical since it is right where the gear shift is. The the car not accelarating is dangerous when you trying to get on the highway. Rear camera going blank sometimes and not being able to see whats behind you even when looking around you just can not see the blindspot which the camera could if it would not go black sometimes. If the car does not shift right when it is supposed to makes it really hard to go with flow of traffic on the highway. There never have been any warning lamps, message or anything else during these incidents and it does not happen all the time but when it does it is not safe.

At approximately 1,700 miles, my brand-new 2026 Ford Explorer st (3. 0l ecoboost) suffered a sudden, catastrophic engine failure while driving, causing an immediate and dangerous loss of motive power. Prior to the failure, the engine experienced severe misfires. Following manufacturer technical service bulletin (TSB) guidance regarding ecoboost engine misfires, a step-colder spark plug heat range (ngk ltr7ix-11) was utilized to remedy pre-ignition. Ford motor company has denied warranty coverage for this catastrophic powertrain failure, falsely claiming the TSB-compliant heat-range plugs caused the destruction. The sudden loss of engine power poses an immediate safety hazard on public roads. I request an investigation into 2025-2026 Ford 3. 0l ecoboost spark plug issues, pre-ignition failures, and unfair warranty denials leaving dangerous vehicles unresolved. ".

While driving at highway speeds on the interstate, the b-pillar exterior trim suddenly detached from the vehicle. The trim remained tethered only by the keypad wiring, causing it to flail in the wind and create an immediate road hazard. Simultaneously, the vehicle’s instrument cluster triggered a "liftgate open" warning, despite the liftgate being secure. I was forced to make an emergency pull-over onto the shoulder of the interstate—a dangerous situation—to prevent the trim from completely detaching and striking other vehicles. Upon reaching my destination, the vehicle suffered a significant electrical short. The interior lights remained on indefinitely due to the false "liftgate open" sensor reading, and the door keypad became completely inoperable. To prevent a total battery drain and potential fire risk from the short, I had to manually disconnect the battery. The dealership confirmed the failure but stated that current b-pillar recalls (such as recall 25s53) currently only apply to 2016–2017 models, despite my 2019 model using the same defective clips and adhesive. This failure is identical in nature to recall 24s02 (a-pillar detachment). The detachment of this trim is a documented projectile hazard. Furthermore, the resulting electrical short in the door harness has compromised the integrity of the vehicle’s sensor system. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate the expansion of the b-pillar recall to include the 2019 model year to prevent further highway incidents.

See all problems of the 2019 Ford Explorer 🔎.

While I drive my vehicle down the road the car all of a sudden sounds like you throw it in park, it screeches and grinds in the front and will not let you push the gas pedal down even when on the highway. This causes sever risk to the people around me as well as my children who drive in this car… Ford has an open recall for this which my vehicle falls under year and build wise. But does not correlate with my VIN #.

Three alerts appeared on my dash after starting my car. These alerts are “pre-collision assist not available,” “service advancetrac,” and “4wd fault service required. ” this has been an ongoing issue with this vehicle which directly affects the safety of drivers. After discussing with other consumers, this system failure is happening more and more. While these alerts are displayed, the front end collision assist is completely nonfunctional, thus increasing the risk of an accident. The advanced traction control system is also nonfunctional. Based on other consumers with the same experience, the only solution is to replace the awd module.