Electrical System Problems of Ford Explorer - part 1

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 #.

See all problems of the 2021 Ford Explorer 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2020 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Vehicle equipped with operational red and blue emergency lights prohibited by law, facilitates criminal activity such as impersonation of a police officer, civil regulatory laws regarding excess auxiliary lights, etc. Seller has actual knowledge and can be liable under color of law upon a purchase agreement with a buyer. Vehicle has open recalls and unresolved mechanical/electrical maintenance.

See all problems of the 2016 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Vehicle contains traces of cychlorphine, labeled as "police," facilitates criminal activity impersonation of a police officer, seller has actual knowledge and can be liable under color of law upon purchase agreement. Safety risk for buyer, and the general public for false police pretenses, harassment, and actual police scrutiny. Vehicle has open recall.

See all problems of the 2017 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Vehicle equipped with red and blue emergency lights, excessive auxiliary lights prohibited by law, facilitates color of law violations, poses a risk to general public regarding harassment, impersonation of police officer, seller has actual knowledge, strictly liable upon a purchase agreement with buyer, and can be liable for crimes committed by others as a coconspirator.

Vehicle equipped with operation red and blue auxiliary emergency lights, prohibited and protected by law for law enforcement use only, facilitates impersonation of a police officer, false detention, harassment, legal scrutiny for police, seller has actual knowledge, strictly liable upon a purchase agreement with a buyer, and can be liable for crimes committed by another by aiding an offender under the color of law. Vehicle has open recalls, mechanical/electrical/lighting issues and requires maintenance.

Car turns on but the engine will not turn over due to the electrical. And locks the car and not able to check or fix anything. If I was driving in the busy roads it would have been very dangerous as it stopped suddenly after starting the last time.

The b post on the driver side flew off while driving. This is has been an ongoing issue. Ford has fixed them before and they keep causing issues on both the driver and passenger side. The exterior panel does not stay connected to the truck. It flew off at highway speeds, causing the air and rear tailgate to malfunction after it pulled a wire out. This is a huge safety issue Ford refuses to acknowledge.

The rear reverse camera malfunctions and glitches. Often the screen turning green when reversing, sometimes screen is black or no color view and most times the camera if reversing to left or appear as to the right or vise versa and sometimes it’s normal but rarely. The control buttons for windows has a malfunction where it sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. The seatbelts are not clicking and I have kids in the rear seats.

See all problems of the 2013 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owned a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, turned off, and unoccupied, the vehicle caught fire. The contact was in her residence, and a neighbor knocked on her door, making her aware that the vehicle had caught fire. The fire has been extinguished by the local fire department. The fire department indicated that the failure may have occurred due to a wiring malfunction in the vehicle. A police report was not filed, but a fire report was filed and was unavailable. There were no injuries reported. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

See all problems of the 2011 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Vehicle experienced white exhaust smoke due to oil entering the exhaust system, caused by turbocharger failure. This led to contamination and failure of all O2 sensors, requiring full replacement, along with replacement of both turbochargers. The radiator also failed and had to be replaced. This appears to be a cascading mechanical failure affecting multiple major systems, including the engine, fuel/propulsion system, and electrical components, rather than normal wear and tear. The failure rendered the vehicle inoperable, leaving me without transportation during a period of financial hardship. The severity and extent of repairs raise concern about a potential broader defect. This also created a safety concern due to excessive exhaust smoke and reduced vehicle reliability while in operation.

While driving a 2013 Ford Explorer, the vehicle experienced an electrical issue that caused the power steering system to malfunction. The power steering assist suddenly failed, making the steering wheel extremely difficult to turn. The failure occurred suddenly and at the time of the incident the vehicle was traveling 2 miles and I parked it immediately. This created a serious safety hazard, especially when attempting to turn or maneuver the vehicle. A warning message stating “power steering assist fault” did appear on the dashboard . Prior to the failure, there were no warning signs. Due to the sudden loss of power steering assist, the driver’s ability to safely control the vehicle was significantly reduced, increasing the risk of a crash. The issue has not yet been inspected. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

Bought the vehicle brand new on March 13, 2026, and the battery light came on in less than 200 miles driven. The vehicle is currently in Ford's possession.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle lost automotive power and stalled. The contact stated that there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle prior to the vehicle stalling. The vehicle was stopped and there was an abnormal burning rubber odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stated that the messages “charging system fault” and “service steering” were displayed. The contact stated that unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that her husband replaced the battery and the alternator, however the failure persisted, and the vehicle was losing automotive power. The vehicle had not been taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 19v687000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 113,849.

Driving down the NJ turnpike the dashboard started displaying lane assist no longer available along with a check engine light. Once stopped the front of the car had been burned with parts of the bumper melted. No visible fire at that time. Had the vehicle towed to holman Ford. They assessed the damage to the Explorer and it was determined that the front facing camera had shorted causing an electrical fire that damaged the camera and front bumper writing harness along with the engine wiring harnesses. The car has been deemed a total loss due to the fire. The vehicle on has 67000 miles on it to date.

Entertainment system control. Power draws down and kills battery. Display locks into reverse camera, and I can't access any controls for extended periods of time. Display just locks, and I can't adjust anything in it. This seems to be a known issue for all sync 3 based backends.

See all problems of the 2018 Ford Explorer 🔎.

When I'm driving on the freeway. I could be on flatland and it will stall, I could be going down a hill and it stalls, I could be on a regular road, turning a corner, hitting a bump. And it stalls when I'm on the freeway, I have to get over very scary happens all the time when it happens I coast, I put it into park, I turn it off, and it restarts immediately every time. This is constantly happening. Ihave a video and picture but it will not upload on this. But it says hell descending control fail.

See all problems of the 2014 Ford Explorer 🔎.

I am writing to formally report a series of catastrophic and life-threatening mechanical and electronic failures in my 2025 Ford Explorer active (VIN: [xxx] ]), purchased in bogotá, colombia. Despite immediately notifying the Ford post-sales support line after the first incident, the technical response was insufficient, leading to a second, more severe event that nearly resulted in a fatal high-speed collision on February 9, 2026. Incidents summary: 1. Total power loss: engine and all electrical systems shut down while in motion (40 km/h), losing steering and braking assistance. 2. Brake system failure: at 70 km/h, the vehicle presented a multi-system failure of sensors, audible alarm and illumination of warning lights (abs, traction control, pre-collision assistant, hill start assist not available, check brake system, brake, esc check, driving modes not available). The vehicle experienced a total loss of brake pedal response followed by a sudden, uncontrolled autonomous "hard braking" event. This happened on a high-traffic highway (autopista norte). Global safety concern: I am formally requesting a global technical investigation into this unit and the 2025 Explorer active series. The failure of the electronic brake booster and the total system shutdown represent a "product liability" risk that could lead to mass-casualty events. I demand: • direct intervention from Ford global to Ford colombia. • a formal safety alert or recall investigation for similar units. Sincerely, [xxx] mail [xxx] bogota colombia phone [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2025 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The back camera screen went blue, even though I already replaced the camera as per the previous recall. This time, the entire screen went blue.

I spoke to the service manager at hub city Ford located at [xxx] about the rubber around windshield was dry rotting and had came completely off. I was told that there was a recall that would fix the issue last year and so I waited for the call. During this time the vehicle started making this very loud whistling noise once the vehicle got to 40 mph. I was contacted n October of 2025 about getting the window fixed. We scheduled an appointment and someone came to fix the issue however once they left I notice that they only fixed to left and right side and did not fix the top and bottom of window so I called the manager back. The manager insisted that this was the only parts they were going to fix and if we wanted the rest fixed we would have to pay out of pocket which would’ve cost around $800. This is very concerning to me because why would they only fix half of the problem with no explanation on why the rest would not be fixed. Since then I have called to complain about the loud whistling that is still there and now water is leaking inside of vehicle. Since the leak started we have has problems with the electrical system and windshield wipers coming on with no rain. I really need help because this is the only vehicle I have to drive to my doctors appointments as an elderly [xxx] ), wheelchair bound female. If the vehicle electrical system were to fail I would be stranded wherever it breaks down because my vehicle carries my wheelchair on a lift. I am also considered fully disabled and so I only receive social security as my primary income. I can not afford the $800 cost of fixing a problem that is a clear malfunction of the vehicle versus wear and tear problem. I have not where else to turn and since I live in [xxx] now my means of getting around f consist of my daughter using my vehicle to take me to appointments because I no longer have a driver’s license. I am dependent of my vehicle and the rain in beh is getting worse. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b).

I previously reported a safety issue re. Brakes not working in park. Vehicle rolled back and car almost hit mom and young daughter walking behind vehicle in parking lot. When I brought it to bellford in [xxx] they told me it was not covered under the recall since it wasn’t being caused by rear axle. Instead they wanted to charge me $3,000 to diagnose their manufacturing defect. In addition when I notified Ford rep who never said anything other then I must get car diagnosed and pay for it and then “we will see . ” Ford complaint xxx and I believe this is the NHTSA complaint # xxx. Here is my initial Ford complaint cxh-xxx was closed without explanation no one could tell me why no one had contacted me. I am very concerned that Ford is not taking responsibility for defective cars. My car now has only 47k. Brake issue. I had to replace front boots due to leaking and front axle was leaking. I had that fixed and now rear back up camera isn’t working. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Ever since I bought that vehicle, it's had system malfunctions. I received three letters directly from Ford explaining the problems this vehicle had or could have. But he and the dealerships, where I took my vehicle for repairs, never did them. They always denied that it had any problems and said that my vehicle was new and had nothing wrong with it.

The windshield wipers activate by themselves, even when it is not raining and there is no water.

Power lift gate working sporadically.

See all problems of the 2015 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The alternator pulley appears to be making contact with a harness rubbing through the insulation exposing the wire.

See all problems of the 2022 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The alternator pulley appears to be making contact with harness rubbing through the insulation exposing the wire.

On January 8, 2026, my 2014 Ford Explorer (VIN: [xxx] ) caught fire without warning. The vehicle was parked in my garage prior to departure. When I pulled the vehicle out to leave, I noticed something burning on the garage floor. I briefly returned inside to extinguish that small fire, and when I turned back, the vehicle itself was on fire. I immediately moved the vehicle onto the grass away from a nearby tree to reduce the risk of further damage or spread. The fire department responded and extinguished the fire, and police were also on scene. The vehicle was effectively a total loss. There was no collision or prior accident involved. The fire appeared to originate in or around the engine compartment. The vehicle was properly maintained, and to the best of my knowledge, no unauthorized modifications were made. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I have a leaking antenna (likely the "shark fin" or roof antenna base) on my 2020 Ford Explorer. This has caused significant electrical issues, leading to safety concerns like malfunctioning lights, infotainment, or even stalling, the water shorting wiring harnesses or modules located in the roof or headliner area. This should be a recall, but rather it is a known problem where water intrusion damages sensitive electronics, necessitating immediate professional inspection and repair to prevent further damage and ensure safety, as electrical failures can be dangerous. My gps and satellite do not work because of this and I am being charged significantly by the dealership because I have to repair this or the damage will become more severe. The antenna's base seal can fail, allowing water to seep into the roof, drip down the pillars, and saturate the headliner and wiring harnesses. Common symptoms: interior lights, instrument cluster, or dashboard warnings. Sync system freezing or failing. Windows, locks, or other accessories malfunctioning. Even potential water on the front passenger floor. Safety risks: loss of control!!!!!!! malfunctioning lights (headlights, brake lights) or sudden power loss can create dangerous driving conditions. Reduced visibility: issues with the infotainment screen or instrument cluster can distract the driver. System failures: critical safety systems, if affected by water, could fail unexpectedly. I barely get car washes or anything. This is certainly a manufacturers issue & poor design or cheap casing/ seals that leak and corrode too easily. This problem is a known weakness for the 2020 Explorer, often requiring a thorough inspection beyond just the antenna itself, as water can travel far from the entry point. And sure enough I have plenty of damage that I should not have to pay for. This is not a fluke, there are forums all across the internet about this. Please help! this is truly unfair to the customers.

While in moderate snow attempted to go from backing up to drive and the vehicle stopped, parking brake auto engaged, powertrain (wrench) trouble light illuminated. The trouble light did not shut off after sitting overnight.

See all problems of the 2023 Ford Explorer 🔎.

In January of 2025 the rear windshield suddenly blew a hole in it after starting the vehicle with the remote start. I was advised that due to the cold temperatures and then the heat from the rear defrost caused this to occur. On Wednesday 12/31/25, the same exact thing happened. My vehicle was parked at my home in the garage when I remote started it. A few minutes later, my daughter and I got in, started it, then proceeded to back up when we heard a loud boom. Same thing happened as the first issue in January of 2025. No reason, no damage and it blows a hole it in near the rear wiper. This is causing glass shards to explode into the interior.

The check engine light and see manual (alley wrench) constantly goes off and code for p0973- the symptoms following were stalling that felt like someone was rear ending her and acceleration takes time to go back up. Will happen many times on a right and shops claim a replacement of transmission would be needed. Vehicle is 2022 Ford Explorer and should not need a replacement this soon!!!!.

Total loss of electric power steering assistance while driving on the interstate.

See all problems of the 2012 Ford Explorer 🔎.

**upon request, all failed components can be inspected anytime for any reason. From this date (01/23/26) forward. If any repairs or replacementa had been rectified by Ford, receipts of the repair(s) will be provided regardless. I cannot recall exactly when these issues started so my ball park is 5/11/22. That is literally 2 years of driving the car from the show room. I was getting some lights on my dash that I have lost all functions with the vehicle . . . Drivers assistance, airbags, up hill decent, pre- collision, no driving modes and the car felt normal. I was still under warranty so the repair that was done was an update to the bcm (is what I am told. ) so the mechanic did a reprogram to the module. About a year I noticed I was then getting check headlamp notification pin my dash. I check the lamps and all seemed to be just fine. Also I was dealing with a dead battery all the time. At least once a month. But I was told I needed to drive the car more often. No matter still getting a dead monthly battery and here and there "check headlamp". Approx last year 2025, I realized. It was really dark driving the SUV. I get out and long behold the low beam headlamp was out. Played with switches. . Nothing. Checked into just getting a new one. Its is a staggering 1. 5k!!!!per headlamp! well, the cops pull me over 4 times. For a headlight with leds why am I even having to price this? this platinum trim just h I 5 years old and I cant believe all the problems. Along with that I found that this is considered something for the owner has to replace due to owners maintenance. No. This needs to be recalled. Should have already been recalled. The dead battery. Well. . . I know am out of all warranties to the vehicle and Ford is shutting the door in my face for any "goodwill repairs" (so far) as of this very moment, I have a dead 2020 Ford platinum Explorer. Heads lamp is still out. Yet there is a recall on a backup camera. Complete joke and this is literally disappointing.