Vehicle Speed Control Problems of Ford Explorer - part 2

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent and mostly occurred while driving up an incline. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 137,000.

See all problems of the 2016 Ford Explorer 🔎.

While driving on the interstate my transmission decided to stop working. I was not able to safely get off the interstate because this happened going up an incline. My Explorer will not shift into any gear and the cost to replace the transmission is $5300. Ford stated that the recall #20b27 was completed on my car in 2020 but when I called after the transmission died they stated that my VIN was not eligible for the #20b27 recall. So, how was it completed if they are now saying the recall wasn’t for my car? my Explorer is a 2016/2. 3l/6f35 transmission code/built in chicago. Ford needs to recall and replace every transmission in these Explorers. With so many complaints and transmission failures/problems I’m floored that nothing has been done to remedy this situation that many Explorer owners are experiencing. Do better Ford.

With the Ford intelli-cruise enabled in settings, the vehicle automatically adjust the speed while using the cruise control. The vehicle will randomly, quickly, accellerate to a extreme new speed limit it thinks it has detected. For instance, several times while travelling on I-81, with a 70mph speed limit, the vehicle will think the new speed limit is suddenly 85mph and quickly accelerate to that speed. I have attached a photo of the dash displaying that setting the car set by itself. On the flip side, once on I-81, it thought the speed limit was 35mph and quickly slammed on the brakes to slow to 35mph from 70mph. Both are quickly overridden by the driver tapping the brake and cancelling the cruise control. However, both could lead to hazards to other drivers potentially resulting in a wreck, especially the sudden slow to 35mph on the interestate. The dealership says "yea, it happens and people complain". I have no idea why the speed changes, there are no road signs or other indications to even cause the system to re-evaluate its settings. Ford says intelli-cruise uses road signage and other ways to also determine speed (whatever that means). This is a safety issue that needs to be remedied by Ford. However, without NHTSA enforcement, they don't seem interested in resolution. (this website isn't allowing me to upload the . Jpg file, upload button disappears when I click it).

See all problems of the 2021 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Car dies repeatedly while on the road driving and also while parked. Car has errors on dashboard when attempting to turn on, which I have a video of. First mechanic was able to replicate issue once and got some scan tool codes but he said after that, they all cleared out and he wasn't able to replicate. Car was given back to us, drove to store died and it wouldn't start in parking lot. Mechanic sent tow truck, car started when tow truck arrived. Took car to Ford, tech unable to replicate, car returned to us. Car died once again, which is when I took the error video and took the car back to Ford and showed service rep the video. Ford still unable to figure out the issue. We told Ford to keep the car because it isn't safe to drive until we find and fix the issue. Car has been in mechanic and Ford for about 4 months total.

See all problems of the 2017 Ford Explorer 🔎.

I was stopped at a major intersection (very busy) at a red light when my car quit. I tried to restart the car but nothing happened. I was at the bottom of a hill, which has a turn not long before you reach this intersection, the speed limit is 45 mph but its normal for cars to average 50-60 mph. I put my flashers on and called aaa. Cars were piling up behind me trying to get in the other lane, horns were blowing, it was a dangerous situation! I had to remain in my car as it was not safe to get out and try to get to the side of the road. After about 15 minutes I tried to start the car again, I was able to get it going and remove myself from an unsafe situation. The car was not running properly, it was "bucking" and trying to stall, fortunately I was able to get to a safe area to pull over and get it towed. The above was written by my wife, I was not there. I am a retired staff engineer for a major oe and have authored many recalls over my 35 years. This issue is a dangerous pattern failure that Ford issued a stop sale for. The failed part, the etb located on the throttle body is used on multible models with exactly the same failure. How this hasn't been recalled is amazing. This is a known safety problem, pattern failure of the etb across madels lines that use that engine (3. 5). My car is safe now but what about the ones that will failure tomorrow?.

Driving on a two lane highway with the cruise control set, tapped brake to eliminate the cruise as a truck had pulled onto highway ahead of us. Accelerated to pass the truck and resumed the cruise control to maintain previous speed. The vehicle began increasing speed as if the gas pedal was floored. Tapping brakes didn’t stop it nor did shutting the cruise off on the steering wheel, car was going 80-90 mph. Had to ride the brakes while the throttle seemed to be wide open until we could get it in neutral and pull of on the shoulder. Restarted the vehicle after it was shut off and the throttle was wide open again. The third time I started it, it appeared to be running normal. I did not engage the cruise control after that. At the time there was no engine light or warning light on. About a week later the engine light came on then a couple days later it was not on. Then it randomly would come on. I had scheduled an appt and it was determined the throttle body, gasket and purge valve needed replaced. This was an extremely scary situation and I would like to know if this has been an issue and could it possibly happen again? this could’ve caused a serious accident when you have zero control of the speed and it’s approaching 90mph on a highway. I did get repairs that were an expense over $500. Is there an explanation as to why this happened and can it randomly occur again??.

See all problems of the 2013 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Sudden deceleration due to p2112 code, electronic throttle body stuck closed.

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.

See all problems of the 2020 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The failed component is the cruise control. It is available for inspection. Unknowingly, the speed increased by 10 miles an hour, without touching any buttons or controls on the steering wheel. With cruise control on, the driver might be not as engaged with the automobile, as if there was no cruise control. I will have the issue brought before my Ford dealer on Monday, September 25, 2023. There were no warning, lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the cruise control increasing speed. It only increase speed by 10 miles an hour. However, it occurred at 55 miles an hour,and 70 miles an hour. The issue occurred on a drive from des moines iowa to evansville indiana on Monday, September 18. Driving conditions were perfect, no rain dry payment. This incident occurred four times during the 9 hour drive.

See all problems of the 2022 Ford Explorer 🔎.

While driving on a freeway on Sep 15th 2023, wrench light showed up and immediately vehicle speed dropped from 65 to 30mph. This is second time this issue has happened and luckily my family survived accidents. First incident occured on Aug 13th 2023, after which I towed my vehicle to dealership. They repaired and said its safe to drive now. But issue is recurring. Please help me on this as I am reporting this issue second time on NHTSA. I reported first incident also which happened on Aug 13 ,2023.

Transmission is not shifting correcting. Will be traveling down the road and loses power, loses it's acceleration. When trying to proceed after making a stop at a light, car will not go. Bucks hard when putting in reverse. I heard there was a recall on the torque converter's awhile back, but I never received any notification about it. Now that I know, the Ford dealerships are telling me there are no recalls for this.

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.

No incidents. However, cruise control and rear window wiper are both inoperable.

See all problems of the 2000 Ford Explorer 🔎.

At 28,000 miles, the vehicle emitted black smoke from the exhaust. Despite the mechanic’s efforts to identify the issue, no diagnostic codes were detected. Currently, the vehicle has accumulated 100,000 miles. The engine suddenly lost the ability to accelerate beyond 20 miles per hour. After several months of repairs involving multiple turbo replacements, it was determined that the engine was severely damaged and should have been replaced over 50,000 miles ago. The engine was subsequently replaced, but only a year later, it failed again. After replacing the first engine, the vehicle’s performance deteriorated significantly. The vehicle required another visit to the shop for several months, resulting in another engine replacement. Over the course of several months, the vehicle lost all power and exhibited difficulty shifting into reverse. Consequently, it failed to reverse and was involved in an accident.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal, before accelerating as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact called the dealer and was informed that the vehicle was not under recall or covered under warranty; and was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The manufacturer had not been notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 37,500.

See all problems of the 2015 Ford Explorer 🔎.

I am filing a safety defect complaint regarding my 2017 Ford Explorer. The b pillar has broke in half a couple of years ago and nearly struck a vehicle behind me and if the remaining trim piece detaches, it could become a serious risk of collision, injury or property damage. It states NHTSA works to prevent unsafe traveling which is why I'm writing this. I have contacted Ford customer service and dealerships multiple times with no luck of anything. I have had to continuously tape the area to door which is not ordeal nor a forever fix. The b pillar is held on by wires that are slowly breaking. The wires lead to a hole that is inside my door. The opening exposes from the outside, meaning if it rains or snows, it is getting inside the hole, into my car door. If the recall piece ever came in, my door has already experienced neglect and issues. I'm concerned this will lead to corrosion, electrical complications and additional mechanical failures. Also, if it is not taped up correctly, air blows directly into the car door, into the cabin while driving onto my feet causing extreme cold exposure and physical harm and making it hard to operate the vehicle. It's very painful and also not ideal, especially when I also have a full time job and 3 kids to worry about. I currently owe 12k still on the vehicle and want to replace it with a safer vehicle. I should not have to be miserable every single day and put me and my kids in danger and also let my vehicle deteriorate while I wait for this recall piece on top of having to pay the remaining balance of this vehicle. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this complaint and investigate before anymore physical, emotional, financially harm is done.

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 using my cruise control the speed jumps up to 75-85 mph without my input. For example, when I set the cruise control to 55 it suddenly jumps up to 75 or 85 mph on its own. This happens when the speed signs on the road change. This past week I used my cruise control for a long trip. I was on a highway that changed the posted speed from 55 to 65 mph. The cruise control suddenly went from the posted speed of 55 mph to 85 mph. This is very concerning! it has happened several times and I can no longer use the cruise controller. I have approximately 5,000 miles on my vehicle .

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.

While using intelligent adaptive cruise, the vehicle suddenly thought the speed limit was 85mph and quickly started accelerating. Confused, I hit the brakes to stop the acceleration. I have uploaded a photo of the dash that I took showing that the system read the speed limit sign as 85. I saw no speed limit sign in the area, so, I have no idea what prompted the system to change speed. I was talking on the phone via android auto and using waze, via android auto, usb direct connect. The only other problem I've ever had with this system is on interstates that have specific truck speed limits in west virginia. There, sometimes trucks have slower speeds and this system picks up those truck speeds and decelerates/brakes to comply. While it can be overridden in the moment, the next time it sees such sign, it slows again. This sudden deceleration poses a hazard to other drivers who do not expect a 'non-truck' vehicle to suddenly slow.

On or about 9 am on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, I entered a parking garage facility and drove up the ramp and continued on a level parking area and begin to turn into a parking space beside a large cement column. Just as I entered the parking space at a low rate of speed without my foot on the accelerator, I experienced sudden unintended acceleration which caused the vehicle to narrowly miss the cement column and the front cement wall of the parking space. Fortunately, I quickly braked to avoid a collision and then put the vehicle in park and shut off the vehicle. There were no warning lights on the vehicle dash, and I have not yet taken the vehicle to an authorized Ford dealer to have it checked. Vehicle is still under factory order and has approx. 26,700 miles.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and while idling, the vehicle was vibrating abnormally. The dashboard was shaking, and the glove box was rattling. While shifting from park to drive or reverse, the vehicle vibrated. Additionally, the vehicle was hesitating and misfiring during acceleration. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

The transmission would slip and/or lag. This started around 65k miles. It was reported to the dealer, they couldn’t reproduce it. Then at 101k miles the engine started vibrating when in gear and idling. Motor mounts were replaced, but the problem persisted. Eventually got the entire transmission replaced.

Report #1 - my grandma brought this 08' Explorer back in 2014, and after she passed, my mom drove it for the next 2 years. It started having general maintenance issues, then the cats were stolen, but then, one night my mother was coming home from a relative's house, when she was trying to keep up with the flow of traffic on michigan highway m-8 (davidson fwy), and she noticed that the vehicle was not accelerating at all and the vehicle stalled out. She had it towed home and it sat on the streetside for some time. After digging through the internet, I figured that Ford designed the throttle-body wiring to settle next to the cooling hoses, and after time, the wires rot from the hot temperatures of the hoses and crack/snap causing the vehicle to either stall, or possibly have unintended acceleration. Ford never recalled this issue! also, it had a massive coolant leak, from which was believed to be the cheap plastic t-stat housings that Ford never recalled, and to top it all off: the right rear turn-indicator failed from the faulty wiring harnesses. . . As a result, we ended up having it scrapped/junked. It was sad to see her go, but obviously Ford doesn't care about their customers safety and will find any loophole to avoid recalling a vehicle. . . Ford needs to get their stuff together or they need to be shut down!. . .

See all problems of the 2008 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stationary and idling in a pharmacy drive thru line with the auto hold parking feature activated the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and drove forward driving over a median divider and crashing into a parked vehicle. The contact indicated that the auto hold parking feature was activated but malfunctioned. During the crash no airbags deployed and no injuries were reported. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 6,500.

On Wednesday, November 2, 2022, at about 4:00 pm I proceeded to parallel park my vehicle and as I put my foot on the gas pedal the car took off uncontrollably at a very high speed, I tried to control the car but before I could stop it, I crashed and hit a tree. My vehicle was severely damaged. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and I was told there was nothing wrong. I know what happened and there is something wrong with this vehicle. I am glad that the tree was there because if not I believe I would have ended inside the house that was behind the tree and could have injured someone. My vehicle is at the body shop now, but I don't think I will drive it anymore, I don't feel safe in it.

When driving at lower speeds, typically under 30 mph, the vehicle jerks & lurches. Also sometimes lurches, hesitates or doesn’t react on rapid acceleration such as highway merging or passing. Have had many near-misses. Parking, reverse & drive do not always engage immediately upon shifting. I nearly ran over my husband when the car was supposed to be in park and it was still in drive. Car will become extremely hot after extended driving causing the a/c to automatically turn to hot air in order to cool the engine. It smells bad and is not at all comfortable on long summer road trips.

Husband returning home, pulled into carport and as he removed foot from accelerator to brake, accelerator pedal kept accelerating. This caused Explorer to hit carport awning, classic 65 mustang, 2007 harley and shed. Airbags did not work. Accelerator is still pressed to floorboard.

Since the car was new I experienced occasional situations where the car would not accelerate. I thought it might be the transmission slipping as it seemed to "bottom out" when hitting the gas. The car would not respond and I would coast onto the side of road for fear of getting hit. After a minute or so, the gas pedal would work and I could keep moving. I reported it to the dealer and at that time it was winter and the roads were icy so they were not able to test it. Nothing showed up on diagnostics. It has been happening more frequently (twice since June 2022). Upon further research it seemed to be the throttle body so this week I took it to the Ford dealer where I purchased the car and told them what was happening. They confirmed that it is a bad throttle body. They are now replacing it at a cost of $781. I have found numerous sites on the internet that this is a well-known problem and in some cases it seems that Ford issued an extended warranty on defective throttle body assemblies and sensors for 10 years or 150,000 miles from the original purchase date. So why does this not apply to me? this is very dangerous and I was lucky to not get hit. When the car stops accelerating in the middle of traffic, it would be easy to get rear ended or worse.

See all problems of the 2018 Ford Explorer 🔎.

When driving the car I corrected to move further to the left on the road. In doing so it felt like I ran over something and all of a sudden the car accelerated (initially I was driving around 20-25 mph) and I struck a tree. I sustained a t spine fracture and was hospitalized for 5 days. I just have a case number with Ford but they seem disinterested. When the car accelerated I felt it was going a 2x the speed.

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.

I have filled claims with Ford motor company as well as the bbb regarding my vehicle and not shifting and lunging into gear. Ford has replaced my transmission 3 times and denied my claim for a buy back under the lemon law and magnuson moss warranty claim. Now I am reading Ford is recalling many 2021 Ford Explorers for the same issue that I had reported struggled and continue to struggle with for over a year now. Is there anything NHTSA can do to require Ford to purchase my vehicle back for at least what I paid for? I can provide claim numbers, if needed.

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.

The contact leased a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact stated that five minutes later the vehicle went into safety mode and the vehicle failed to move. The low battery message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact called the local dealer but, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 7,600.