2013 Ford Explorer Complaint Log

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. While the contact's wife was driving at 40 MPH, the power steering assist failed without warning. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle back home. The contact called the dealer and was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the A-pillar trims on both sides of the vehicle were loosened and almost fell off the vehicle. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

I will lose power sterring while driving but this should be a recall and I can't seem to get it fixed without costing $3700

Popping/Grinding Noises: experienced popping or grinding sounds when turning the steering wheel, especially at slow speeds. Steering Wheel Seizure: There have been instances where the steering wheel has seized, accompanied by error messages such as “service power steering now” and “service advancetrac,” indicating a potential failure of the rack and pinion system. Difficulty in Steering: A tight steering wheel, grinding noises, or shaking, particularly at higher speeds, can be symptoms of worn-out bushings or bearings in the rack and pinion. these issues are causing somuch more due to that steering wheel has play and i need to constantly get alignment, my tires are wearing out and tires are expensive to replace too, its causing me to spend absurd amount of money that i do not have

I have been waiting patiently for the recall (24S02/24V031) to be completed for my vehicle as it has been over 6 months since I received a letter. I have called the dealership several times, and they are waiting on Ford to deliver the parts to the dealership to make the repair. I am worried that this issue may get worse if it is not completed soon. What can you help me with to get this issue resolved quickly? When there is very high wind, I am worried that the parts will come off and break my side windows.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH during rainy weather conditions, the rain started to enter through the windshield. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the recall parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced a failure. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH the driver's side A-Pillar trim was blown off of the vehicle by the slipstream. The contact stated that the trim piece crashed into a vehicle that was following behind the contact's vehicle. The contact stated that both vehicles had stopped and that the driver of the second vehicle indicated that a small chip was made by the piece of trim that had struck at approximately mid-windshield on the driver's side. The contact stated that the trim on the passenger side A-Pillar was becoming loose. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000. VIN tool confirms parts not yet available.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated when his wife was driving the vehicle she became sleepy from the exhaust fumes. The contact stated his wife would feel fine when she was not in the vehicle. The were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who informed the contact's wife to drive with the windows down and not to drive passengers. The vehicle was not repaired, but the mechanic discussed replacing both exhaust manifolds. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 119,000.

See attached document for complaint

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Exterior A pillar trim three off the vehicle while driving.

Carbon monoxide leaking into cabin causing carbon monoxide detector to go off.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front windshield trim on the driver’s and passenger’s sides fractured. The contact stated that the windshield trim was flopping loosely across the front windshield. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

UNKNOWN. My sister had went to town in her car. She had came back home and parked the car in the driveway. After doing so her and her husband we inside, heard a rumbling sound went outside and car was on fire. The neighbors say they saw the car just catch on fire in her driveway. She had purchased the car less than 60 days ago in Manhattan, ks from CSM AUTO.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that anti-freeze was leaking from the vehicle. While driving at unknown speeds, the message that the engine was overheating was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the water pump. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

The rear view camera is experiencing the same issues as the most recent recall of 2015-2025 explorers. Most often the rear view camera does not work at all --- other times it is on for a short duration, or is pixelated. I've watched the recalls expand from 2020 Ford vehicles to now 2015. Why doesn't it include earlier vehicles still on the road?

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the contact depressed the brake pedal, and the steering wheel became firm, and the driver's side front tire began to vibrate. The contact stated that he shifted the vehicle into neutral(N) and took his foot off the brake pedal and was able to stop. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle regained steering functionality. The contact stated that the failure occurred several miles later and he repeated the same procedure and was able to return to the residence. The contact stated that an engine symbol light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related that failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was 159,231.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 65 MPH, the passenger’s side A-pillar trim clip detached, and the contact was unable to recover the trim clip. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

See attached document for complaint

See attached document for complaint

Power steering became very hard and got stuck suddenly while driving, very dangerous. Was very difficult to steer the car or move the steering even an inch. Good that was driving at low speed, otherwise could have been an accident. After 2 days it started showing warning message about power sterring but at time of steering got stuck there was no warning. In process to repair, it's very dangerous as steering got stuck out of no where and expensive to have it fixed (approximately 1600 dollars).

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that the exterior windshield trim clips on the driver's and passenger's sides were fractured. The contact stated that the windshield trim clips on the driver's and passenger's sides were extremely loose and were rattling while driving. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact stated that a technician from the dealer went to the residence on 08/2024 and inspected the vehicle and confirmed the failure was linked to the recall; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 70 MPH, the passenger’s side trim clip detached and flew off the vehicle. The contact was unable to recover the trim clip. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

steering is very tight sometimes on turns and there is a lot of play in the steering wheel itself, i changed out almost all suspension and steering related parts and still have this issue. Also the steering wheel somehow always is off center and crooked even after multiple alignments

Both the rear door lock actuators on my 2013 Ford Explorer broke within a month of each other. I am aware of actuator recalls on different Ford vehicles and I believe these broke for the same reasons as the other Ford actuators were recalled.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the steering wheel locked with the "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" message was displayed. The contact stated that upon restart of the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal operation; however, the failure returned later. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the contact a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side front windshield trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving across a bridge. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. VIN tool confirms part not available.

We own a 2013 Ford Explorer XLT AWD 3.5L with an Odometer reading of 150,507 that we bought used from a private owner and owned for over a year. In the recent weeks of 1/5/2024 - 2/9/2024 the Power steering assist has gone out while maneuvering in and out of our garage multiple times. With a restart, the power assist comes back and seems to be ok for a few days until recently while driving, multiple times the steering wheel became locked in the 12:00 position and it took extra effort to turn the wheel from center. It appears as a faulty or sized rack and pinion. Also recently noticed audible noise while turning the steering wheel from lock to lock coming from the steering rack. I am an Automotive Technician in the field for 30+ years. That next morning I raised the vehicles front wheels off the ground and rotated the steering wheel with engine off to investigate the issue. I noticed a severe binding issue while rotating the steering wheel where the steering wheel will come to a binding stop and it takes 2 hands to get past the binding. At this point I knew this is a major safety concern and to not have my wife drive this vehicle anymore until repaired. I have researched the Technical Service bulletins on this issue and searched the internet as well. Obviously this has become a very common issue on these Explorers with all the filed complaints and the lack of availability of a replacement Rack and Pinion. I went to the Ford dealer to inquire about this known issue and safety concern and they said there are no recalls for this problem on this vehicle. Fortunately I caught this issue before the rack and pinion did seize into a position where my wife would not have been able to steer out of it and crash into another person, car or object. I understand that components eventually wear and fail over the vehicles lifetime and need replacing, but this seems to be a bigger issue and safety concern which needs addressing.

For the past year, when I place the car in reverse the backup camera shows a reverse image. Items on the left appear on the camera as being on the right, and visa-versa. The first time it occurred I backed into a ditch. This occurs nine out of ten times. The hazard to pedestrians and chance of an accident is substantially increased. I contacted the local Ford dealer who showed no interest in my complaint, other that stating I would pay for the camera replacement, including labor. I noted that Ford Explorers were already recalled for rear camera problems. They stated that was for a different problem.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH, while turning the steering wheel to the right to follow the road, the steering seemed to seize, and extra effort was needed to turn the steering wheel. The contact arrived at her destination and parked the vehicle. When the contact returned to the vehicle and restarted the vehicle, the power steering functionality had not returned. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

every time it rains, water comes inside the vehicle on the back side, noticed water coming from the third row seat belts, that cause a bad smell inside the vehicle and cost a lot of money to get that fix, Unknow how to fix, I called the Dealer the stated that is a known problem with this vehicles .

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the windshield exterior A-pillar trims detached and were hitting against the vehicle. The contact stated that she pushed the trims back into the original position. Additionally, the contact stated that she noticed that water was leaking inside the vehicle through the windshield, while it was raining and while the vehicle was at the car wash. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The Ford company put a recall out over a year ago on parts that were defective for windshield paneling and weather proofing. They have no ETA on recall parts to fix the issue - it’s been over 12 months and there are weather issues associated with the vehicle because of the missing parts. This is unacceptable.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the steering wheel was locked. The contact stated that there was a message displayed that the steering wheel was locked. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where a diagnostic test was performed. The mechanic stated that the power steering had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,000.

Last year I had to replace my front rack and pinion costing me a couple thousands of dollars. While driving the power steering went making it very difficult to steer and have good control of the vehicle. No safety lights or warnings came on at this time. One year later just a few days ago the same exact thing happened. No warning, no lights. I called my local ford dealer because I researched and seen a recall for power steering issues. The dealership told me my vehicle was not included in the recall. I am worried that this is not only an issue that I have but others on the road driving these lemons. I have had nothing but issues with this vehicle. It is unsafe at this point. I am unaware of what determines recall eligibility but the model I am driving most certainly needs to be included. I cannot afford to replace another rack. This vehicle is not even paid off yet. So frustrating and concerning. Ford needs to step it up before someone really gets hurts.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front driver's side exterior door handle cover and keyhole detached while opening. Additionally, the front driver's side door failed to latch, and the contact had to force the door to close. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V171000 (Structure) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the driver’s and passenger’s side exterior A-pillar around the front windshield was detaching. The contact placed the A-pillars back in position. The contact stated that water was leaking into the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact called two other local dealers, Premier Ford of Bay Ridge (612 86th St, Brooklyn, NY 11228) and Crown Ford Inc Service (420 Merrick Rd, Lynbrook, NY 11563) but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed reimbursement would not be provided if the repairs were completed by an independent mechanic. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the front passenger's side windshield exterior A-Pillar trim had separated, and the front driver's side windshield exterior A-Pillar trim had detached. Additionally, the contact stated that the rear driver's side and passenger's side windshield exterior A-Pillar trims were fractured. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE). The contact stated that the dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about parts availability. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000(Structure). The contact stated that an unknown dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that the recall parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Rear view camera malfunction. Goes blank or gives a distorted image. Sometimes it gives a reverse image. Needs replaced. Could cause a crash or vehicular accident.

There has been a safety recall since Jan 2024 and there still no remedy although it said it should have been equipment by late 2024 its is now Aug 2025 it’s been over a year and still nothing.