2020 Ford Explorer Complaint Log

The Police Department where I work is experiencing a high quantity of AWD Module error messages on our 2020 Ford Explorer Interceptors. We have 14 of these vehicles and so far 5 of them have had the same issue. The latest vehicle with the error is the VIN number above. An internet search on the issue states that the AWD system is not functioning properly and recommends service ASAP. Even though we have extended warranties up to 60K miles, the issue is not being covered. We are told that the AWD module is not part of the drive train and therefore will not be covered. In all instances the module has been replaced and re-programmed. The best deal repair cost we have found at our local Ford dealerships is $698.00. Has this issue been submitted or at least investigated for a recall? The date of the LATEST incident is shown below.

Ford changed a part that my vehicle has and now the new part does not have my sensor and requires my car to be reprogrammed.

The directional headlights low beams have failed to work on several occasions, it started at 30000 miles. If is extremely dangerous when the headlights go out during night driving.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 20–30 MPH and downshifting, the contact detected an abnormal clunking sound coming from the vehicle. The driver pulled to the side of the road. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, opened a case, and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 69,160.

Vehicle has 91000ish miles and I have been told by the Mall of Georgia Ford dealership my vehicle has failure in the transmission. This is a 2020 its is a 4 year old car there is no way the transmission should be going out in only last 4 years. This is our family car most of the miles are from the Hwy. I live in Atlanta Ga. This issue could have left us stranded in the middle of a 6 lane highway. Possibility resulting in a major multiple car pile up. Based on my research this is a known problem with late model Ford Explorers it is unknown if this has been inspected by. The manufacturer, police, or insurance. There was not warnings or lights that notified me of a problem. Thank you for your consideration on making Ford recall theses vehicles.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, exhaust fumes were present inside the cabin of the vehicle and an excessively loud exhaust sound was coming from the exhaust system. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the weld on the catalytic converter was cracked. The contact was informed that the catalytic converter needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 38,000.

The backup camera sometimes does not come on. The Bluetooth connection does not work. The dash screen which displays the camera view, radio, clock, etc will sometimes remain black while the car is on. Other times, the screen will not turn off when the car is off, even after opening the driver's door, causing the battery to drain faster.

Our 2020 Ford Explorer has experienced two recent Powertrain issues Event 1: 1/28/24 ~5:20pm EST Location: Highway Situation: - Following a ~200+ mile road trip our vehicle was on the last mile of highway driving - As we started to move from the middle to right lane to exit the highway, the vehicle lurched, the dashboard lit up (with a wrench icon), the vehicle speed dropped to 40-45mph in an instant, and the RPMs revved from 1-2K to ~4K - We pulled onto the shoulder and stopped - After stopping the car, we nursed the car (at low speed and high RPM) home (a total of ~3-4 miles) - The next morning the car was started, the light was off, and we took it to a Ford dealer - The dealer had the car until 2/15, at which point they replaced an Automatic Transmission Internal Wiring Harness and Solenoid Event 2: 2/24/24 ~5:00pm EST Location: Highway Situation: - Following a ~1K mile road trip our vehicle was ~30 miles from our destination - We were traveling in the left-hand lane at highway speeds when again the vehicle suddenly lurched, the dashboard lit up (with a wrench icon), the vehicle speed dropped to 40-45mph in an instant, and the RPMs revved from 1-2K to ~4K - Despite road traffic we pulled across three lanes of traffic to the shoulder, where we stopped the vehicle - After bringing the car to a complete stop, we turned the vehicle off and restarted the engine - The wrench light was off, so we started to reenter traffic in the right lane; after travelling ~50 yards at climbing speed, the dashboard lights lit up (with a wrench icon and engine light icon), the vehicle speed held ~40-45mph, and the RPMs revved around 4K - Being within ~1/2 mile from the highway exit, we managed to the nurse the car (at low speed and high RPM) to a gas station where it was flat bedded to the same dealer - As of this writing, there has been no diagnostic activity nor timetable for the vehicle’s repair

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 62 MPH, the passenger’s side front seat belt was unlatched without passenger input. The occupant buckled the seat belt however, the failure recurred. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, and it was diagnosed that the seat latch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.

Took vehicle to Ford dealer to investigate whining noise at acceleration from a cold start. No warning lights. Dealer verified whine noise. Also found leak in transmission cooler. Removed and replaced transmission cooler. Not covered by a recall, although there is a recall for some vnn vehicles of same year and model for this defect.

I have a 2020 Ford Explorer that has had intermittent issues with the passenger side losing heat since aprox 11/18/2023. On Friday 2/16 we had snow begin falling at 7AM locally. I park in the GARAGE. 1/2 way to work, on a major highway, my passenger side began fogging up. The heat was all the way up and there was no way for me to aim my driver-side vents to the other side of the car. After 4-5 minutes, my passenger side was completely fogged up and 1/4-1/3 of the windshield was also completely fogged up. In the 15 minute drive, I could not see anything on the right side of my vehicle and almost missed my exit, hitting a curb and scraping my rim. This is a known issue as there are 2 bulletins out by the NHTSA for my SPECIFIC make, model and years.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving or while reversing, there was an abnormal shuddering sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the brakes, 4-WD, Auto Stop, and Auto Hold warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front axle was fractured. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that there was no recall coverage for the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 108,436.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. While attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact had the vehicle towed from the middle of the road to an independent mechanic. The mechanic found that the oil pan was drenched in excess oil indicating a possible oil leak. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine and turbo chargers needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure where it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in any recall. The manufacturer was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 68,000.

The passenger side lower control arm broke in half while backing out of a parking spot at a low rate of speed, not turning very deep.

There is an exhaust leak under the car that propagates into the ventilation system and also when a door is open while idling. This is a known issue for some models with the 3.0L engine under emission recall (21E11), but does not include my VIN even though the powertrain is identical. Dealer replaced some flex tubing to try and correct, but that did not work. It's a safety issue because the smell is strong and there's no way to tell how much carbon monoxide is present to the passengers.

Heating on passenger side of vehicle has failed multiple times.

Car went to dealer for engine noises and was told the motor needed replacement. Was never told what was actually wrong with the car in my paperwork. Then brought to another mechanic and was told the car needed a motor due to a bearing in the lower end had failed. Then noise went away was driving it to another dealer when the motor completely locked up.

On 02/05/24 my 2020 Explorer XLT alerted me that the pre collision assist was not available, to service advancetrack, Hill Start assist not available, 4wd fault service required, and to see manual. The alert went away after I restarted the car, but it came back on again 02/06/24. In addition to the alerts on the dashboard, the vehicle had delayed acceleration after standing at redlights. I took it to the dealership who told me I needed part #7p238 MOD ASY DRV LN CONTR, they also informed me the part was not covered under my extended warranty plan. I called Ford manufaturers directly, spoke with Miracle who informed me that Ford would not offer any financial assistance with replacing this switch. The price is $770. The vehicle has 70,666 miles.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the passenger’s side rear brakes were scraping. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V675000 (Power Train). The vehicle was repaired; however, the brake failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified about the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

Issues with the rear liftgate opening and closing on its own it will close open and partially close partially open at random in the middle of the night at random it keeps going till it kills my battery It closes when your underneath and causes a safety concern if you were not aware and get out of the way quick enough. Took it to dealership it needs a wiring harness due to corrosion and a switch. I see other people reporting the same with water leaks causing corrosion.

We turned the vehicle on and a parking brake error came up on the dashboard followed by the dashboard lighting up with a lot of warnings. The vehicle was turned off and back on but continued with the error. Because we were out at a store and not home, we tried to drive it. We placed it in reverse and when put in drive, the brakes did not work with engaged. There was a small bumped that was able to stop the vehicle. I called Ford and they offered to run diagnostics on the vehicle for next week but could not guarantee a paid rental for the length of time needed for the repair. After exiting the vehicle, letting it rest for 5 minutes and restarting again, we were able to drive home with the brakes working again.

Randomly one day, the transmission started lurching on downshift between gears 3 and 4. This pattern continued, regardless of driving status without any malfunction indicator lights. This sudden downshift, lurching, caused a rapid decelleration in the vehicle causing me to step on the brakes while in traffic to address the issue. The vehicles issue was identified and confirmed by the dealer and is currently being addressed with no solution being presented. As previously mentioned, this mechanical issue happened suddenly, without any sort of warning lamp or message and without any previous issue and appeared randomly, on a commute home from work.

We are having issue with the “Check Headlamp System Check Owners Manual” display on the dash. Took it in for repair under warranty. They replaced passenger side headlamp. The warning still appears on dash. Is this an electrical issue? Will this cause a fire if it’s a short somewhere? Will the lights just malfunction going down the road if issue is not corrected? These are all questions I have and am concerned about my family’s safety…

Out of nowhere, there was an issue with downshifting between 4th and 3rd gear. A loud clunking noise started every time on the downshift. I took it to a transmission shop, they diagnosed that there was significant issues downshifting from 8 to 7, 7 to 6, and 4 to 3. I was notified it was still within manufacturers warranty so I took it to a ford dealership. They felt the issue when test driving it then notified me that it needs “a total tear down of the transmission” but didn’t tell me the specifics of the issue. All of this happened without any warning lights showing on the dash.

When drivers side seat automatically goes back it will eventually break off the seat control cover with the adjustment controls on the left side of seat.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who checked the vehicle visually and became aware that there was fluid leaking from the differential onto the driveshaft. The mechanic referred the contact to a dealer to have the vehicle diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V154000 (Suspension). The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

I purchased a used 2020 Ford Explorer ST. The vehicle is having significant transmission issues and I’ve owned the vehicle for five months. This is absolutely a safety issue as at times, the vehicle stalls while merging into traffic, which could cause an accident. The vehicle also sometimes downshifts randomly while traveling at highway speed, which could also cause a serious accident. I have contacted Ford and they are refusing to fix the issue and said I am responsible for all costs associated to the problem. The transmission in this particular model (10 Speed) has numerous issues and is the subject of several safety bulletins. Ford is well aware of the problem, but has not provided a remedy for this issue and has not issued a recall. Brand new, this vehicle costs approximately $64,000 and has significant safety issues approximately four years after it was built. I used this vehicle to transport my family, including my infant daughter. I believe Ford is putting my family and other families at risk by refusing to provide assistance. It should be noted, the powertrain warranty for this vehicle is 60,000 miles or five years (whichever is first). My problems began at 62,000 miles and they said there is nothing they can do. I am a police officer and my wife is a nurse. It is embarrassing and shameful that Ford would allow this vehicle to continue with these problems and not provide a remedy, even outside of warranty.

Trunk hatch will not close or open properly, intermittently works, rear camera display turns off, does not work at times, display controls work intermittently

Transmission failure at 48k miles under normal driving conditions. Down shifts from 7th to 6th gear you hear noticeable clunk and vehicle jerks as described under Ford TSB 20-2337

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, unknown warning lights were flashing. Additionally, the vehicle failed to shift into drive as needed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

Driver's side headlight works intermittently.

Tailgate latching warning is intermittent in indicating if a lift gate is actually left open. This has been a reported issue by multiple users on forums. It’s caused me to have to call airport security to make sure my tailgate was indeed latch and happened three other instances. Some users have reported that they have had their driver door entry keypad unplugged that’s shorting the car’s warning system. This now sets off my car alarm and also sends a notification via the ford app. See other users experiencing the same issue since 2022 and ford trying to charge customers for short, even some reporting not being able to open the lift gate at all. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The head light is intermittent. Sometimes if I drive it works fine, other times the main beam is out and the car displays a notification that says “check owner manual”. It’s not safe if I never know when my head light will work or decide to not work.

The rear left brake caliper locked up and caused damage to the wheel, tire, rotors and most of the brake assembly. Ford service thought that maybe a bolt fell out. The vehicle has ~36000 miles. I purchased what was called a bumper to bumper warranty from the dealership but was told it did not cover the problem. The damage is $3200. I looked at online forums and found numerous entries about the brake caliper issues. A parts employee at a dealership told me the part (L1MZ2B511C) was on national backorder due to a "Quality" problem. Ford customer service said they would not cover the repair because there is no recall.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the pre-collision assist, service engine, four-wheel drive service, and advancetrac service warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the front axle. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 21-2174. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 60,000.

[XXX] My Ford Explorer had engine failure on the highway, just as I had entered it. The dashboard read powertrain malfunction, engine overheat, and service engine. My vehicle went from 60 mph to almost a complete stop on the highway. I had almost a dozen cars nearly rear end me as this happened. Getting off the road was just as dangerous as it only went 10mph max on the busy highway I was nearly hit several times. The vehicle was taken to an automotive shop for diagnosis. There was oil in the coolant tank and cracked head gasket, needing a new engine. The automotive shop called the ford dealer to confirm it was under warranty and was towed to the dealer at my expense [XXX]. Was told February 9th that parts were ordered for repairs. I asked the service rep Mike for a list of parts being replaced and the cause of the engine failure, he would not give me an answer and said he'd call me back. [XXX] I then asked Crystal R at Ford customer service the same questions, she said she would get back to me [XXX]. As of [XXX] Ford customer service representatives, and employees at Red McCombs Ford have gone no contact with me. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

When parked with the vehicle running a passenger exited the rear seat behind the driver. When they closed the door the drivers seat moved all the way forward and the seat back also moved forward pinning the driver to the steering wheel. After a few seconds the driver was able to move the seat back from the steering wheel. Not sure if there is a setting for the electric seats to move forward like that but it should not do it with the driver in it.

Power train malfunction (wrench) indicator came on. I eventually slowed down and when turning sharply, I could feel some grinding. I didn't want to drive any longer than necessary and got the vehicle to a shop. There was a bulletin for this problem-23-2114 requiring replacement of multiple parts including intermediate shaft and half shaft. Considering this was in the front end drive train, I was very concerned this could have affected the steering ability.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local Pep Boys, where it was diagnosed and determined that the EVAP system was leaking. The vehicle was not repaired. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 82,253.

I recently had an increasing tire vibration problem on my 2020 ST with 18,500 miles. Took the ST to a Costco tire center to have the tire balance checked for lost weight, damaged rim or whatever. Balancer had massive weight shift so they took tire off the rim. Unknown to me, the original Pirelli P Zero tires have a foam coat inside the tire for noise comfort(????). It had deteriated and was formaing clumps and coming off the rubber.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V675000 (Power Train) 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 vehicle jerked and shook excessively. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate as intended. The dealer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V675000 (Power Train) 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 vehicle was violently jerking. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the rear axle bolt had previously been replaced; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,200. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

I have had the blue screen sensors replaced 3 times. This has been a recall. Now my front camera is having an error code. Yeh blue screen came on while backing up and I hit a rock. They say it has been fixed but now it is still occurring with the radio freezing and the front camera producing an error. The dealer says there’s no current fix and they have an unable to reproduce it when it is at the dealership because it happens intermittently. I have had the driveshaft replaced and the transmission I am unable to trade this car and due to the multiple safety issues and transmission issues, this car has such a long repair history that it is priced up below market value. I am afraid that I am going to have another accident or something is going to freeze up at an in opportune moment and causes collision as it did before.

AWD Module is faulty and somehow not covered by Powertrain warranty.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while the vehicle was started and in park(P) in the driveway, he exited the vehicle to retrieve a package left inside the residence; however, when he returned, the vehicle had rolled down the driveway and struck a light pole across the street from the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle was still in park(P) and the engine was still running. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local body shop. The vehicle was repaired. The contact had not called a local dealer or informed the manufacturer of the failure. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V675000 (Power Train) several months after the failure. The contact related the failure to the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 5,600.

My backup and 360 camera repeatedly fails. It maybe works 1% of the time. Ford is aware and has no resolution for the problem.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle experienced a hard downshift and failed to accelerate as needed. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with catastrophic engine failure. The contact stated that the vehicle remained with the dealer unrepaired due to the cost of the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The chrome trim on the 2020 Ford Explorer inside door handle and window switches is separating/peeling off and is very sharp. My neice sliced her finger and was bleeding from the inside passanger door handle chrome that is peeling/separating from the handle when opening the door to exit the vehicle. I have cut my finger on the chrome tipped window switches.

The front driver's and passenger side wheel well liner is hanging down on my tires. They constantly rub against tires and on driver side it has created a hole in liner. I feel they will eventually detach from wheel well and damage my vehicle or possibly someone else's vehicle. I am afraid it could also fall off in traffic and cause an accident. When I turn my steering wheel the scrubs on liner as well.

2020 Ford Explorer purchased in January 2021. Since owning this vehicle, we have experienced numerous (10+) situations where at a light or entering traffic with our foot on the brake pedal and waiting to proceed the car starts to acerate on its own and jump forward 4'-6' before it stops. I have visited my dealer Jones Ford in Charleston, SC and reported this issue a couple of times over the past few years. As usual they were unable to replicate the issue in shop or find a service code that relates to this problem. On Thursday, [XXX], 2023, while horizontally parking my vehicle in Georgetown, SC in front of an electrical pole (with support wires holding it in place), with my foot on the brake pedal coming to a stop, the engine accelerated and jumped the curb hitting the steel wires causing damage to my front and right side. The following Monday, [XXX] I brought the Explorer into the dealer to investigate the problem since it was still under an extended warranty. After spending a week at the dealer, they return the vehicle unable to find anything wrong and charged me over $200 for a service inspection (Invoice Included). At that point I contacted Ford Customer Service directly and after numerous calls and emails they denied that anything was wrong with my Explorer and closed the case (email included). Since January 2024, I have incurred 5 additional occurrences, and the last one was last week while I was parking the car in reverse...it jumped and struck the parked vehicle behind me. Thank goodness there was no damage to either vehicle. Over the past weekend in continuing to research this problem I came across an AP Article from June 2023 discussing this problem with 2020-22 Ford Explorers (article included). This is why I am lodging this complaint; Ford was well a where of this dangerous situation that my wife and I faced over the years. When the vehicle would accelerate it was very scary, and you honestly were not positive the car would stop. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)