2020 Ford Explorer Complaint Log

Sunroof fabric clip broke when opening causing the fabric to hang down and obstruct view out of the rear view mirror.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Right-Hand and Left-Hand Exhaust Flexible Pipes needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 21B35 (Right-Hand Catalytic Converter and Right-Hand and Left-Hand Exhaust Flexible Pipe(s) Inspection; however, the vehicle was not covered. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 40,000.

Car vibrate and jerk when switching gears randomly. Also the control panel has went out twice. I read everywhere these vehicles have issues with transmission problems on all the 2020 and there is no recall this is. Ridiculous.

LED headlight failure, driver's side, low beam.

Parking brake won't disengage. Cannot drive or reverse

Transmission failure & clutch needs replacement. Vehicle started hard shifting at low MPH.

While sitting in the 3rd row seat, my daughter felt the headrest smack the back of her head. When trying to put it back up, it will no longer stay in place. There are multiple reports of this exact thing happening. This is a known issue with these vehicles. I am now unable to allow anyone to ride in that seat, as the headrest will not stay up.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while attempting to shift gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was referred to the dealer for additional assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the transfer case had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 46,894.

3rd row seats have a malfunctioning system causing the headrests to not lift back up after seat is down, seat goes down with an automatic button but then headrest on both sides do not lift up as they should. This poses a very serious risk to children in the back seat who are now leaned and pushed forward by this headrest which is folded down over the seat and will not go up. After a lot of research I have seen that this is a very common issue with this year of Explorers.

Panoramic moon roof shade cover has detached from the roof of the car. The fabric shade falls into the car blocking vision of the driver. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer. I am unaware if the vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer. There were no warnings of the problem. The fabric just fell into the car blocking the vision of the driver.

Vehicle was engaged in park with parking brake on, I put my foot on brake applying pressure & shifted out of park to drive. As I disengaged parking brake vehicle pushed forward 10 feet forcing me to take my foot off brake & reapply pressure to stop vehicle.

Headlamp modules and headlamp do not properly function. Water can get into the module causing zero lights for the driver and is a safety hazard. Lights flicker or just turn off while driving. Electrical issue and not designed or installed properly. It should be able to be fixed with a new lightbulb but that is not the case.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed the transmission was slipping and the vehicle was slow accelerate. The vehicle lost motive power. Additionally, the contact stated that the RPM was high while driving at low speeds. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 19,000.

* Upon a significant partial front and complete side impact, the airbags failed to deploy. No front, side, curtain, etc... * The vehicle has been seen by the original tow company, the insurance assigned tow company (from original tow company to a body shop) and by the body shop personnel. * I believe the insurance adjuster has inspected, but I cannot confirm that at this time. * No prior warning lamps or messages were present prior to the impact. * The vehicle safety system engaged the fuel cut-off, hazard lights and automatically initiated the SOS system (called 9-1-1).

On highway was accelerating to pass another vehicle the transition froze , engine revved with no acceleration ( transmission skipped) this has happened several times over the 5 years. The lasted event we documented the date and mileage it happened date 7/13/25 mileage is 34990. These skips have put us in extremely dangerous situations. Transmission has been making growling noise now under normal driving.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon coming to a complete stop at a red traffic light, the vehicle inadvertently shut off in the middle of the roadway and failed to restart. The battery warning light was illuminated. No further information was available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: EA23002(Engine). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was also referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 112,000.

With no previous problems, over the course of the past two days the transmission has begun to hard and delayed shift in multiple gears between 10 to 75 mph. When slowing down to go through tolls this morning, as I accelerated, there was a sudden loss of power transmission and a loud rattling sound. The engine would rev in this case. I had to coast for about 150 ft before I regained control of my speed. Once I was slowing down to take my exit to get to work and wait at the light, when I attempted to accelerate to go through the light, I experienced another loss of power. However, this time the engine would not rev. Once in the intersection I was moving slowly. Had this happened (loss of power) while I was in the intersection or through the toll and someone was behind me accelerating, I could have been rear ended and injured. I am taking the Explorer to the dealership next Tuesday to find out if they can reproduce the issue. There are no warning lamps associated with this problem. The vehicle has not been inspected by any third party yet.

Sunroof shade sagging Preventing rear visibility and potential injure to rear passenger

There is hesitation when coming from a stop to accelerating there is a delay of power. This problem has been going on since we have had the car. It is safety issue especially when we accelerate to get onto the highway. It is very inconsistent. We recently took it in and found that an error code of P0496 the evaporator purge valve to be a problem. Not sure if this is a problem with other Fords like ours. So I thought you could investigate it for me. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated upon shifting to park(P), the vehicle rolled and almost struck two pedestrians. The contact engaged the parking brake, and the vehicle stopped. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated upon driving to the residence and attempting to park near the garage door, the failure recurred, and the vehicle struck the garage door. The contact engaged the parking brake and the vehicle stopped. The contact stated that the vehicle then became inoperable. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle responded as needed. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.

11/5/24 Transmission failed. Gear selector knob went unresponsive. Wrench light on dash came on. 1/2/25- new transmission received. 4/25/25- car hesitates going into reverse gear- 10 second delay. Still continues. 7/1/25- transmission starts slipping again. 7/2/25- transmission slamming while accelerating.

Water has been leaking on my passenger side front floor, and now the blower motor has completely seized. Ford quoted me over $1,000 for a blower motor! I have requested asking for satisfaction warranty for this to be covered via email, with no response. Blower motors should not go bad this soon. I have no way to defrost or defog my windows. This is a major safety concern

The sunroof shade sags when opened. This creates a hazard for the driver due to lack of visibility to the rear of the vehicle.

The moon roof shade came down, completely blocking the rear view

The rear axle is slipping when going up any incline and when traveling on regular roads has vibration they have a recall but say mine not covered when it comes from the same plant in question during the time frame listed

On the glass panels in between the rear and front side windows, the panels are shattering underneath both sides. When looking up online to see if anyone else has this problem, there’s all kinds of pictures of this problem posted online..I’m including photos of mine. Have included photos of driver and passenger side.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle jerked abnormally. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the previous owner had previously taken the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing, and the failure information was already in the dealer database. The contact was informed that the failure was due to transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated the vehicle was purchased two weeks prior to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

my car has been in the shop in Louisiana and Alabama, it has had a leak, and I have told them over and over about the jerky shifting etc, but it was never noted on any of the service, they said they have fixed the leak...but it continued with the jerking and slow to go into gear. then a couple of weeks ago I was driving down the road and the car wouldn't go, I made it home. I called the Ford service to make an appointment to have it checked again, and the service recall on the seatbelt. My appointment was for Tuesday morning July 1st, but on Thursday I hadn't heard from them, so I called, and on the following Monday they called me back to say the transmission was out and needed to be replaced, it would be 10K plus. So I got a tow to go pick it up and take to a transmission shop. They didn't even get the seatbelt issue resolved in the week it was there. Why didn't they check the transmission was bad while it was under warranty. It now has about 80K miles

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and then the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, and the engine seized. No warning light was illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed power control module. The contact was informed that the power control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included in the unknown recall. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The sunshade for sun/panoramic roof stopped retracting. When I pressed the button to open it, the shade rolled back about two inches and as it’s continuing to go back the shade then became loose and hanging blocking my rear view. As this was happening I was in the process of backing up, so at this point it affects the safety of me, and my kids, including others around. No warning or indication that it would malfunction ever came. Now it’s just sagging and loose it’s no longer tight.

When my vehicle reaches 60 mph the back end of my vehicle begins to sway excessively. Something may be wrong with the axle. It’s actually very frightening. Also, when my vehicle is running, I feel a slight puttering and then it quickly goes away as if somethings going on with the fuel pump. Lastly, my rearview camera sometimes looks a little blurry. I did take my vehicle to team Chevrolet in Swansboro, North Carolina where I purchased the vehicle. They stated something is going on with the axle and sway bar.

On [XXX], after starting my vehicle, I received multiple safety warnings, prompting the check engine light and a wrench icon on the dashboard. The alerts included issues with the anti-collision system, hill assist, traction control, lane departure, and adaptive cruise control, as well as my drive modes which were also unavailable. I contacted Raceway Ford in Riverside, CA, and dropped off the vehicle that day, reporting the errors. The dealership informed me the next day that the Half Shaft Speed Sensor had failed and would cost $870.52 to replace. Since the warranty had expired a month earlier on [XXX], this was no longer covered under the drivetrain warranty. I agreed to the repairs. After installing the new sensor, and conducting a test drive, additional errors appeared. After two weeks in the shop and multiple follow-ups, the dealership concluded that the AWD/FWD sensor had also failed and replaced both sensors. The repair documentation references TSB 21-2270, SSM 49045, and C0631. I believe this raises serious safety concerns and should warrant a recall, especially since other vehicles are experiencing similar issues just a month after warranty expiration. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a loud sound coming from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the rear axle horizontal mounting bolt, causing the rear driveshaft to disconnect. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V675000 (Power Train); the VIN was included, but the vehicle was already repaired under the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 70,000.

The panoramic sunroof shade has lost its tension when opens. The roller may have broken its clip to hold since being plastic. When open it blockes from seeing from rear view mirror as it sags down. In short cant use sunroof as it poses a risk of view

In June of this year, with about 82,000 miles I began to experience a clunk felt through the vehicle while slowing down from @35 mph upon the downshift. The clunk was more noticeable under braking, i.e. approaching a stop light. This went on for a few days growing more frequent and noticeable. On June 30th, 2025 I dropped my Explorer off at my Ford dealer's service department. The mechanic test drove and confirmed my experience. They also found that the transmission fluid had a burnt smell and some debris. Their testing turned up codes P1783 and P028 indicating an overtempt condition. I’d offer that at no time did I see and sort of dashboard indicators of any trouble. I’ve never pulled a trailer, modified the engine intake or exhaust systems, or had custom engine tunning performed. It’s a completely stock Explorer ST. My recourse was to pay $8,529.63 to replace the transmission. I do feel that if I had continued to operate the vehicle best case would be I was stranded someone where. Worse stranded on the roadway or highway.

First my radio will not come on when you first start the explorer. Then you turn it off and turn it back on then the radio will start to work. Then blind spot stop working will the radio. They said they fix the problem by updating the software in the radio. That work for a week then it happen again now they said it's the audio control Module need to be replace. And the battery will drain over night they said the recall is for other fords not mine. I paid for a new battery and alternator. But they said my explorer not on the list.

While driving at 50 MPH, the Powertrain malfunction light, Hill Start assist malfunction light , and PreCollision malfunction light came on. Took vehicle to Performance Ford, Randolph, NJ where it was determined that it was the front axle disconnect actuator assembly was broken. FORD is aware of this problem per TSB 23-2174 but has not advised the owners of the problem, at least not myself. The cost was $2946.61. This is a safety issue and should be addressed and repaired by Ford. Also had to rent a car for 3 days

Driver side headrest does not properly lock in place. The headrest moves from the upright position to a forward angle position when jostled. While braking heavily in a car accident, my driver side headrest abruptly moved forward causing the headrest to slam into the back of my head.

My 2020 Ford Explorer has 63,853 miles on it. My power train started to hard shift up and down out of nowhere on Wednesday June 18, 2025. It was fine in the morning before work and on my way home after work it started to hard shift.

Sunroof shade drooping down causing visibility issues for the rear view mirror.

While slowing, between 30-25mph the transmission downshifts hard and the vehicle jerks. This just began happening. No alarms or errors present on the vehicle. Regularly serviced with no issues.

Experiencing issues with power steering after battery replacement. Taken to two Ford dealerships (Fayetteville, GA & Morrow, GA) . One unable to diagnose (Fayetteville) and the other reset battery settings (Morrow). Issue still persistent with intermittent power steering failure while driving. Very dangerous and scary! Errors that appear: service advance trac, steering assist fault service required & pre-collision assist not available.

I am filing a complaint regarding a safety issue with my 2020 Ford Explorer that was not properly addressed during a recall repair, leading to a dangerous situation. Vehicle Details Make: Ford Model: Explorer Year: 2020 Recall Repair Details In January 2024, I took my vehicle to Coconut Point Ford in Estero, FL, for a recall repair related to the rear axle horizontal mounting bolt, which was at risk of fracturing. The recall required the replacement of the subframe bushing and rear axle bolt to prevent driveshaft disconnection. Incident Description Recently, while driving under normal conditions, the bolt fractured, causing the differential to nearly detach from the vehicle. This failure could have resulted in a catastrophic accident. I am now facing a $6,000 repair bill for an issue that should have been resolved under the recall. Safety Risk The failure of the bolt and the near detachment of the differential posed a severe safety risk, as it could have led to a loss of control of the vehicle, especially at highway speeds. Dealership Response When I brought this to the attention of Coconut Point Ford, they stated that "bolts are not covered under the extended warranty." However, since this is a recall-related issue, I believe Ford is obligated to cover the repair costs. The service writer, Steve, has been helpful, but the resolution has been delayed. Additional Context I am aware of class action lawsuits against Ford regarding this defect, which allege that the recall fix does not fully address the issue and that the design is inherently flawed. Request I request that the NHTSA investigate this matter to ensure that Ford is held accountable for properly addressing this safety recall and to prevent similar incidents from occurring to other vehicle owners. Thank you for your attention to this serious safety concern.

Under ford recall 23S55 I had my car service @ a ford dealership where I don't believe they replaced the bolt. This was in Jan 2024. It's stated they replaced the bushing and hardware but found no broken bolts so it seems only an inspection was done. That would explain why 1 1/2 year later as this is a 2020 Ford explorer that the rear axle bolt did break and caused the differential to fall off putting my family's life at risk. That being said Ford is refusing to reopen the recall to pay for the damage caused by this ongoing issue. I know there is a class action lawsuit against Ford regarding this so I'd like to settle this amicably with Ford and see if You can help reopen the recall so that my vehicle can be repaired and be safe to drive again.

Under 23S55 my rear bolt was supposed to be replaced at my recall appointment at the Nice ford dealership in Sioux Falls South Dakota. Only the bushing always replaced as stated by the service writer and also the paperwork says they found no broken bolts and the bushing and ‘hardware’ was replaced. I have the invoice. 1 1/2 year later the bolt snapped causing my differential to nearly come completely off, hanging by one bolt, nearly killing my wife and I, coconut point ford in Estero fl, had the audacity to say bolts aren’t covered under my 100k warranty and the recall is closed so you have to pay. Then they said they’d pay 2100 then 2600 towards the 5300 repair which is not fair as this is a known recall issue that ford failed to fix at my recall appt. Please assist and pressure ford to fix this under the recall. They are saying it is closed which seems inaccurate,

Vehicle accelerates rapidly at low speeds when attempting to slightly accelerate in slow speed area such as in parking lots. Transmission chugs shifts hard when trying to maintain speeds below 50 MPH. Transmission was rebuilt by dealer under warranty but same problem still exists. Dangerous and happens often.

Recently, my 2020 Ford Explorer showed a front passenger TSMP failure followed by the rear driver TSMP failure light about 3 weeks later. Within a day or two of the second TSMP light displaying, I had multiple codes lighting up my dash: 4WD fault, hill-start assist unavailable, service advance track, pre-collision assist unavailable, check manual, etc. I found my car was not accelerating every time I pressed the acceleration pedal, and it would stop maintaining my speed and appear to drift like power was lost for a couple to few seconds before resuming power. This caused me to move into a turn lane or make an unexpected turn off the road as I could not maintain speed in the midst of traffic. It was terrifying and dangerous to myself, my children and the vehicles moving around me. One reputable repair shop replaced the TSMP sensors; however, the codes for the other warning lights showed a communication error that only Ford could diagnose. Ford stated the AWD module failed, which meant the different systems were not in communication when I was driving which led to the loss of power that I experienced multiple times while driving to repair shops. Ford stated the AWD module needed to be replaced. It is unbelievable that I would have 2 TSMP sensors and an AWD module fail in less than 5 years of the vehicle being manufactured when I have never replaced any of those items in 7-8 years of owning other vehicles with similar components. I believe Ford has used inferior parts that they know will fail to drive their repair revenue, which is unethical and unsafe to consumers.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound coming the rear end of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The contact returned to the residence and inspected underneath the vehicle and became aware that the right exhaust had detached. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that right exhaust needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21B35 (Right-Hand Catalytic Converter and Right-Hand and Left-Hand Exhaust Flexible Pipe(s) Inspection); however, the VIN was not included in the Customer Satisfaction Program. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 40,416.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while reversing out of the driveway and making a right turn, the vehicle felt like the front axle was locked in 4WD Mode. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while reversing out of the driveway. The power train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure was confirmed, and the dealer diagnosed that the front axle and the front axle boots needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 78,950.

The sunroof shade on the explorer just dropped blocking my rearview mirror view.