2020 Ford Explorer Complaint Log

My suv was expired last dec and didnt know I just got that since April 2025 and I have to pay my own self for fix suv It not my fault and there no warranty for me check suv and fix recall

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V093000 (SEAT BELTS); 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. 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 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle jolted and failed to shift into gear as intended while the gear lever was used. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with a transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

Vehicle continuously shows a fault for Hill Start Assist, AWD Mode disabled, AdvanceTrac fault, Park Sensor, AWD Module Failure, ABS disabled. These faults started showing 13/04/25. While in traffic, driver was giving the throttle gas. While giving gas, driver lost power, and noticed a ticking noise as car was losing power in normal drive mode. Driver could have potentially been rear ended, pushed into traffic, and fear that the vehicle will eventually have a brake failure; or have the brakes lock up on the car while driving that could also lead to fatality, or bodily injuries of driver, or civilians. After making it to destination, driver parked for the night. The next day driver started car all faults were gone. Driver then trashed car to dealership to see what malfunction the car had and everything was fine. Fault later appeared, and driver lost power again. Driver then proceeds to a nearby Auto store where driver had a diagnostic of the car. The store associate then tells driver that the car had a faulty PCM. Driver also notes that the car was Purchased used with mileage reported at 29,000 miles. Driver now has 57k miles. Though car isn’t new. It isn’t old. Being that it is used, car is and was practically new. Driver feels a car with low mileage should not be malfunctioning given the status of its components.

When driving the vehicle felt sluggish and the 4wd fault came on, on the dashboard. Decided to take it to the dealer and they inspected it and stated the front differential actuator needs to be replaced. It's a component that is electrical and it turns on the four wheel drive and turns it off when not needed. This should be covered by ford since it's a manufacturing error for putting faulty components to control the AWD.

2020 explorer Transmission needs to be rebuilt due to transmission failure. Hard shifting that causes car to jerk dangerously. Decreased ability to gain speed due to delays and inability to properly shift though gears. Issues started on April 2025 and have continued to get worse. Care only has a little over 36000 miles on it. It was bought brand new November of 2019. Car is currently at ford dealership being worked on but this is a known issue with the transmission on 2020 models. This should be covered at no cost to me but here I am stuck paying for most of it.

I have 68,000 miles on car and car suddenly started making a thumping sound and jerking when braking. Slip also when driving at low speeds. The Dealership says it needs a new Transmission. I have searched online and found this is a common problem for this year and model.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted and the vehicle lost motive power while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the failure was linked to Technical Service Bulletin: 20 – 2305. The contact was informed that the A-clutch and transmission front support needed to be replaced. 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 64,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly jerked and jolted before returning to normal functionality. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission control module. The contact was informed that the TCM needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. 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 108,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle jerked with the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000.

The sunroof fabric covering the glass sags down and does not work properly. This is a known issue on 2020+ Ford Explorers with the sunroof option. The sag blocks visibility out the rearview mirror and causes a distraction to drivers.

The panoramic roof fabric has become unhinged from the track and caused a visibility issue for my rear view mirror.

The car leaks water into the cabin on the front passenger side from the HVAC system. This has been a consistent issue and has not been resolved by Ford. The car has no sunroof and the water drips from behind the glovebox. It is enough water to make a large puddle in the front passenger side foot space.

We had an issue where the abs light came on going down the road. If you applied the brakes the dash would say release parking brakes and then the vehicle did not want to stop when I actually needed too.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH and attempting to decelerate, the vehicle independently jolted before downshifting into the 1st gear while the accelerator pedal was being depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to several local service shops; however, the vehicle was later taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.

See attached document for complaint

Getting random notifications on my dashboard to “Check Headlamp System” however I’m not seeing no any problems. I’m no mechanic by any stretch but from my perspective, the headlights work just fine. I have searched online for similar owner complaints and have found numerous forum posts from other ford explorer platinum owners. All of them stating they have taken it to the dealership. The common factor amongst all of them is that the dealer (bottom line up front) could not find the problem despite their numerous attempts to diagnose. Some dealers have gone as far as to suggest total replacement of the headlight module, which is a very costly part. Majority of customers after replacing it are stating it did not solve the problem. I do not want to fall into the same rabbit hole of buying parts I don’t need, only to end up in the same situation I’m in now. I’ve had this problem back in July of 2024. The problem went away for a bit and then suddenly reappeared today, 25 March 2025.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side front end of the hood was lower than normal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was confirmed that the failure was not due to a collision because all the bolts were in place. The dealer determined that the driver's side hood adjuster was missing, and the dealer installed a new hood adjuster on the driver's side of the vehicle; however, the hood remained unleveled. The contact stated that the passenger's side front end of the hood was in contact with the fender while there was a quarter inch gap between the driver's side front end of the hood and the trim. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

Transmission randomly shifts from gear to gear. Dealer says must replace transmission. Only 58k miles

Found transmission fluid burnt. Found harsh 7-8 downshift and delayed engagement in various gear ranges. Suspect front support is broken causing damage to a/b clutchpacks. Internal fault. Overhaul required. Found transfer case has failed internally also. Recommend replacing transfer case at same time.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - driveline, brakes, acceleration, and steering. Ford and 2 dealerships now refuse to take my complaints seriously even though I’m willing to pay diagnosis fees for them too try to figure out what the issue is. Yes available. How was your safety or the safety risk? - delay and at times complete lack of braking and acceleration, being unable to steer, accelerating when braking and vehicle moving when in park. The vehicle shakes, wobbles, vibrates and chimys. Vehicle warning lights have flashed only to be gone in 2 seconds. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer? Yes and no. Initially many parts in the driveline including the transfer case was replaced. The vehicle went into the dealership multiple times because the symptoms kept returning. However, now the same dealership refuses to take the vehicle back because they couldn’t figure out what the issue was and now the second dealership is trying to push back and even accepting my money to take a look at the vehicle. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The manufacturer including ford engineers. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The warning lights seem to appear and then disappear as quickly as they show up. I have tried to log some of them, but sometimes I do not get to see it in time as when starting the car I’m closing my door and out putting my seat belt on. There have been multiple cars for this vehicle, including customer satisfaction programs. The most recent one a steering torque sensor failure posted on the NHTSA site as well as Ford. However on Ford’s website, it is being misrepresented as a loose seatbelt (see attachment). I don’t believe they are being transparent. There are recalls that I believe are excluding VINs purposefully.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle had started to vibrate abnormally. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact later noticed that oil had leaked onto the driveway from the rear driver's side wheel well. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the subframe bushing had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V675000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.

After maintaining a speed, accelerating just a bit, the steering wheel vibrates until i increase the speed. Twice I have had it into the shop after I purchased it and the Ford dealership said there is nothing wrong. It cost me the 2nd time. There is a recall on a bolt on the rear axle on mine and a steering bolt on another 2020 vehicle. Another mechanic said it could be the transmition not working properly. It drives down the road good except when accelerating a little. It sometimes has a hard shift into drive or reverse. Thank You

The button to adjust rear view side mirrors malfunctioned. The side mirrors no longer adjust or respond to the button.

The car has 66,311 miles and both catalytic converters are cracked and leaking exhaust into the passenger compartment. The down pipe flex joint on the passenger side is leaking and the one on the driver’s side is deteriorating. Car is currently at the dealership being evaluated. This appears to be a known problem with the 3.0 Ford Explorer in the model years 2020-2022 but no recall has been issued. The problem has been identified by both the dealership and an independent transmission repair shop. There has been no warning lights just strong exhaust smell in passenger compartment when idling at stop signs or lights.

Headlight designed to last lifetime of vehicle failed after five years. Ford has designed so you can’t replace the bulbs for around 100 bucks but have to replace entire units for 1500 dollars apiece. Had issues before where it was off and on and they told me they couldn’t replace it unless it was off at time of inspection.

At 56000 miles and 5 years 40 days, the transmission started downshifting roughly from 8 to 7. Apparently this is a common issue with the explorers. Ford extended the warranty to 5 years or 60000 miles, so by driving the car conservatively and not beating on it we inadvertently helped the transmission survive a little over a month past its warranty length. The transmission degraded towards complete failure quickly making it nearly impossible to get it to the repair facility safely.03

The sunroof liner began sagging when opened. It was inspected and repaired. The repairs were out of pocket at Auto Nation Frisco. We have owned the vehicle for 4 years and hardly use the sunroof. We had no other problems with the sunroof.

Per Ford, the headlights are supposed to last the life of my vehicle. My drivers side headlight is now out. You can’t just change the bulb. You have the change the whole assembly which is $1500+. The extended warranty doesn’t cover it either. It’s a MAJOR safety issue and most people (like myself) can’t afford it out of pocket

Hard Downshifting and Jerking. Valve body replaced 10/2024 for the same issue. Complaint filed at that time as well.

Hard shifting up and down through the transmission shifting sequence. Multiple clutch friction codes and powertrain warnings from Ford service advisor on 3/10/25. Check engine light on. Vehicle mileage 58,735 under warranty but no communication from Ford Motor Company until we brought the vehicle to a dealership. 5-6 week projected repair process at this time. TSB’s on the 10R80 and 10R80 MHT transmissions reported back through 2020 MY. Claim started with Ford Motor Company 3/10/25 and claim number assigned due to mileage of vehicle under the 60,000 mile warranty termination point.

Vehicle came into our shop with the charging system fault light on. Upon checking for codes BCM battery code B11D9:09:0A was present. During diagnosis the technician found that the battery cable was rubbing against the floorboard of the vehicle causing arching/welding of the positive battery against the floorboard of the vehicle leaving visible damage to the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted and the vehicle jerked with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 101,400.

When accelerating to enter the highway the car loses forward momentum and emits a loud grinding sound from the console area from the transmission

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. An abnormal sound was coming from the engine. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road where the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the front passenger’s side axle had detached, and the engine had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was provided NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V788000 (Engine). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

I am upset that the led headlamps on my vehicle are not covered. LED lights are meant to have long lives, well beyond my 4 year old SUV. My complaint is that either Ford or the manufacturer of the headlamp should warranty their product to a standard of every other LED product sold. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the power train warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the AWD module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 43,000.

2020 Ford Explorer ST my panoramic sun blind is off track It is blocking rear view.

At approximately 30k miles (but after the 5 year warrantee had expired) the car started giving warnings about the brake system failing even though the brakes worked properly. Shortly after that, and without any warning indicators on the dash, the car began jerking when applying the brakes and down shifting at 35 mph. In the 4 months since the problem started, the jerking has become violent and other issues have begun. It also jerks when downshifting at 25 mph occasionally. It has a problem upshifting in gears 1-4, especially (but not only) when accelerating quickly. It seems that the gears are slipping. The engine revs higher because the gears are not properly shifting. My 18 month old child, my wife, and I have been put at risk driving in a vehicle that fails to shift properly accelerating through intersections and stopping at intersections. Both a Ford dealership and an independent auto repair shop have duplicated the problem and said the car needs either a new transmission ($8k) or to replace parts in the existing tranny that would cost $6k. Evidently there is a TSB from Ford on this issue, but not a recall. Ford has refused to offer financial assistance.

Driver side low beam has stopped working. Ford was unable to pinpoint the problem and wants to replace the entire head lamp to cover all possibilities.

The driver side door latch is defective. I’ve often been locked in or out of my vehicle. Obviously the main door on the vehicle. Many times i have to climb over the center console to exit my vehicle. What if I’m in an accident or my car catches fire, I can’t get out. Leaving me trapped. Or if I’m in danger and need to get in my car but I’m locked out. Often since latch doesn’t function it doesn’t shut my automatic lights off potentially wearing down the battery. Pretty sure my insurance company would not be happy that they are insuring a vehicle with these dangers and potential for someone to enter my vehicle when it decides to not lock. I’ve been told the vehicle is not part of a recall and the vehicle part is on a national backorder with no ETA. Dealership contacted me recently stating part was in, lost a whole day of work to find out they ordered the wrong part and the part is still not available. I bought this vehicle used off of a lease program only a year ago with 42,000 miles and have only put less that 10,000 miles on it. Transmission issues but dealership says they can’t find anything wrong. Car jerks and makes wining grinding noises when first taking off. I find it hard to believe ford does not think this is s safety issue with driver being trapped in or locked out of vehicle.

Transmission failed while traveling on highway. Causing loss of ability to maintain speed or accelerate while in traffic.vehiclw has approximately 82,000 miles. Dealer only reported dark colored fluid as reason to need replacement. No actual cause given.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V093000 (SEAT BELTS); 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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the touchscreen monitor and backup camera display were extremely hot to the touch. 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 contacted. The failure mileage was 104,009.

Since purchase as a preowned vehicle, we noted this vehicle is equipped with a faulty transmission/tcm software design that is dangerously unpredictable and creates erratic driving conditions. This passenger SUV Is equipped with a 10 speed automatic that (once at operating temperature) the gear shifts and operation become highly unpredictable, often causing severe safety issues navigating in traffic, slowing down to sudden stops, and any acceleration, frequently getting stuck in 1st gear or neutral while attempting to accelerate on roadways from a stop. The (10r60E) has nearly caused several accidents severe accidents while under normal use as our primary family vehicle. The Ford dealerships I contacted were aware the problem was concurrent on every vehicle equipped with that Transmission and deemed it normal operation. This is highly concerning there hasn’t been some sort of safety recall implemented as it is a known flaw that creates very unsafe driving conditions on a vehicle marketed to families.

Sunshade for the sunroof is starting to sag/come off track

In May 2023 the passenger side headlight stopped working. For a few months it would intermittently work then go out. Then we had both headlights stop working. Took it to Ford dealership and they said it was just the passenger side headlight. Since it was LED they had to replace the entire assembly for at total with labor of $2,182.54. Now today Feb. 2025 the driver side LED headlight stopped working. Same issues as before with the same symptoms leading up to the light stop working. Took it to my local repair shop and they will need to replace the entire headlight for around $2,400. I am upset because of the safety issues with these headlights and the cost! Also, reading online there seems to be a lot of people with the same problems on these 2020 Ford Explorers.

Panoramic sunroof shade began sagging over night and now can fall and block view of rear view mirror out of the back of vehicle.

Front headlight low beam. Light randomly turn off. Yes No Alert on dashboard to check manual which provides no information. Internet search reveals this is a very pervasive issue with this vehicles and there should be a recall by ford.

Approximately 2-3 weeks ago (around time car hit 100,000 miles), I began noticing hard downshifts when my car was slowing down between 30-20 mph. It felt as if I was being rear ended every time I came to a stop, with a very forceful physical jerking sensation. I had my husband drive it to confirm I wasn't being paranoid, then had my dad drive it (who has been a mechanic for 40+ years) to get his thoughts. He determined likely a transmission issue and recommended I take it to my local Ford Service Center. Ford confirmed I had a P2704 code and recommended a full replacement of my transmission. I took it to an independent transmission center who confirmed the diagnosis (test drove to confirm hard shifts between 8-7 and occasionally 4-5), but did state the transmission could be rebuilt or repaired instead of fully replaced. On 3-4 occasions, I was attempting to accelerate but the car would not go forward, this occurred while trying to merge onto an interstate/parkway. Additionally, once, when I had my foot off both the gas and brake pedals (coasting), the engine aggressively accelerated on its own and I was in stop and go city traffic, which was terrifying. No lights ever came on the dashboard and no warnings were sent to my FordPass app. There has been a TSB issued (23-2250). I have 2 small children (ages [XXX]) in car seats and I am afraid to drive them around in my car. Thankfully, I have found someone to fix the issue, but it seems it's a very common problem with the 10R60 transmissions from 2020-2022 based on forums and speaking to mechanics. We have been a Ford Family since the 1970s, but this experience has made me never want to buy another one. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)