2021 Ford Explorer Complaint Log

The shade that covers the moonroof has fallen off the tracks (or something) and it's sagging down from the headliner. There wasn't a snapping or breaking sound, I just went to open it and it sagged instead of sliding back under the headliner like it should. The car is only 4 years old, we bought it new, and we hardly ever use this feature, so it hasn't received a lot of use. With the shade sagging down (it won't go back into place) it blocks the view of the rear window, which makes it a safety hazard. Apparently it's not covered by my warranty, and will be around $1,800 to fix. My car is at the dealership right now and they just told me it's not covered. This is very dangerous because it also blocks the view of my children in the back seat, and most of the rear window. I just googled how to fix it, and it seems like this is a known issue that many others are having. There was no warning lights or messages about this failure. It first happened on October 11, 2025. Note: It's still at the dealership, and I need to pick it up after work, so I don't have a photo to include. I apologize.

The vehicle has an ongoing oil leak originating from the engine/drivetrain area. The affected components include the intermediate shaft and related seals, which are subject to Ford technical service bulletins, and potentially the plastic engine oil pan and its sealing surfaces. The vehicle is currently operable and remains available for inspection upon request. he vehicle is actively leaking engine oil at approximately one drop per day. Oil leakage presents a safety risk due to the potential for oil contacting hot engine or exhaust components, reduced lubrication if the condition worsens, and the possibility of oil dripping onto road surfaces, which could reduce traction for other motorists. The condition has not caused an accident to date, but it presents an ongoing safety concern. Yes. A Ford dealership identified and documented oil leakage during a scheduled service visit in November. In addition, the dealership acknowledged known issues with the affected components and confirmed that the vehicle continues to exhibit oil leakage. The manufacturer has declined repair outside of warranty. The vehicle has been inspected by an authorized Ford dealership on multiple occasions. Ford Motor Company executive customer care reviewed the case and documented a decision to decline repair based on warranty status. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. No warning lamps or messages were present prior to the discovery of the oil leak. The condition was first identified visually during a scheduled service visit in November when oil leakage was observed. The vehicle currently exhibits ongoing oil leakage without warning lamps or messages. I am also concerned that this model has had several recalls regarding the engin and our falls just outside the range of Ford recall it was build in January of 21 and the recall starts in May of 21. I would like to have that expanded to my vwhicle as well.

There was no lights on the dash but the transmission was shifting very hard when slowing down. I took it to the dealer for service, but the dealer says the transmission is full of debris and needs a full replacement. When slowing down it was causing the vehicle to buck forward very hard advancing it forward and causing me the driver to feel forward force from the harsh bucking of the transmission.

My vehicle is experiencing exhaust fume issue where the exhaust fumes are entering into the cabin for Explorer and Aviator models (Any model with the 3.0L Ecoobost). Upon inspection by 3rd party mechanic, it can be determined that the problematic catalytic converters that are not the one piece cast was installed on my vehicle from the factory. Speaking to other ST and Interceptor owners, the problem seems widespread to every 2021 model that Ford installed the multipiece welded catalytic converters. Apparently the cast part fairs better and is not subject to cracks. The recall originally covered the left side catalytic converter but the flawed design also affects the right side catalytic converter where many owners are experiencing this issue. This has affected all 3.0L Ecoboost engine vehicles. [XXX] I believe the recall should have extended to cover all 2020 and 2021 model year vehicles. There are forum posts where owners outside the recall have experienced the issue in addition to owners having to repeatedly replace the catalytic converters post warrant as Ford continued to reinstall bad catalytic converters as part of the repair process. I have driven this vehicle for several thousand miles with the issue and did not realize exhaust was leaking until notices of headaches and health issues as CO is odorless, causing CO2 levels to reach 3000+ inside the cabin at stop lights and blows in through the vents if A/C is on. I believe NHTSA should investigate this issue further and require Ford to replace both catalytic converters as this issue poses a serious health hazard, especially given the location of the exhaust leak and the commonplace occurrence. I am happy to forward to forums and provide evidence of this occurring. Ford considers lifetime of the vehicle to be ~150K miles and these exhausts do not last close to that, resulting in a massive expense and danger to US consumers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I bought my 2021 ford explorer limited brand new. I have never used the sunroof for my personal pleasure. I have opened it less than a handful of times, only to appease my grandson. The other day, I had my grandaon and I closed the sunroof, for maybe like the 4th time ever, and the sunshade liner started to sag. If this falls while I am driving I am afraid it may blind my driving. Should FORD have to pay for this defect? I am seeing forums all over the internet where this is happening to a lot of owners. Thanks for your time and help.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle. The contact pulled over and parked and allowed the vehicle to cool down before driving back to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine and the oil main bearings, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V635000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Roof window cover/headliner has come loose and is impeding full vision to the rear of the car while the headliner is retracted.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed and then lost motive power. The engine made ticking sounds, and the vehicle was running rough. No warning light was illuminated. The contact coasted the vehicle into the driveway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who discovered that the timing chain, spark plugs, and intake valves were fractured. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Sunroof shade won't open and bind down covering the rear mirror view

FOR THE PAST YEAR AND A HALD I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO FORD IN ONTARIO BECAUSE IT HAS HAD NUMEROUS INCIDENTS THAT I AM AT A LIGHT AND THE VEHICLE COMPLETY SHUTS OFF. WHEN I HAVE TAKEN IT IN THEY RETURN IT STATING THAT NOTHING ID WRONG WITH THE CAR. THIS MONTH ALONE IT HAS HAPPENNED ATLEATT 5 TIMES. LATEST ONE BEING THIS MORNING ON MY WAY TO WORK. IT SHUT OFF LUCKYLY I AM GETTING FASTER AT 1ST PRESSING ON MY HAZARDS AND THEN RESUMING THE ENGINE AND TAKING OFF THE PARKING BRAKE I AM IN FEAR OF BEING IN A COLLISION. I CALLED DEALER TODAY THEY SAID ALL THEY CAN DO IS KEEP THE CAR AGAIN FOR SEVERAL DAYS BUT IF NOTHING IS FOUND AGAIN I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE RENTAL CAR OUT OF POCKET. THIS IS CRAZY AS MY SELF AND MY FAMILY ARE AT RISK EVERY TIME THE CAR SHUTS OFF WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED NOT TO HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED. THERE ARE NO WARNING LAMPS THAT TURN ON.

Sunroof shade loose / sagging when retracting. Issue is caused by a worn sunshade spring. When retracted, the sunroof shade fabric sags to the degree that it blocks / obscures the driver's view of the back window and activity to the rear of and/or behind the vehicle. An internet search shows that this in a known / common issue with Explorers.

Approximately 6 weeks ago, while driving at 30 -35 mph in residential area, vehicle started lurching/jolting, took to local dealership, nothing found, reported to Customer Service, instructed to write to FMC Consumer Affairs and am waiting on reply.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image was blank. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V159000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V393000 (Seats). The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

I was driving down the road and heard a loud pop and it sounded like a golf ball hit my door. I immediately looked in my rear view mirror and was unable to see anything. After merging to the shoulder of the road and stopping safely I turned around and noticed that the headliner from my sun roof had broken and fallen and was blocking all view from my mirror.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver’s door window independently rolled down. In addition, the contact stated that the failure had previously occurred with the front passenger’s and rear driver’s side windows. The contact stated that during the first failure the vehicle was repaired by the dealer and covered under warranty. After the second failure, the vehicle was repaired by an independent mechanic and the contact paid out-of-pocket. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,188.

The auto/stop start system is malfunctioning. When I stop at a stop sign, or to turn left, the vehicle stops, but then does not turn on again when I press the gas pedal. Instead, I have to place the car in park and manually restart the engine. This has happened four times over a 2-month period. Sometimes it takes me 30 seconds to turn the car back on. This is harrowing when I am suddenly stuck in the middle of the road. I took my vehicle to the Ford Dealership after it happened three times. They had my vehicle for 3 weeks but could not find anything wrong, and the incident did not happen again. I’ve had my vehicle back for 6 days, and it happened again today at a stop sign. Suddenly, there was a message on my screen to place my car in park and restart the engine. There were many other cars waiting for me to turn.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the rear differential, with the vehicle vibrating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the drive axle, wheel hub assembly, and the hub splines needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was previously included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V255000 (Power Train); and was repaired by Hutchinson Ford of Forsyth (288 Harold G. Clark Parkway, Forsyth, GA 31029). The vehicle was not yet repaired for the recent failure. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.

Sunroof shade did not retract properly when opened and sagged down low enough to block visibility to the rear of the vehicle while driving. Not only was rear visibility entirely cut off, rear passengers are affected as the shade hangs down well into the back seat area. I will be taking this to the dealer, problem is reproduced as well as documented by many online. There were no warnings prior to failure. This is clearly an issue with the design and a recall should be issued to all affected.

While driving, the panoramic sunroof shade on my vehicle failed to retract properly, sagging down into the rear visibility area. The shade hangs low enough to completely block the view through the rearview mirror, significantly impairing my ability to monitor traffic behind me. This is a serious safety hazard, particularly when changing lanes, merging, or reversing. The issue also impacts rear passengers, as the drooping shade hangs down into the back seat area. This obstruction makes it difficult to check on passengers—especially children—while driving. There were no warnings before this failure occurred, and research shows that this problem is common among other owners, as documented in multiple online forums and complaint records. The shade appears to have a design flaw where the guide sliders or attachment points fail, causing it to sag into the driver’s line of sight. This failure should not happen on a safety-critical component affecting visibility. Given the frequency of reports and the direct impact on driver awareness, a recall or mandatory repair campaign should be issued to address this defect in all affected vehicles.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was sticking on three occasions. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in a parking lot, the contact had to raise the brake pedal with her foot after the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated that it felt like the parking brake was engaged. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power brake booster was inoperable. The part: L1MZ2005K - Ford Power brake booster was on back order for a month. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who repaired the brakes, and informed the contact that the required parts were on back order for three months. The contact called the manufacturer, who confirmed the status of the parts, and that there was no release date for the parts. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

Panoramic sunroof fail for 2nd time repair is close to 2000$ I’m not going to paid again this is a ford design issue not a owner fault Panoramic roof have some plastic click that hold the shade and they got brake or damage by itself causing the shade felt, ford rapair is close to 1.8k$ I paid one when I first bought the car now after the Texas freeze when I was closing the system I heard the clicks braking and then we have the same issue with the panoramic shade got weak and there is no way to fixed just the deal and the price is close to 2000$ for a internal design there is several people with this same issue this is a internal fault design not a owner fault

The sunroof sunshade snapped a clip off and now hangs down blocking the rear view. It is impossible to see out the back window. I have read on multiple sites that this is happening to many of these SUVs and it's an extremely expensive and difficult fix. It's very dangerous and I won't even let my girlfriend drive it anymore.

my explorer has a 10 speed transmission, and its REALLY heavy on shifting like it is missing shifts or slipping, it will shoot up in rpms to the 7-8k mark and jerk forward, this will happen every few minutes when varying speed, driving through residential areas or normal trafficways not including the highway, however on the highway it has a tendency to feel as if it loses power and regains it, dropping rpms and shooting back up to 4-5k rpm, and dropping back down to around 2k. today i had the incident where the car jerked hard after a shift, gave me prompts on the dash about seeing the manual, and that drive modes are not available. this has happened in the past month before multiple times, however this time i lost all power to acceleration going down the road, ended up just coasting to a stop on a road that speed limit is 55 mph. this made me panic, because i could have possibly been rear ended, or in any other case could have been hit if my car would not have properly been able to accelerate. the car has had similar problems reported from previous owners and they have been taken into a dealership for repairs of which did not fix the problem or the problem is reoccurring. there are no warning lamps prior to the jerkiness of shifting and loss of acceleration because of it. it will jerk a handful of times and eventually give me the "see manual" prompt after the initial problem was noticed, i decided to look online for answers as to what was wrong and it seems like this is a reoccurring problem with vehicles similar to mine. Hopefully it hasnt caused and injuries, but it definitely has the possibility to from what i have experienced.

Fabric for sunroof shade sags making the rearview mirror un usable due to the fabric sag obstruction.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her fiancé was driving 76 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. After restarting the vehicle, 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. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 39,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20-30 MPH, the vehicle stalled, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

The transmission failed. The electrical component also failed

Backup camera has failed again aftyer being programmed twice and replaced once under recall's. But now it's out completely. It has worked off and on since new.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that there was a gap between the body and the frame on the passenger's side of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a dealer or an independent mechanic. 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 74,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V393000 (SEATS); 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 stated that while driving at various speeds, the rear passenger’s seat moved forward unintendedly. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Recall Action Soon Issue Since 06-20-2025 Unrequested second-row seat movement Unrequested second-row seat movement Recall incomplete Recall service not available right now. We have a remedy but parts are not available right now. We will inform you when the service is available. Or, you can contact your dealer. Contact Dealer Issue Date 2025-06-13 Campaign 25S67/25V393 Description On your vehicle, it is possible that the easy entry seat fold switch on the second-row outboard seats may bind or stick if its surrounding trim bezel was installed incorrectly. If the button is stuck in the down position, the seat may unlatch, fold and or slide unexpectedly, potentially while driving. Safety Risk A seat that unexpectedly folds or slides while driving could increase the risk of injury, particularly in a crash. Remedy Ford Motor Company is working to provide parts for this repair. When the remedy becomes available, Ford Motor Company will notify you via mail to schedule a service appointment with your dealer for repairs to be completed free of charge.

Recall Action Soon Issue Since 06-20-2025 Unrequested second-row seat movement For More Information Telematics Generated Issue

I was stoped at a red light with cars in front of me and behind me when with my foot on the break the car accelerated forward like my foot was on the gas pedal but my foot was not on pedal, the car surged forward and came close to hitting the car in front of me I pressed the break and got stopped didn’t happen again but sometimes I can feel the car wanting to keep surging forward when breaking. If there is a problem this could cause me to hit someone in the rear or even worse could hit a pedestrian in the crosswalk please check this out

Transmission failed while driving leading to a sudden loss of power. Vehicle was hard to control after incident causing other vehicles to swerve around. Vehicle was taken to Ford dealership where it was recommended for a total transmission replacement due to internal transmission components that failed.

Sun roof clips broke causing sunroof shade to sag

As I am traveling on the freeway or expressway, when I have cruise control active and I am in the far right lane the vehicle suddenly changes to the speed of the frontage road dropping my speed from 65 or 70mph down to 40, even tho I am on the expressway. It almost caused me to be rear ended because of the sudden drop in speed.

2021 Ford Explorer •Problem: Blind Spot Detection / Sensor Malfunction •Description to copLeft-side blind spot sensor fails intermittently. It shows no warning when vehicles are in the blind spot, creating a risk during lane changes. I found Ford TSB 23-2048 confirms the issue. Dealer quoted $1,200 but this is a known factory problem and safety issue.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon shifting into reverse, the rearview camera failed to display an image. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V315000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 36,000.

Automatic roll up sun shade for the sunroof sags and does not retract anymore, causing visibility issues as it droops down. Car is out of factory bumper to bumper warranty, currently 52k miles, and the aftermarket warranty does not cover the shade. Ford quoted over $2000 for fix, when this is a manufacturer's defect and many cars are affected.

The rear axle bolt snapped. Causing the differential to fall out and rear wheel axles and driveshaft to break out of position.

While our 2021 Ford Explorer with 47,000 miles to work the vehicle warning light came on stating the vehicle was overheated and shut down. We allowed the vehicle to cool for 20 minutes as recommended by the owners manual and then restarted the vehicle which immediately overheated again. We had the vehicle towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the issue as coolant in the oil forcing a replacement of the engine and coolant systems.

The electronic sunshade that covers the panoramic sunroof has malfunctioned and cannot be retracted fully. The sagging sun shade covers the rear window and blocks the view. I have taken it to the dealership for repair, but it is not covered under my extended warranty and is around $2000.00 to repair out of pocket. The dealership charged a $199.99 diagnostic fee to ascertain that it was the sunroof shade that had broken. There were no symptoms or warnings before this happened.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver heard an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure recurred while the vehicle was idle. Additionally, the contact stated that the driver had noticed an abnormal exhaust odor coming from the outside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter had fractured at the welds location and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to cost. The vehicle was then taken to an exhaust system center, where it was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21E11. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

10 speed Transmission malfunction, needs replacing,

The passenger 3rd row seat if the fold button is hit it can lock and pin a passenger. It wont release itself unless you try and hit the reset holding the 2 buttons simultaneously. Currently for safety reasons I taped that seats button and won't let anyone out in the 3rd row

I was driving and pressed the button to open my sunroof (which has a powered sunshade) but the sunshade dropped down on top of the 2nd row seats, blocking my view through my rear view mirror and rear window completely. I made an appointment with my Ford dealer the next day. The dealer had my vehicle for over 30 days waiting for parts to fix the tensioner system that pulls the powered sunshade back in order for the sunroof to open. I've seen in multiple forums online that this has happened to a lot of other people that has this option on their Ford Explorers (2020-2024) models. This was definitely a safety hazard as I was unable to see anything behind me while I was moving and luckily I didn't panic. I pulled over slowly to the soft shoulder in order to try and get the sunshade to at least go back to it's "closed" state which it finally did after trying for a few minutes. I think Ford needs to make this a recall because of the safety issues of this blocking the view of the driver.

The vehicle has intermittent issues with bucking, running poorly, and not shifting properly. It results in several warning lights which will clear at random. The dealer has told us it needed a new alternator. The repair was made but the problem resurfaced again today. This is not a new issue as it has occurred many times before.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

The contact owns a 2021 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 check engine warning light was illuminated. 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Car has a delay when going into reverse & will move forward while in reverse then jerks into reverse. Also has a delay in going into drive from reverse. Not safe to back out into the road or doing a 3 point turn because of the delays. It happens all the time so the incident happens every day for me.