2021 Ford Explorer Complaint Log

The contact owned a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact was stopped at an intersection traffic signal when she was crashed from behind by another vehicle. The contact's seat belt pretensioner failed to lock and was not able to restrain her. The contact's face hit the steering wheel. The contact had suffered a broken nose, and bruises on her arms. The contact was transported by ambulance to a hospital. The vehicle had extensive crush damage to the rear bumper, lift gate. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and later declared a total loss by her insurance provider. The police were on scene and issued a report. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 36,606.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the exhaust pipe detached and fell onto the ground underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact researched online and discovered Customer Satisfaction Program: 21B35 (Certain 2020 Model Year Explorer Police Vehicles Equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost Engine Right-Hand Catalytic Converter and Right-Hand and Left-Hand Exhaust Flexible Pipe(s) Inspection); however the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired under the program. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 53,300.

Was trying to get gas and the door to the gas lid would not open. Waited for over an hour for someone to help me. Get the door open. Only had 10 miles to empty and the closest town is 20 miles.

The panel next the windows on both sides are cracking. The dealer said they need to be replaced on my dime. After doing a search for this problem, it appears that this is a common problem. It appears to be an issue with the seal and hot/cold weather creating the issue.

While driving down the interstate, the tires (rear passenger?) suddenly locked/stuck. This caused vehicle to lose control, 360, and slam into the guardrails. Prior to this incident, when the car was turned on, it stalled a bit like it was about to turn off. This lasted for a few seconds, but returned to normal. So may be a component of electrical and/or directly related to the rear tire. There were no warning messages. Driver was thankful injuries did not occur. Could have flipped, or slammed into other cars, trees, etc. This is a serious issue. While the vehicle was being loaded onto the wrecker, in neutral, the rear passenger tire was visibly stuck. This was observed by owner, husband, police officer and tow company. When offloading from the tow truck, the tire made a loud pop and movement returned to normal. Vehicle is currently at the shop (ford dealership). Will have more information next week from their diagnostic studies. It is available for inspection upon request.

I had my car towed to mechanic because transmission would go into park. He ran a diagnostic and found multiple codes (mechanics Bill and list of codes he found will be included) relating to transmission. He searched on a data base he uses Shopkey.pro(copy of recall will be included) to check on recalls. He requested I have car towed to Dealership. I did that and the dealer has a letter about the recall(also included) showing the recall. My car falls in all the parameters of this recall. The vehicle year, the assembly plant and the build date as well as the 2.3L engine and a 10R60 transmission. The dealer says my vin number doesn't fall under this warranty and he doesn't understand why. He said I fit all parameters and Im experiencing all the reasons listed for this recall. Most importantly car can roll in park which is safety. It also had on occasions loss of motive power while driving. These are all reasons listed for this safety recall and as the dealership I am lost as to why the NHTSA and ford doesn't have my VIN included in this saftety recall,. I would like you to review this complaint and hopefully understand my vehicle should be included in this safety recall. There are numerous safety concerns with everything wrong. Please take careful consideration of all that I submitted and properly add this vehicle..2 safety Warnings messages I received are transmission not in park and please apply emergency brake before exiting the vehicle.

On June 3, 2024, vehicle was taken to dealer for rattling noises under truck close to front passenger side and state inspection. Dealer informed flex pipe was rattling and offered repair. Repair declined. Dealer/service department emphasized vehicle was safe to drive, no impact on performance or safety. On June 18, 2024, while pulling up to home, metal noises were heard under car. Observed a pipe hanging from under car near passenger front. Towed to dealer. Informed on June 19, 2024, “flex pipe” needs replacing. Thank you

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that occasionally the front driver’s and front passenger’s side windows failed to respond while depressing the switch. The contact stated that the failure was recurring and was previously repaired by the dealer. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer and remained at the dealer for the repair. Additionally, the contact stated that the local dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,600.

The fabric from the moonroof has come loose on the sides and blocks rear visibility if open. This is apparently an issue with many vehicles.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while attempting to shift into reverse, the contact became aware that the rear-view camera showed a blue screen. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 32,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling at a traffic light, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer the following day. The dealer diagnosed that both exhaust flex pipes had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that it was a known 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 60,000.

I was driving and hood flew up and hit the windshield and caused it to cave inward despite hood not being popped since April. Dealership confirmed that hood was not popped that day according to censors and codes that were seen. I was unable to see and it could have caused a wreck and serious injury or worse the windshield almost fell on me and into my car with my one year old baby. Dealer confirmed latch was never popped. Therfore resulting in a malfunction with the hood. Vehicle has been inspected by dealership service center. No, there were no signs or indicators prior to the incident. The indicators did not illuminate until test at the dealership although they did not the day of the incident (confirmed by dealership service department)

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating and decelerated unintendedly. The contact stated that the failure mostly occurred during the warmer weather months. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 55,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the contact observed that the driver’s side A-pillar trim had detached. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and trim taped down. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the A-pillar trim needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not prepared. The contact believed that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

All of the ADAS along with the brakes of my vehicle fail. The dealership failed to inform me of the recalls prior to purchase. The dealership in town shows all of the parts in stock in their parts department but claim not to have any parts available. When I called, I was given the runaround then sent to a voicemail. When I showed up to the dealership they stated they can only order certain amount of parts and I wasn’t on the list yet was told over the phone I was placed on the list on May 22 2024.

Hard shifting

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 70–75 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 54,500.

I have a catastrophic engine failure. The dealership (Doherty Ford) in Forest Grove Or acknowledges it. They are working with me. However, Ford has not responded to the dealers request for warranty work. It will be two weeks since I took the car to the dealer with a loud ticking noise. Dealer found a BUNCH of metal in the oil. I'm waiting to hear how Ford will fix it. The car has 45k on it. They also gave me an extended warranty because of all the issues I had with the car when I first got it. The [XXX] steering coupler to the rack was loose and almost came off when I drove it home. I have had a number of other issues. All dealer repaired. The car has also been to Doherty Ford almost exclusively for all its oil changes. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

rear axle bolt snapped that holds the rear differential to the subframe. there was already a recall on this before and my explorer had it snap before. this is the second time it snapped in less than two years.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the power liftgate failed to close as needed. The contact was able to manually close the liftgate. Additionally, the roof was leaking near the sunroof and roof rails. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

The recall to replace the rear axle bolt was completed and new boil installed. They left the automatic emergency brake program engager which results in the vehicle lurching forward or backward when shifted into gear and results in collisions with other vehicles as the collision detection system is not working.

[XXX] after driving less than 10 min. warning signs flashed on screen. I immediately pulled off the road where the vehicle completely shut down and realized my 2021 Ford Explorer was on fire. Bystanders attempted to put the fire out with fire extinguishers but were unsuccessful. My passenger and I opened our doors, I exited and attempted to open trunk to remove wheelchair but could not (because door is electrical). My passenger flung himself onto the ground until bystanders came with a rolling office chair to remove him away from the burning vehicle. Had the bystanders not been there I do not know how I would have been able to move my passenger (25 year old, 200 lb male) away from the burning vehicle. Fire Marshall could not determine cause of fire because vehicle was completely melted/too damaged. Ford Motor Company reviewed photos I sent to them but claims they could not determine cause of fire. The vehicle was properly maintained with routine oil changes. There were no issues with the vehicle prior to this incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My driver side cv joint went out Dec 2023, noticed grease, throwing while a tire rotation was being done. April 2024 was completing a oil change and we decided to check the passenger side and now that CV joint is going out as well. This vehicle has less than 30,000 miles on it.

Center console cup holder base failure causing items to fall through and into the interior of the console. My key fob fell through the bottom and required nearly an hour to be retrieved. The problem is persistent with anything placed into the cup holder. This issue is common and well documented on forums and social media.

Ford Explorer 2021 recall stems from a defective rear axle horizontal mounting bolt. Ford Motor Company has promised to cover the cost of replacing the subframe bushing and the rear axle bolt and repairing any resultant damage. The dealer, Payne Ford Weslaco, the Tech broke a tool to fix and Ford has failed to replace said tool.

The vehicle looses power occasionally. When the accelerator is pressed it can take a second or 2 to start moving again. It happens when turning, changing lanes or going straight. I could be pulling into traffic and it will stop moving, even if the gas pedal is pressed down all the way. It will happen in every drive mode and when the traction control is off. The only time it hasn't happened yet is when I turn off the AdvaneTrac stability control. I have to hold down the traction control button for 5 seconds every time I start the vehicle. The dealer said they couldn't find the problem. The associate said it's a common issue with the Explorer's. It is very dangerous.

My vehicle is equipped with a panoramic sunroof, furthermore the panoramic sunroof has a sliding screen to block out the sun when the owner prefers to block the sun. The issue is with the panoramic sunroof screen, this particular screen also slides on rails below the glass window from the panoramic sunroof. The sliders from the screen part seem to break and cause the screen to sag downward blocking the view from the rear view mirror. In which case it’s a safety hazard for the passengers and public due to limited visibility. Furthermore, it also blocks the view of monitoring the rear passengers in which in this case they are toddlers.

25,000 miles on it, transmission failed on my husband and I as we were pulling out onto a busy street. The car jerked forward and shot us out half way before locking completely as a semi truck was coming and almost smashed into the side of us. Luckily we were on a hill and were able to put the car into neutral & was able to roll back at the last second before we were severely injured. Car was towed to dealer as it would not drive at all. Dealer had for 3 weeks before coming back and saying the fluid was low and discolored and had several burnt clutches..again only has 25,000 miles on it..replaced the clutches and told me I was good to go. 7,000 miles later car AGAIN jerks me as im on a busy street and then completely loses all power and will not accelerate, I was barely able to pull over into a business parking lot before almost getting rear ended because I was going 30mph UNDER the speed limit!!! I didn’t even have to exit my vehicle because I could smell the burnt trans fluid from inside the cabin! Getting towed to dealer in 2 days.. this is a MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN! I have almost gotten hurt TWICE by this defect with the 10r80 transmissions! This is serious and ford needs to start addressing this problem before someone seriously gets hurt!!!!

While driving around 45 miles per hour the vehicle braked on its own without any vehicle in front and dropped to 5 miles per hour, the dash displayed Brake Assistance. While that happened a car behind me came close to rear-ended my car. At this time the vehicle is at the dealer, it was towed. This is the first time this happened, the vehicle showed no warning before the incident. The fact the vehicle behind came so close to rear-ending my car makes this a safety concern, if this happened at a higher rate of speed the consequences could have been more serious.

When shifting from drive to reverse, there is a significant lag in shifting (3-5 seconds). This is especially dangerous when needing to back into a driveway from a busy road.

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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

My vehicle started to put up messages regarding going into power saver mode. The vehicle then said all wheel drive not available. After that electrical components started going unavailable such as power steering, brake assist, blind spot monitoring, cameras, and traction control. The vehicle then shut down while driving and all I could do was brake. When I attempted to restart the vehicle it did not restart. I jumped it and was able to safely pull it off the road. This is the 2nd time in three weeks this happened. Ford looked at the vehicle and tightened the battery cables. Then told me it was fine.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V675000 (Power Train) however, the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time to for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

There was no incident yet. This concerns the ballistic panels mounted in the two front doors, the mounting tabs break and are broken in this vehicle and there is a TSB but Ford refuses to fix because they claim it's not a "Safety" issue which it is and because it has a salvage title. This needs to go to a recall or customer satisfaction "Safety issue". "SSM 51945 2020-2023 Police Interceptor Utility - Level III Ballistic Panel Mounting Tab Service Kit Now Available". "2020-2023 Police Interceptor Utility vehicles may require level III ballistic panels to be replaced due to broken mounting tabs. Level III ballistic panel mounting tab service kits are now available (right LB5Z-78201B68-F and left LB5Z-78201B69-F). Replacement of the level III ballistic panel assembly is not required for this condition. Level IV ballistic panels do not have removable mounting tabs and still require complete panel replacement. Level III vs. level IV ballistic panels can be identified by a large roman numeral label on the panel or by the vehicle window sticker if equipped".

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, the back over prevention camera screen display was inoperable. The contact stated that a blue screen was displayed creating a visibility hazard for the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V342000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 34,600.

My complaint relates to: Manufacturer Recall Number: 23S23 NHTSA Recall Number: 23V342 INTERMITTENT EXPERIENCE OF A REAR CAMERA BLUE ON THE SYNC SCREEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PLACED IN REVERSE and notification that rear parking assistant is disabled. Per January 2024 I received a notification that a remedy is available (replacement of rear camera and software update of SYNC). The dealership was not able to perform the remedy as they told me that the Accessory Protocol Interface Module (APIM) showed error codes and could not be updated. I was told to replace the APIM on my own expenses of ~$1,800. I am not willing to pay for a hardware replacement as I strongly believe that the APIM was defected by two prior updates: 1. prior effort of Ford to solve blue screen issue via software update and 2. a subsequent botched Over-The-Air update to version 22251 which is know to having bugs and causing APIM issues according to various Internet forums: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] So I have a security relevant recall that won't be fixed unless I pay. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

When driving at low speed, every uneven thing in the road surface creates a low resonating frequency sound (deep base) through out the cabin.

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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The startrover run clutch or whatever went out and they said it was bumper to bumper, not powertrain warranty! Don’t make any sense to me , the starter has to dtart everthing for there to be power and it’s attached to everything that’s powertrain related!

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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

My digital dash would get wavy and flickery with lines through it almost like the LEDs in the screen we're going bad. They made lines going across which made it hard to read the speedometer. Since I brought this up it's been two or three times that I've tried to have them look at it and they finally saw what was going on and they decided that they were going to replace the instrument cluster in the dash and since they replaced it it has been fine. Also I am on battery number for due to the vehicle going in battery saver mode every time the battery starts to go bad and Ford has yet to figure out what is going on with my vehicle that is causing me to have bad batteries and causing it to go in the battery saver mode to preserve power within hours of the vehicle having been driven.

The rear windshield shattered as I was driving. I did not hit anything, nor did anything hit the rear window. The temperature is -3. I had the defroster on and think the extreme cold mixed with the defroster caused the window to shatter. Is the glass faulty? Or the defroster?

P25B4- TURBOCHARGER/SUPERCHARGER WASTE GATE (A) STUCK CLOSED P0299- TURBOCHARGER/SUPERCHARGER UNDERBOOST POWERTRAIN AND 4-WHEEL DRIVE IN-OPERABLE, TURNED ON VEHICLE TO DRIVE AND IMMEDIATELY THREW THE TWO CODES ABOVE. FORD SAYS THIS IS NOT A COVERED ISSUE.

FELT LINER ON THE BOTTOM OF VEHICLE HAS COME OFF WHILE DRIVING 3X. IN SNOW AND RAIN WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES THE FELT LINER GETS WET AND HEAVY AND TIED UP IN THE TIRES. THE DESIGN AS WELL AS THE BOLTS CONTINUOUSLY FAIL.

I am writing to provide an update on the status of the recall (23V675) repair for my vehicle. Over a year ago, I was notified of a safety recall that affects my vehicle, making it unsafe by the standards set by the NHTSA. This issue, if not addressed, could cause a loss of the vehicle's forward power and significantly increases the risk of a crash or injury. Since receiving the recall notice, I have made multiple attempts to schedule the repair with the local ford dealership. Despite my efforts, I am still waiting for the necessary parts to become available, and the dealerships have been unable to provide specific date for when the repair will completed. I am concerned about continuing to drive a vehicle that is currently considered unsafe and poses a heightened risk to myself and others on the road. I am seeking assistance or guidance you may be able to provide to expedite the repair process and ensure that this safety issue is resolved as soon as possible. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your prompt response.

My vehicle, a 2021 Ford Explorer ST, still hasn't had NHTSA Safety Recall 23V675 repaired. Even though the parts for the repair have been available to the Dealer for almost a year or more, they can't do the repair because they don't have the special tools required for the repair. The Ford Motor Corporation hasn't provided the Dealership with the tools. I've checked other Ford Dealerships in my area and they too say that they don't have the tools needed to do the repair and they can't get them from Ford Motors. I've called Ford Motors to complain and they tell me it's the Dealerships problem as the parts are available to the Dealerships. I've asked to speak to management but they won't let me. So, over a year has gone by and still no tools have been sent to my Dealership, Chuck Stevens Ford in Bay Minette, Alabama.

With the Ford Intelli-Cruise enabled in settings, the vehicle automatically adjust the speed while using the cruise control. The vehicle will randomly, quickly, accellerate to a extreme new speed limit it thinks it has detected. For instance, several times while travelling on I-81, with a 70mph speed limit, the vehicle will think the new speed limit is suddenly 85mph and quickly accelerate to that speed. I have attached a photo of the dash displaying that setting the car set by itself. On the flip side, once on I-81, it thought the speed limit was 35mph and quickly slammed on the brakes to slow to 35mph from 70mph. Both are quickly overridden by the driver tapping the brake and cancelling the cruise control. However, both could lead to hazards to other drivers potentially resulting in a wreck, especially the sudden slow to 35mph on the interestate. The dealership says "Yea, it happens and people complain". I have no idea why the speed changes, there are no road signs or other indications to even cause the system to re-evaluate its settings. Ford says Intelli-Cruise uses road signage and other ways to also determine speed (whatever that means). This is a safety issue that needs to be remedied by Ford. However, without NHTSA enforcement, they don't seem interested in resolution. (This website isn't allowing me to upload the .jpg file, upload button disappears when I click it)

While making a left turn on a city street there was a loud bang noise and a sudden shift of the rear of the car. The bang noise was immediately followed by a loud grinding noise (sounded like metal on metal). There was a sudden loss in power, and I was only able to drive the car a short distance to get to the side of the street. When the car was put in park, the car rolled downhill without resistance. The car was towed to a Ford dealer for repairs. The dealer's repair shop drained the fluid from the rear differential and found "large chunks of metal." The repair required the replacement of the rear differential. Had this event occured on a busy street, it could have resulted in a vehicle accident. The loss of vehicle control when the vehicle was placed in "park" could have also been a safety risk. This event is similar to the Ford recall of the Explorer for a rear axel bolt fracture (NHTSA recall 23V-199 and 22V-255). My vehicle VIN # has not been added to the recall list, therefore, Ford has refused to consider reimbursement for the cost of the repairs. I would like the NHTSA to consider adding my VIN# to the recall for this design defect.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, the vehicle suddenly shifted into park, after which the vehicle went into LIMP mode. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle was unable to shift out of park and displayed the "Automatic Emergency Braking Unavailable" message. The traction control, start-to-stop, and hill start assist warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 30,500.

See attached document for complaint