NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2022 Ford Explorer. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
I have not had an incident but i was told by a Ford dealership that a recall would be applicable to my 2022 Ford Explorer ST-Line, 2.3L engine. The dealer stated that the rear suspension cross member only has one bolt. Ford put out notification to all dealers several months ago that that one bolt may fracture possibly causing the vehicle to not stay stopped while in Park. A fix was to have been provided to dealers in June. I have not received any recall notification as of this date, 31 Aug. Please research this to see if my vehicle is indeed affected by this issue. Thank you.
SUV not going into reverse for 3-5 seconds. Car rolls forward for those 3-5 seconds, sometimes up to 20 feet depending on the slope.
APIM Module failure at 148 miles on a brand new 2022 Explorer XLT. SYNC display went black. No response to touch. No warning lamps or alerts. Radio still plays and can be controlled by steering wheel controls. Contacted dealer and they said to disconnect negative battery terminal for more than 30 minutes. Performed requested action. Display is still dark. No reverse camera or safety (ADAS) functions. Took it to dealer again and they ran diagnostics to determine APIM module failure. So now I have a brand new Explorer with reduced safety features and no center console display. I cannot control any ADAS or radio features. Dealer has no estimated timeline for repair. Dealer also stated that they are getting APIM module failures DAILY.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his fiancé was at a complete stop, the auto-hold mode designed to maintain the brake pedal depressed was engaged. However, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly and crashed into the rear of the vehicle in front of him. There was no warning light illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated it was a minor crash. The contact's fiancé did not sustain any injuries. The driver of the other vehicle sustained unknown injuries and sought medical assistance. A police report was filed. The contact's fiancé was able to drive the vehicle. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 9,980.
Today, in my 2 month old 2022 Ford Explorer ST. The latch that holds/locks the hood (over engine) broke while driving 25 mph on city street and the hood smashed into my front windshield. I have never opened the hood since purchasing the vehicle and the hood ajar light never lite up until after it smashed into my windshield. I took the car to Ford Service and they are deferring responsibility. Even if I wanted to open the hood, I would have to pull the open lever upwards six inches twice to open (which I never did). And even if I accidently opened the hood, the door ajar light should have turned on, which it did not. This was very scary and I am very fortunate I did not run into another vehicle or object since it blocked all viability.
On July 10th, 3:45 pm, after being parked in a parking lot for an hour in the sun, I opened the rear driver side door, the moonroof made a "pop" sound, then glass showered down. The glass popped UP, not down, and we were not in motion. Nor had we heard any impacts while driving at any time previously.
I can hear the fuel in my gas tank "sloshing" around. It is most obvious at slower speed when backing and pulling forward. I would assume there are some sort of "baffles" missing in the fuel tank. I have had the "sloshing" sounds confirmed by the local Ford dealer's service department. They say they can not resolve the matter. In Jan 2003, I reported the issue to Ford Customer Service (Case #4069-6889). I am not sure this situation presents a safety hazard but wanted to report it to NHTSA for consideration, and for the record. Thank you.
On four occasions over the past 30 days the vehicle has simply lost power while driving. No acceleration and the vehicle coasts to a stop and will not restart. On a few occasions it restarted after some time. Just shutdown while driving down the road. The third time it happened we took to the dealer and they claimed to fix a fuel pump module. It happened again a few days later. Took it back to the dealer and they claimed it was just low on gas even though it’s happened four times and there was gas in the tank. Took it home from the dealer a second time and simply ran it in the driveway for ten minutes and the engine stopped. Tried a second time and same result. Wouldn’t start again for 10 minutes.
Since new the vehicle intermittently fails to shift in or out of reverse instead going to neutral and free rolling. Cycling the shift selected multiple times or performing a battery reset temporarily resolves the issue. This results in the vehicle being unable to move out of the roadway when backing onto a road.
Purchased car 5/31/22 from Apple Ford, 8800 Stanford Blvd, Columbia MD 21045. Started hearing sounds of rodent infestation 2 days later. Sporadic scurrying sounds that seemed to be coming from metal frame area above headliner in the car. Have recorded the sounds and attempted to share this verification of infestation with dealership, to no avail. As disabled vet w/anxiety/ptsd, scurrying sounds are unnerving, rodents are known to cause wiring damage which affects vehicle safety, sudden emergence of rodents when operating vehicle is additional safety hazard to myself, my passengers and others. Dealership removed headliner and stated no indication of rodents found. I repeatedly notified dealer the sound is one of clawing/scurrying on metal and that I have video evidence that verifies rodent infestation. So far, there are no warning lights, etc or other symptoms of the problem.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the Forward Collision Avoidance system activated without incident. The contact also stated that the Back Over Prevention camera would display several errors while in use. Additionally, the thermostat would indicate the wrong vehicle temperature causing the engine hot warning message to appear on the instrument panel. The thermostat and the Back Over Prevention camera sensors were both replaced. The Forward Collision Avoidance sensors were also replaced; however, the failure returned a month after repair. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 7,700.
Since I've purchase my vehicle in May 2022, the back up camera has presented a black or blue screen. Ford has not found a solution in over a year. Prior to purchase I was not informed of this issue.
Brand new 2022 Ford Explorer Timberline purchased May 14th of this year. While accelerating, our vehicle is giving off strong exhaust fumes through the cabin. The fowl odor coming through the vents made a Carbon monoxide monitor go off. The smells have been intermittent and have no rhyme or reason when this occurs, but only when we are driving wether it's on the freeways, or through residential areas. This has been a consumer safety concern while driving my family around in fumes, since we purchased the vehicle, and to include we've made 8 trips to the dealership and they've attempted to pin point and rectify our complaint and unfortunatley haven't been successful. It has been to another dealership for a second opinion, and they have too, smelled the odors while driving but didn't inspect further. The vehicle only has 5700 miles on it and is not safe to drive. It is back at the dealership we purchased it from, and further diagnosing has been conducted, but the service manager claims they have found no leaks. They also replaced two components under warranty that haven't been related to our complaint.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine randomly disconnected from the transmission and the vehicle started idling while losing motive power while attempting to accelerate. During the failure the message "Brake Applied; Power Reduced" was displayed. The contact indicated that the failure occurred on six separate occasions and lasted approximately four minutes each time. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the brake sensors, but the failure continued to occur. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 1,200.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle and attempting to roll up the window, the rear passenger’s side window failed to operate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the wiring harness needed to be repaired, the window was very hot, and the battery needed to be replaced. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 7,420.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V088000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and an appointment was scheduled to determine whether the vehicle was safe to drive. 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 and informed the contact that they were focusing on repairing the unsold vehicles first. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The contact stated upon refueling in the vehicle, the fuel shut-off valve failed to stop fuel from being pumped when the gas tank was full, causing a fuel leak. The failure mileage was approximately 1,400. Parts distribution disconnect.
The passenger side front seatbelt was not bolted to anchor.
While at a gas station I opened the hood to check the oil, and the hood folded backwards far enough to contact, and destroy the windshield. My wife was cleaning the windshield at the time, and narrowly avoided having her hand/forearm severely injured by the hood. This is not supposed to happen. Whatever mechanism that is meant to prevent an incident like this was either defective, or non existent.
Ford released a bulletin - 22S27- to all dealers to immediately stop demo/delivery for all new Explorers in stock as of 4/19/22. At issue is a possibility of a fractured bolt that causes the differential to separate and cause "severe vibration" rendering the vehicle disabled. No fix was mentioned other than a software update possibly by the end of June 22 (2d qtr). This is serious if dealers are told to stop delivery! I just got mine in the beginning of April. Ford needs to step up and address this to ALL owners and not just dealers. It appears that Ford is waiting for failure of the parts before allowing any repairs. So far, only software is mentioned which supposedly throttles the engine to avoid putting stress on the rear end. This of course does NOT address the physical issue with a fractured bolt. Apparently, Ford redesigned the differential to use only one bolt vs two they had used earlier. Please pursue this as soon as possible with Ford to make them put out an emergency recall to resolve this very serious defect in manufacturing. Normally, recalls are for something that can be addressed eventually based on reported issues. However, there have not been that many incidents. For Ford to issue this notice to dealers indicates the seriousness or expected seriousnes. Thank you for your attention!
This is my second submission. I will continue to submit to attempt to have NHTSA find out why FORD will only offer a software tweak to fix a very dangerous physical issue with all 20-22 Ford Explorers. Ford provided Advance Notice 22S27 to dealers dated 4/19/22 advising them to STOP delivery of any in stock Explorer due to a possible bolt fracture on the rear subframe which if cracked will disable the vehicle. Their "fix" is a software update that will reduce power to avoid acceleration which will put stress on the bolt. Ford decided to remove the second bolt from all the Explorers which subsequently will put stress on the one bolt they left intact. Ford needs to recall and put that bolt back on the subframe as the vehicle was originally designed to have. Please, please address this issue with Ford to make them fix the physical issue!
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V255000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer 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. Parts distribution disconnect.
We purchased our 2022 Ford Explorer brand new on April 12, 2022. The backup camera was nonfunctional that same evening. We brought the car to Porter Ford, where the issue was confirmed via diagnostic code U0264:00 ("Lost Communication With Camera Module Rear"). The dealership informed us that this was tied to a known recall, but that the necessary parts were unavailable. We waited more than two years for a resolution, during which time the camera system remained inoperable or intermittently failed. This defect directly impacts rear visibility, which is required under FMVSS 111. In August 2024, Willis Ford performed Recall 23S23, replacing the rear camera and wiring harness. The issue continued. In May 2024, they opened Recall 23S232, again noting a need for parts. In September 2024, the camera was replaced again. The issue persisted. In June 2025, the issue was finally diagnosed as a failed IPMB module and possibly a harness fault. Ford has since quoted us $2,937.90 to repair the issue—despite written confirmation from the service advisor to Ford that: "If the vehicle was still under warranty, this repair would be covered." We have not paid anything, and are refusing partial coverage, as the defect was: Reported within 24 hours of vehicle delivery Tied to multiple recalls Never resolved after years of authorized service center attempts This is a clear and ongoing safety defect affecting rear visibility. Ford has failed to comply with safety standards by not resolving the issue in a timely or effective manner. We request NHTSA investigation into Ford’s handling of this camera recall and similar issues in other 2022 Explorers.
The windshield just cracked on its own no rock hit it. I rolled down side window to order food and when I rolled it up it spread all over and now leaking inside windshield. Also driving with side windows down the windows vibrate very shaky it doesn’t do that in any other vehicle f150 doesn’t vibrate at all.
Ford Explorer XLT 2022. Wind noise at highway speed 55 mph up. Both Front doors. 1FMSK7DHXNGA12761
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V342000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while attempting to use the rear-view camera, a blue screen was displayed. The contact stated there was message on the instrument panel that the rear camera failed to operate as intended. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that parts were limited. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Rear liftgate intermittently and randomly opens when standing or walking near the rear, the rear left, or the rear right of the vehicle. In each situation the key is on my person (pocket or purse) and the key fob is not being engaged in any manner. I purchased my vehicle in January 2022 and it has happened more than a dozen times since I purchased it. I have concerns if it opens and I don't realize it and when my pets are in the back in case they were to jump out. It doesn't seem to matter whether the vehicle is locked or unlocked. It has happened while pumping gas and the vehicle was unlocked, it has happened while walking to the driver side rear passenger door to retrieve an item when the car was locked. On more than one occasion, it has randomly closed on me when standing under the liftgate while removing items from the back of the vehicle and hit me on the head. While researching this problem, it seems to be a common problem with any vehicle that has an electronic liftgate going back many many years. Multiple makes and models have reportedly had the same issue. I don't want it to open while driving as one other person reported as happening to them. The dealership had no idea how to fix the problem.