2022 Ford Explorer Engine Problems

2022 ford explorer with less than 100,000 miles on it. Started getting engine shudders and a check engine light. It’s currently in the shop and I’m being told by the shop and a third party adjuster that I need a whole new engine because there is coolant leaking into the cylinders.

There are three active recall on my car, all of which say there are not remedy available and NHTSA Recall Number 25V455 can cause engine failure that leads to a crash, was reported in July 2025, and STILL has no remedy. The other 2 recalls are NHTSA Recall Number 26V123 and NHTSA Recall Number 26V117.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact’s son started the vehicle and became aware that the "Cylinder Head Temperature Overheated" message was displayed on the instrument panel while the vehicle was parked in the driveway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed that the engine and engine cooling system had failed due to water leaking into the turbo. The dealer stated that the sensor failed to identify and inform the driver that the engine was running hot. The contact became aware that the failure had occurred with the previous owner of the vehicle approximately 2 - 3 years ago. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced, or the turbocharger could be replaced as a temporary repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. Additionally, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the front end of the vehicle, and there was an abnormal gasoline odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the catalytic converter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,378.

The contact owned a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon taking off after yielding to a stop sign, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power in the middle of an intersection. As a result, the vehicle was struck by another vehicle on the rear driver's side door, sending the vehicle careening back through the inspection past the stop sign before coming to a complete stop. All air bags were deployed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The occupants did not immediately receive medical attention but later transported themselves or were transported to area hospitals for evaluation. The contact received a full-body MRI and was treated for whiplash, neck pain, and various bruising caused by the seat belt, while her husband received a CAT scan and was treated for whiplash, neck pain, back pain, and bruising on his arms. Meanwhile, the [XXX] occupant was transported to his primary care physician by his parents and treated for a neck burn caused by the seat belt. The contact also stated that the driver of the other vehicle was transported to an area hospital by EMT but was unaware of her condition or treatment. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was turned off, the contact was notified by the Ford App that the check engine warning light was illuminated and the message “Fuel Door Open" was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle previously had a transmission software update due to the vehicle hesitating to accelerate while driving. Additionally, the speedometer intermittently failed to function as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that there was water intrusion into the body control module fuse panel. The contact was informed that the battery and body control module fuse panel 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 61,500.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he heard an abnormal knocking sound emanating from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the camshaft and timing chain. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 38,000.

On 10/28/2024 at approximately 0515 I was traveling at 51 MPH when my 2022 Ford Explorer King Ranch edition with ~25k miles experienced catastrophic engine failure. The vehicle had no prior indication of failure. No engine light, no warning lights, etc. The vehicle started shaking violently and lost all power. I was able to safely pull to the shoulder of a two-lane road. The vehicle was completely dead and would not start. I am not sure if there was oil or anything leaking as it was dark outside. I called a tow truck and had the car taken to the Ford dealership. After initial inspection, the dealership moved the car to the "heavy maintenance" part of the service department. After a few days, I called to find out what they found and was informed the engine had "thrown a rod" and the entire engine would have to be replaced. After a week and a half, I called back and was told they are still disassembling the engine and their next step will be to submit a "cost cap" to Ford for permission to replace the engine. After researching the issue online, I came across the Safety recall 24V-598 on engine failures in the 3.3L size engine, typically only on police interceptor versions of the Ford Explorer. The information in the recall sounded exactly like what happened to my explorer but was told by the dealer the 3.0L engines were not affected and they had never seen one fail like this. I truly believe the 3.0L engine sizes are affected and the recall should be expanded to include this version of the explorer. I was lucky that I was able to safely drift to the side of the road, however, others may not be that lucky.

I was driving down the highway and my vehicle suddenly lost power and the motor blew up.

When engaging vehicle from park to gear (ex drive, reverse) or from gear into park there is a delay. Meaning vehicle doesn’t engage into drive or reverse when it is placed in that gear, it will take a moment for gear to engage, sometimes resulting in a jerking motion of vehicle. This jerking motion also happens when vehicle is automatically shifting as speed (rpm) increase. There is also a delay when pacing the vehicle from a moving gear into park, there is a delay of vehicle locking into park, sometimes motion is still felt.

4 days after purchase car started shutting off after cranking. Sometimes it would be just once and sometimes it could be up to 4 times within the first 1-2 min of attempted driving. It would re-crank easily each time but by the time you would reach for seatbelt, it would stall. Sometimes you could put it in gear and drive a few yards and it would stall. This only happened with me in the mornings and no more through the day. It has now been with the local Ford dealership for 3 weeks. They replaced a vapor valve that they believe was stuck open within the first day of having it. When I picked it up and cranked it, it shut off again. Twice while I was at dealership so I left it again. Have not gotten back as of today which is 3 weeks now.

I smell exhaust/gas fumes when driving my car. It is a very intense smell. This happens several times a week.

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.