2020 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

I had a really disappointing experience at Delta Sonic Car Wash in [XXX] and feel like other customers should be aware. During my visit, an employee used a pressure washer on my windshield before I entered the wash. This caused small debris to stick to the glass, and instead of being removed, it stayed on my windshield as my car went through the wash. The equipment then dragged that debris across the glass, leaving a deep scratch about 8 inches long. My windshield was only 2 months old and in perfect condition before this. I reported the damage immediately on-site, but my claim was denied. There was no real accountability, no effort to make it right—just a flat refusal. What makes this even more frustrating is that my fiancé and I have been loyal customers for years. We’ve spent hundreds here and have had memberships every winter since 2018. Because of how this was handled, we have now canceled our membership and have urged others to do the same. Also worth noting—many of the reviews here focus heavily on the food and not the car wash itself, which I now find misleading based on my experience. I understand that accidents can happen, but how a business handles those situations matters. In this case, the damage was caused by their process, and they still chose not to take responsibility. I would recommend taking photos of your vehicle before entering or reconsidering using this location altogether. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Sunroof liner is sagging, blocking rear vision. Currently unable to use sunroof unless I pay 4k for repairs.

The chrome overlay on the driver side interior door handle is chipping and caused an injury to my finger. The chipped chrome broke off and became wedged in my skin and also resulted in a 0.5in scratch. The injury was extremely painful and required medical attention to remove the broken chrome chip that was lodged in my finger.

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.

Vehicle Issue Description – 2020 Ford Explorer Limited (Transmission Failure) The issue involves the transmission system in a 2020 Ford Explorer Limited. The transmission began exhibiting hard and erratic shifting, particularly between lower gears and when decelerating to a stop. A within days experienced complete failure, leaving the vehicle unable to properly move or engage gears. There were no warning lights, messages, or dashboard indicators at any point prior to the failure. This lack of warning prevented any opportunity to address the issue before it became severe. This failure created a significant safety risk, as the vehicle became unreliable in traffic conditions. Hard shifting and delayed engagement made it difficult to predict acceleration and deceleration, increasing the risk of being rear-ended or unable to safely merge into traffic. The final failure rendered the vehicle inoperable, which could have been dangerous if it occurred in a high-traffic or unsafe location. The problem appears consistent with known transmission issues reported by other owners of 2020 Ford Explorers, including hard shifting, jerking, hesitation between gears, and sudden loss of drivability. ? Many drivers report similar symptoms progressing to severe transmission problems or complete failure. At this time: •Confirmation by dealer or service center: 3/18/26 Despite the number of similar complaints and documented issues, there has not been a specific recall issued for the transmission system itself, although other drivetrain-related recalls (such as rear axle or driveline failures) have been issued for this model year. ? Based on the pattern of symptoms and widespread reports, this appears to be a systemic issue affecting the transmission in this model year, rather than an isolated incident.

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.

I previously reported a safety issue re. Brakes not working in park. Vehicle rolled back and car almost hit mom and young daughter walking behind vehicle in parking lot. When I brought it to BellFord in [XXX] they told me it was not covered under the recall since it wasn’t being caused by rear axle. Instead they wanted to charge me $3,000 to diagnose their manufacturing defect. In addition when I notified Ford rep who never said anything other then I must get car diagnosed and pay for it and then “we will see .” Ford complaint XXX and I believe this is the NHTSA Complaint # XXX. Here is my initial Ford complaint Cxh-XXX was closed without explanation no one could tell me why no one had contacted me. I am very concerned that Ford is not taking responsibility for defective cars. My car now has only 47k. Brake issue. I had to replace front boots due to leaking and front axle was leaking. I had that fixed and now rear back up camera isn’t working. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Rear view camera 360 camera when backing up is going to a blue or black screen. When it’s not going black or blue the image is very grainy and hard to see image while backing up.

I've received more than one recall notice from Ford (Recall Number: 25S09) but ever time I contact my dealer to schedule service, they say that Ford has not released the parts. I'm very concerned since this is a SAFETY recall. I'm also baffled because the letter says it's a "improperly torqued" fastener. I don't understand why they need parts for that. But what the heck do I know? Please help!

Transmission had hard downshifts, whining, would.not change gears intermittently and would clunk when going into reverse or drive. Upon inspection at the dealership, the fluid was burnt and there were chunks of gears in the transmission pan.