2020 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

The transmission developed a harsh engagement from part to reverse and a harsh downshift when decelerating. The vehicle would frequently not change gears at highway speeds.Inspection showed that the transmission pan was full but fluid was burnt.

On 1/11/2026 while was driving vehicle started making screeching sound. Stopped vehicle and a bolt came off from the rear arm of vehicle and unit was towed for service, which at this moment Ford dealer claimed could not not find any recall notice on file. After researching the internet came across recall 21S11 re Rear Lower Control Arm Bolts May Break announced 3/10/2021.

I was driving my vehicle that was just over 5 years old with just over 38,000 miles on the highway out of state for a family wedding with my 3 children and wife. There were no safety lights or indications of any malfunction, but upon acceleration the transmission “was not engaging” and it would not shift up to increase speed. I pulled to the far lane and upon down shifting the vehicle was jerking forward. After getting off the next exit, the vehicle would not engage between gears and speed up. This put my family with 3 kids under 7 at extreme risk and left us stranded out of state with minimal options. The car needed to be towed and arrangements needed to be made for our family and all belongings packed in the car. It was determined that the transmission was in need of full rebuild or replacement and advised to contact Ford as it may be under warranty. My powertrain warranty was 5yrs and 60,000 miles and Ford after 2 weeks of trying to get someone to contact me back stated it’s no longer under warranty and there is nothing they can do - even with a vehicle with 38,400 miles. I received a few quotes and Ford wanted nearly $11,000 to replace. I chose to have the transmission rebuilt due to the cost and still making car payments on the vehicle. This is a known issue with this transmission. Ford has sent out reimbursements for other Explorers, but my VIN is not included in them.

The 2nd row seat folding buttons have been malfunctioning for years and folding unexpectedly but Ford would simply say that it was user error causing it to stick. In June of 2025 I received a recall for the issue stating the buttons on the second row may bind or stick. The notice said the parts werent available and that I would be notified again by Ford when the parts came in to schedule a service appointment to complete the repairs free of charge. However, the notice was misleading because when the follow up notice came it stated "Following an inspection/replacement, dealers will ensure proper operation of the switch free of charge." When the dealer came to service the vehicle they inspected the buttons and said that they "looked fine" and offered to dust the buttons off. After they left, the seats continued to sporadically fold until finally one day I went to remove my daughter's car seat to a booster and the seat kept folding as I went back and forth to remove the old seat and install the new one. I was able to record a video of the seat folding repeatedly and reached back out to the dealership. The dealership came out did an inspection and took the parts from the vehicle. They claimed they would resubmit the issue to Ford to approve the parts under the recall and/or the manager was willing to pay out of pocket for them. Jordan Ford insisted removing the parts so that the seats wouldn't unexpectedly fold on my daughter. They didn't know if the issue was mechanical, electrical, or something else. It's now Jan/2026 and they are refusing to take my calls and to give me back my parts or even an estimate if I have to pay out of pocket instead of the wires being exposed without a cover. It's probably not a great idea to drive with the windows down or the sunroof. The condensation from humidity will and/or has gotten into the seats by now. There are other components like the seat warmer and air bag sensor near this. Safety Recall Notice 25S67 / NHTSA Recall 25V393

Transmission randomly kicks out of gear causing a grinding noise and loss of acceleration. This is the second transmission that has been put in this vehicle due to the same issue. No warning lamps. No codes stored. Each time it has happened has been merging on or off of a highway/interstate causing me to almost be in a rear end collision.

I have a leaking antenna (likely the "shark fin" or roof antenna base) on my 2020 Ford Explorer. This has caused significant electrical issues, leading to safety concerns like malfunctioning lights, infotainment, or even stalling, the water shorting wiring harnesses or modules located in the roof or headliner area. This should be a recall, but rather it is a known problem where water intrusion damages sensitive electronics, necessitating immediate professional inspection and repair to prevent further damage and ensure safety, as electrical failures can be dangerous. My GPS and satellite do not work because of this and I am being charged significantly by the dealership because I have to repair this or the damage will become more severe. The antenna's base seal can fail, allowing water to seep into the roof, drip down the pillars, and saturate the headliner and wiring harnesses. Common Symptoms: Interior lights, instrument cluster, or dashboard warnings. SYNC system freezing or failing. Windows, locks, or other accessories malfunctioning. Even potential water on the front passenger floor. Safety Risks: Loss of Control!!!!!!! Malfunctioning lights (headlights, brake lights) or sudden power loss can create dangerous driving conditions. Reduced Visibility: Issues with the infotainment screen or instrument cluster can distract the driver. System Failures: Critical safety systems, if affected by water, could fail unexpectedly. I barely get car washes or anything. This is certainly a manufacturers issue & poor design or cheap casing/ seals that leak and corrode too easily. This problem is a known weakness for the 2020 Explorer, often requiring a thorough inspection beyond just the antenna itself, as water can travel far from the entry point. And sure enough I have plenty of damage that I should not have to pay for. This is not a fluke, there are forums all across the internet about this. Please help! This is truly unfair to the customers.

Over the past few years, the headlights will intermittently go out when driving. The problem usually resolves itself the next time the vehicle is started. However, over the past couple weeks, both drivers side low beams have gone out and stayed out a well as one passenger side low beam. This happened while my wife was driving through a snow storm, so you can imagine how fun that drive was. I’ve contacted ford, as I can see this is a known problem with these LED headlights by reading forums and talking to other owners. Their answer is simple, pay us 5k to replace the headlight! No thanks, this is a known issue with their product and shouldn’t be placing the onus on the consumer. To make it worse, it’s obviously a HUGE safety risk to be driving without headlights!!! Since the latest incident, the lights have not come back on, forcing us to not use our main family vehicle at night. When the lights go out, it alerts and just says “check headlamp system”.

On December 26, at approximately 7:08 p.m., I was driving on the Belt Parkway during a snowstorm. I was traveling in the middle lane and began to safely change lanes to the right. During the lane change, the vehicle’s four-wheel-drive system suddenly displayed an error and appeared to malfunction. Immediately after this occurred, I lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle veered to the right, struck the median, and flipped over twice before coming to rest on its side. Prior to the system error, I was operating the vehicle normally and driving cautiously given the weather conditions. The loss of control occurred abruptly and without warning.

Vehicle did not want to shift above 35 mph. When letting off gas - harsh downshift (with no break lights) at 25mph. Diagnosed transmission problem - repaired- Ford dealership rebuilt transmission. No warnings or messages prior to failure.

Passenger side Headlight low beam went out. Dealer says it’s $1500 because whole headlight assembly must be replaced instead of a bulb. We live off of social security, so of course we don’t have the money for this. Now we can’t drive at night and we both have medical problems. This is both worrisome and dangerous. After some research, this is a recurring issue, especially for Platinums.