2018 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle shuddered and hesitated to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while driving with Adaptive Cruise Control mode engaged. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission fluid was flushed. The contact stated that the failure recurred increasingly after 4,000 miles. The contact stated while at a complete stop and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle shuddered significantly as if the vehicle was attempting to drive forward. The contact stated that he applied more pressure on the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 115,631.

Driver door keypad detacted from pillar. Rear lift gate will not open with button on lift gate, key fob or switch in dash board.

Torque converter issues as outlined here: [XXX] Almost was in accident due to loss of power and slow take off from issue with transmission torque converter. Engine shaking bad when in drive or reverse while stopped. Caused two motor mounts to be damaged. One split open and leaked fluid. Those have already been replaced. Less than 60k miles this should not be an issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I purchased this used vehicle from Carmax 1/2022. Prior to my purchase it was a fleet vehicle. On 09/18/2023 I experienced EcoBoost engine failure.Mileage is currently roughly 49k. Incident occured 2 months outside of Powertrain warranty. The engine light would come on intermittently when driving. Took the car for a diagnostic to diagnose issue and had #3 ignition coil replaced due to misfire message. Few days later, light would come back on. After 3rd time of me going back and forth to the repair shop because of the light coming back on and vehicle drive not being as smooth as it usually is, I took the car to Ford dealer service center, where I was advised that this is a known issue, but no recall has been issued at this time. In addition, I was told that this engine is on back order and will not ship out until March 2024. A loaner car has not been provided and my extended warranty covers 5 days at $35/day, that is it. I will be without a vehicle for 6 months. Prior to this incident in 2022 I had a transmission issue. Powertrain warranty was still in effect so Ford covered it. I was without a vehicle for about 3 weeks for that repair. This has been a very dissapointing experience for a vehicle that is 5 years old and under 50k miles.

Torque converter and transmission problems cause the vehicle to stutter upon acceleration or not accelerate at all. Gear shifts can be erratic. No CEL or DTCs appear in the OBD system. I was barely able to proceed through an intersection until the transmission finally engaged fully and I was able to accelerate correctly. Ford is aware of the problem as proven by TSBs 20B27 and 20N07 but refuse to fix my vehicle as I am just outside of the expiration window and apparently my VNI does not fall within the TSB program, even though my car's problems are identical to the TSB description. This transmission problem is a huge safety concern for anyone driving Ford's using the 6F35 transmissions. The contact stated it was confirmed the torque converter failed and shed debris throughout the entire transmission. This cause multiple non-accelerations at stop signs and red lights, gear slipping when trying to accelerate, failure to engage first gear, and random RPM drops while lightly accelerating.

Windshield molding is defective due to cracking and splitting. Whistling sounds while driving. Danger of molding coming off and causing an accident. I took it to the dealer and having it replaced. Very costly. I understand this is under investigation but not recalled yet. Please advise.

Windsheild trim is breaking into pieces on the sides and coming off.The bottom trim going across the hood is getting wavy and cracking and not laying flat on the surface anymore. It is also starting to break away. Dealer said no repairs for this are covered under warranty and if I want it fixed its very expensive.

Cowl trim on front windshield is detaching from the windshield and flapping while vehicle in operation. Concerned this will fly off the vehicle snd possibly land on another traveling vehicle and possibly cause an accident. This just started making a buzzing noise approximately two weeks ago and after further investigation the trim is literally coming off the windshield in pieces. No warning lights just a noise from the dash. Pictures can be provided.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front windshield was disintegrating. There were no warning lights illuminated. While driving, the contact detected that there was an abnormal chirping noise and wind entering the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had gradually progressed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the cowl screen panel needed to be replaced. The sealant around the windshield had disintegrated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the repair was not covered under the warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her husband was reversing from the garage, the liftgate malfunctioned and opened. The driver opened the driver's side door and struck the door frame. The door frame was damaged. There were no warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the liftgate failed to open. The contact had to place the vehicle in the park position for the tailgate to open. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000.