2020 Ford Explorer problems and complaints
Owners have filed 1233 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Ford Explorer. The most-reported areas: Power Train (496), Unknown Or Other (207), Electrical System (185).
Key takeaways
- 1233 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 37 involve a crash, 10 a fire, 38 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 496 | 40% |
| Unknown Or Other | 207 | 17% |
| Electrical System | 185 | 15% |
| Engine | 117 | 9% |
| Back Over Prevention | 104 | 8% |
| Service Brakes | 84 | 7% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 69 | 6% |
| Visibility/Wiper | 57 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 56 | 5% |
| Structure | 45 | 4% |
| Seats | 40 | 3% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 40 | 3% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Ford Explorer SUV 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2020 Ford Explorer SUV RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Exterior Lighting - filed 2026-10-15
Headlight went out.
Power Train,engine - filed 2026-10-15
My transmission had been getting increasingly jerky (was never a smooth ride since it was new). At 55k miles, I was driving down the road and my car started to jerk roughly and would not shift gears. It would go and jerk, hard, like I hit something. We made it home but the next day it was even worse. I noted it was jer...
Power Train,electrical System - filed 2026-10-14
When I am driving, every now and then there is a grinding/electrocution noise that my vehicle makes. When that happens, I lose all acceleration power until the episode stops then it seems like it kicks back into gear.
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More for the 2020 Ford Explorer
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.