2021 Ford Explorer Reliability Report

The rearview camera shows a blue or black screen in reverse, first now and then and later every time for some owners. Most reports fall between about 28,000 and 36,000 miles. Many owners got the recall notice but were told repair parts were not available, sometimes long after notification. Some say rear automatic braking and parking alerts fail along with the camera. One dealer said the APIM module could not be updated and quoted about $1,800 to replace it. Others found their VIN left out of the recall despite the same symptoms.

Catastrophic engine failure is the main pattern, sometimes at low mileage. Dealers report metal in the oil, a failed valve keeper dropping an intake valve into a cylinder, fractured timing chains, and coolant in the oil from a leaking internal water pump. Replacement quotes reach $11,000 to $12,000. Blue-gray smoke on cold start and blown turbos also show up, and one replaced engine kept smoking. Other reports cover fuel diluting the oil, oil leaks, and exhaust odor through the vents. Some owners paid for engines because their VIN fell outside an engine recall.

Exterior trim comes loose, including door cladding, A-pillar and B-pillar trim, and door L-trim, sometimes at highway speed. In one case loose cladding lodged in a wheel well and sliced a tire at 75 MPH. Roof rails and roof trim loosen or blow off. Sunroof drains clog and send water into the cabin, and one headliner had mold behind it. Single reports describe the hood flying up while driving, a gap between body and frame, and cracking panels next to the windows. Some owners found their VIN excluded from a trim recall.

Software added with the rear axle bolt recall makes the electric parking brake release late, so the car jerks forward or backward when shifted into gear, and owners describe collisions and near misses. One car rolled down an incline while in park with the parking brake set. Other reports cover brakes that suddenly lose stopping power, rear wheels locking, a sticking pedal traced to a failed power brake booster on back order, an ABS module replacement that did not cure the problem, and harsh braking from adaptive cruise.

Second-row seats slide or fold forward unexpectedly while driving, sometimes with children in them, and the recall repair has been held up by unavailable parts. Third-row power seats freeze partly folded or can lock and pin a passenger, and one dealer called a failed seat control unit a known issue after the warranty ran out. In one crash report, both front seats dropped fully reclined in a rear-end collision. Other reports describe a front passenger seat heater causing burns and a loose, rattling second-row captain's chair.

Deploying airbags cause burns and serious injuries in two crash reports, including eye injuries to a passenger after a deer strike. An airbag warning light comes on and then clears, leaving a stored code that one dealer struggled to diagnose and tied to a wiring harness and a driver's seat airbag fault. One owner found cracked clips leaving the dashboard unattached to the frame. Another crash report in this category describes sudden acceleration at a stop light rather than an airbag failure.

Automatic braking engages with nothing ahead, cutting speed sharply and nearly causing rear-end collisions. Adaptive cruise drops highway speed to the frontage road limit, from 65 or 70 mph down to 40. In one injury crash, the car turned sharply into a telephone pole at 25 MPH while evasive steering assist was engaged and the driver lost steering control. Another owner lost the warning sounds for collision, cross traffic, and parking sensors when the audio control module failed, and the replacement brought new speaker problems.