2023 Ford Explorer Reliability Report

Sudden loss of power is the core problem. Cars stall, refuse to start, keep most doors locked, or light up a string of warnings for steering, shifting, traction control, and the parking brake. Dealers traced several cases to the main wiring harness or a ground wire, at mileages from 10,000 to 44,500. One car lost all power at a stop light, then white smoke came from the engine and the fire department was called. Other reports describe black infotainment screens linked to the rear camera recall and failed blind spot and cross-traffic monitors.

Exterior trim and body fasteners come loose. The A-pillar molding blows off at highway speed. In one case it cracked the windshield, and another happened at 60,000 miles. A wheel well liner fell onto the tire because its bracket and bolts were missing, and a rear bumper came loose after a factory hitch install. The sunroof leaks while closed, and one driver door crunched and then would not open, a repair the dealer tied to investigation PE23-013. In another car, a front strut failure at 10,000 miles made the steering veer.

The front suspension knocks, rattles, and clicks, often on the passenger side, and the noise comes back days after dealer visits. Repairs include front struts replaced at 12,555 miles and a cracked stabilizer arm found around 20,000 miles. The most serious report describes the right front suspension collapsing over railroad tracks at under 10 mph. All four airbags deployed, the driver had minor injuries, and insurance totaled the car. There were no warning signs before the collapse.

These complaints are about the rear camera recalls, 23V342000 and 25V442000, and the wait for a fix. The camera shows a black or white screen in Reverse, and the touchscreen can freeze with icons that stop responding. At the same time, the phone app may fail to connect to the car. Every report says recall parts were not available, and owners say the wait has gone past a reasonable time. Two owners had not seen any failure yet and simply could not get the repair done.

The seat belt reminder stops working once the car is moving. Unbuckling a belt while driving brings no light or chime, a problem reported around 5,000 miles. More serious reports describe a second-row belt with loose bolts that was never properly installed at the factory. In another, a middle-row center belt twisted and trapped a child, who struggled to breathe until the family cut the belt free. The loose belt turned up during hail repair, and a dealer confirmed it.

Side airbags burn people when they deploy. Two crash reports describe hot gas venting toward the occupant and burning through clothing. The result was chemical burns, or first- and second-degree burns from the ribs to the hip. Both were side impacts, and the group records 2 injuries. A third crash report describes the opposite failure at 60 mph. No airbag deployed, the driver's belt did not lock, the seat moved, and no pre-collision warning appeared. All 3 complaints involve crashes.

Both complaints describe the car acting on its own. In one, a parked car surged forward and hit a building. Investigators later found a problem with the wire harness and accelerator. In the other, adaptive cruise control braked hard on an empty rural road at dusk. Speed dropped by about 20 MPH, and a red warning flashed too briefly to read. The surge ended in a crash, and the false braking could have caused a rear-end collision.