2021 Ford Explorer problems

ENGINE

There was no accident, but very close a few times.when I am stopped at a stop sign or light when I press down on the gas pedal the car hesitates I have to pump the pedal to get the car moving or it would stall in traffic. No check engine light is or has been on. I’ve been to 2 different ford dealerships and after there inspection they claim nothing wrong with my car. It’s already cost me a lot if money. When driving I can feel the car surge likes it’s not getting fuel sufficiently real bad at traveling at or below 50 mph. I’m afraid it will stall and get us t- boned but the mechanics say nothing wrong I disagree there is something wrong. I know another person who had the same problem and he got rid of the car, I can’t afford to do that, please do something to get a recall or something before we’re seriously injured or worse.this started about a year ago and getting worse.

NHTSA complaint #11757170 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

There was no accident, but very close a few times.when I am stopped at a stop sign or light when I press down on the gas pedal the car hesitates I have to pump the pedal to get the car moving or it would stall in traffic. No check engine light is or has been on. I’ve been to 2 different ford dealerships and after there inspection they claim nothing wrong with my car. It’s already cost me a lot if money. When driving I can feel the car surge likes it’s not getting fuel sufficiently real bad at traveling at or below 50 mph. I’m afraid it will stall and get us t- boned but the mechanics say nothing wrong I disagree there is something wrong. I know another person who had the same problem and he got rid of the car, I can’t afford to do that, please do something to get a recall or something before we’re seriously injured or worse.this started about a year ago and getting worse.

NHTSA complaint #11757170 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front windshield wipers were inoperable. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (Visibility). The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that a remedy was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.

NHTSA complaint #11756526 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The intermediate shaft has gone bad on my 5 year old car. Noticed it on 12/11/25 after owning for 1 year. I’m slowing losing oil which then can cause my engine to go out. I have read many things stating other peoples frustration with this $3.59 part going bad in the 2021 ford explorers but to get it fixed you have to drop the entire engine resulting in it costing $1,800. I think ford should be responsible for this and aware to make a better part.

NHTSA complaint #11756607 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission shifted hard. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that a software update was needed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the parking brake engaged each time the vehicle was shifted into park, and the message "Stuck in Park" was displayed on the instrument panel while driving. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed the part was not available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

NHTSA complaint #11756044 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

WHEELS

All 4 tire TPMS sensor have failed. 2 at 67,057 on ~ 2/20/26, 2 at 71,024 miles on ~6/10/26. Car is a 2021. Sensors should not have failed within 5 years of owing the car. I have a 2012 Ford F50m only 1 has failed in over 14 years. Asking consideration for a recall to cover costs.

NHTSA complaint #11753594 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his spouse was attempting to retract the moonroof shade, the shade failed to retract and sagged down, obstructing the driver's visibility of the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the moonroof shade roller clips needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact back to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

NHTSA complaint #11753266 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle unexpectedly rolled forward while the vehicle was in park(P). Due to the failure, the contact was forced to engage the parking brake to prevent the vehicle from rolling forward while in park(P). The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (Visibility) and 26V402000(Power Train); however, the parts to do the recall repair were not available. The dealer was notified of the recalls and confirmed that parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

NHTSA complaint #11752986 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle unexpectedly rolled forward while the vehicle was in park(P). Due to the failure, the contact was forced to engage the parking brake to prevent the vehicle from rolling forward while in park(P). The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (Visibility) and 26V402000(Power Train); however, the parts to do the recall repair were not available. The dealer was notified of the recalls and confirmed that parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

NHTSA complaint #11752986 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

BACK OVER PREVENTION

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle failed to connect or communicate with the computer and module. The dealer informed the contact about a possible diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact the manufacturer was not responsible to cover the diagnostic test. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA complaint #11752671 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Recently my car has had a series lights come on including 4wd fault, pre-colliosion assist not available, service advance trac, hill start assist warning, and something with the brakes when in reverse. I took it to the dealer and they said it's something electrical that will need parts, and further investigation with removing the seats. That will be another day. Today, while driving with my son in the back, I was taking a u-turn on a busy street. The car acted like it switched into neutral (but didn't), and wouldn't accelerate, leaving me inching into traffic at 1 mph with cars going 40mph coming at me. Luckily I was not hit, but easily could have been. I drive almost 60 miles a day for work and this is a safety hazard not just for me, but my family too.

NHTSA complaint #11752237 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Recently my car has had a series lights come on including 4wd fault, pre-colliosion assist not available, service advance trac, hill start assist warning, and something with the brakes when in reverse. I took it to the dealer and they said it's something electrical that will need parts, and further investigation with removing the seats. That will be another day. Today, while driving with my son in the back, I was taking a u-turn on a busy street. The car acted like it switched into neutral (but didn't), and wouldn't accelerate, leaving me inching into traffic at 1 mph with cars going 40mph coming at me. Luckily I was not hit, but easily could have been. I drive almost 60 miles a day for work and this is a safety hazard not just for me, but my family too.

NHTSA complaint #11752237 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

Recently my car has had a series lights come on including 4wd fault, pre-colliosion assist not available, service advance trac, hill start assist warning, and something with the brakes when in reverse. I took it to the dealer and they said it's something electrical that will need parts, and further investigation with removing the seats. That will be another day. Today, while driving with my son in the back, I was taking a u-turn on a busy street. The car acted like it switched into neutral (but didn't), and wouldn't accelerate, leaving me inching into traffic at 1 mph with cars going 40mph coming at me. Luckily I was not hit, but easily could have been. I drive almost 60 miles a day for work and this is a safety hazard not just for me, but my family too.

NHTSA complaint #11752237 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

When i go to accelerate i lost power and then 2 seconds later car would finally go, this has happened several times getting onto freeway or just trying to pass and have almost been rear ended, i took car to dealer and no remedy available still 1 year later, my specific car has had several recalls which is ridiculos, i am not getting any help with my situation

NHTSA complaint #11751556 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

Rear wiper motor stopped working completely. Fuses are good, wires are good, motor is good, it just doesn't work. Water pump works.

NHTSA complaint #11751298 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I parked my car and when I returned to it the car would not start. Diagnosed as a faulty fuel pump. Had this problem occurred while I was driving it could have caused serious injury or death. There is an active recall on fuel pumps for the 2021 Ford Explorer that does not apply to my VIN number so Ford will do nothing to remedy the situation and parts are impossible to find as dealers scramble to fix the vehicles included in the recall.

NHTSA complaint #11751268 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Driving down road and lost power with grinding gears. Vehicle displayed warning on instrument panel briefly. Had to stop in middle of road and shift to park then drive to resume.

NHTSA complaint #11750481 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I am reporting a safety concern involving a delayed transmission gear engagement and delayed rearview camera activation. Intermittently, when shifting the vehicle from Park into Reverse or Drive, there is a noticeable delay before the transmission actually engages the selected gear. During this delay, the rearview camera also fails to activate immediately. Because there is no immediate indication that the requested gear has engaged, I have experienced situations where I believed the vehicle was in Reverse or Drive, but it remained in the previous state for several seconds. In some instances, the transmission engages unexpectedly after the delay, causing the vehicle to move in a direction different from what I anticipated. For example, after selecting Reverse, the vehicle may hesitate before moving, or after changing between Reverse and Drive, the delayed engagement can result in the vehicle moving in the previously engaged direction before finally shifting into the selected gear. This creates a significant safety hazard, particularly when parking, backing out of driveways, or maneuvering in areas with pedestrians or other vehicles. The delayed rearview camera activation further increases the risk because it prevents the driver from immediately seeing behind the vehicle while attempting to reverse. The issue occurs intermittently and without warning, making it difficult to predict. I am concerned that this condition could lead to a crash, property damage, or injury if the vehicle moves unexpectedly due to the delayed gear engagement. I request that NHTSA investigate this issue to determine whether it is related to a transmission, electronic shift control, or software defect affecting the safe operation of the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11750264 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The vehicle has been failing shifting. There is something from with failure to shift. The vehicle won’t accelerate, and slows down in the middle of traffic and the truck has no other problem. I’ve only have it for 3 years with no problems. But this is a big safety issue while driving

NHTSA complaint #11750312 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

I am reporting a safety concern involving a delayed transmission gear engagement and delayed rearview camera activation. Intermittently, when shifting the vehicle from Park into Reverse or Drive, there is a noticeable delay before the transmission actually engages the selected gear. During this delay, the rearview camera also fails to activate immediately. Because there is no immediate indication that the requested gear has engaged, I have experienced situations where I believed the vehicle was in Reverse or Drive, but it remained in the previous state for several seconds. In some instances, the transmission engages unexpectedly after the delay, causing the vehicle to move in a direction different from what I anticipated. For example, after selecting Reverse, the vehicle may hesitate before moving, or after changing between Reverse and Drive, the delayed engagement can result in the vehicle moving in the previously engaged direction before finally shifting into the selected gear. This creates a significant safety hazard, particularly when parking, backing out of driveways, or maneuvering in areas with pedestrians or other vehicles. The delayed rearview camera activation further increases the risk because it prevents the driver from immediately seeing behind the vehicle while attempting to reverse. The issue occurs intermittently and without warning, making it difficult to predict. I am concerned that this condition could lead to a crash, property damage, or injury if the vehicle moves unexpectedly due to the delayed gear engagement. I request that NHTSA investigate this issue to determine whether it is related to a transmission, electronic shift control, or software defect affecting the safe operation of the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11750264 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS

I am reporting a safety concern involving a delayed transmission gear engagement and delayed rearview camera activation. Intermittently, when shifting the vehicle from Park into Reverse or Drive, there is a noticeable delay before the transmission actually engages the selected gear. During this delay, the rearview camera also fails to activate immediately. Because there is no immediate indication that the requested gear has engaged, I have experienced situations where I believed the vehicle was in Reverse or Drive, but it remained in the previous state for several seconds. In some instances, the transmission engages unexpectedly after the delay, causing the vehicle to move in a direction different from what I anticipated. For example, after selecting Reverse, the vehicle may hesitate before moving, or after changing between Reverse and Drive, the delayed engagement can result in the vehicle moving in the previously engaged direction before finally shifting into the selected gear. This creates a significant safety hazard, particularly when parking, backing out of driveways, or maneuvering in areas with pedestrians or other vehicles. The delayed rearview camera activation further increases the risk because it prevents the driver from immediately seeing behind the vehicle while attempting to reverse. The issue occurs intermittently and without warning, making it difficult to predict. I am concerned that this condition could lead to a crash, property damage, or injury if the vehicle moves unexpectedly due to the delayed gear engagement. I request that NHTSA investigate this issue to determine whether it is related to a transmission, electronic shift control, or software defect affecting the safe operation of the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11750264 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I was traveling on an 8 hour drive after just getting a new battery and fresh oil change, I also had a full diagnostic ran the week before travel and no issues were found in my vehicle. When we arrived at our destination we stopped 1 final time and attempted to start our vehicle to go to dinner and the car would not turn over. There were not any warning lamps or messages that appeared. We used roadside assistance to tow it to the [XXX] dealership and they ran another full diagnostic that showed "replace fuel pump and fuel pump driver". When I called my local dealer back home, Evansville Ford ([XXX]) they pulled the previous week diagnostic and confirmed nothing showed up regarding the fuel pump at that time. 1 week later is when we had it in [XXX], and the fuel pump failed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11749871 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH down a hill, the engine and powertrain were resistant when the brakes were applied. No warning lights illuminated. A mobile mechanic was sent by a local dealer to inspect the vehicle. The mechanic determined that the failure was due to the transfer case but was not related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train). After test driving the vehicle, the mobile mechanic determined that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the local dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 89,200.

NHTSA complaint #11749324 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH down a hill, the engine and powertrain were resistant when the brakes were applied. No warning lights illuminated. A mobile mechanic was sent by a local dealer to inspect the vehicle. The mechanic determined that the failure was due to the transfer case but was not related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train). After test driving the vehicle, the mobile mechanic determined that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the local dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 89,200.

NHTSA complaint #11749324 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.