1,718 of the 43,182 complaints filed about the Ford Explorer are about the glass, mirrors and wipers — 4% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 1999.
1,718
Complaints
4%
Share of all complaints
11
Crashes
65
Fires
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Rear wiper was working intermittently now it does not work at all. I notice campaign 26S14 (NHTSA Campaign 26V117) but my vin is not included. Even though I have the same problem
NHTSA complaint #11757133 — 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.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Backup camera does not work properly. Sometimes it’s showing objects behind me backwards (safety concern) like it’s showing I’m on the opposite side of where I’m trying to park/back up and sometimes it doesn’t work at all (flickering screen/black/gives notification to contact dealer). I have taken it to our local dealer for an approved inspection that it does not work & was told there’s no fix for it yet. No warning sign that this was coming- I had to look up the recall myself.
NHTSA complaint #11755533 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The rearview camera reverses and inverts the image and the guiding lines disappear. I am unable to use the camera when reversing. There is a recall on other Ford Explorers (2020-2024) just not my year (2013). It is not right that I drive a car that has the same issue becuse this is a known issue for the company.
NHTSA complaint #11753942 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Known defect among Explorer owners. The shade for the sunroof runs along tracks. That track is Known to fail causing the sunshade to fall down and blocks visibility out the rear windshield and inability to use the rear view mirror effectively. My vehicle was unsafe to drive until going to the dealership. They checked it and left it hanging down until I requested for it to be amended before driving home. They noted this is a known issue to Ford. They said the only way to fix it was to install a brand new system & there was no minor fix to components.
NHTSA complaint #11753818 — 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.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
25V347 and 24V031 I recieved a notice of the first recall in February 2024. Over the Summer of 2024 and 2025 both the A-pillar and B-pillar trim has melted and become detached from the vehicle during high heat warnings and during my commute to work on the interstate 60 miles each day. Parts from the vehicle flew off at high rates of speed and were at risk to others on the road. For 2.5 years now I have driven a duct taped windshield on both drivers and on the passenger sides windows and on the tops of the door frames. The windshield rattles on the interstate--I feel this is dangerous. I have now recieved my 3rd factory recall: 25N17 Every day I drive this duct taped FORD, it is cemented in my mind that I will never purchase another Ford or Ford related product.
NHTSA complaint #11753159 — 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.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
While driving my 2026 Ford Explorer on the highway, the panoramic roof glass made an abnormally loud noise and completely shattered without any impact from an object or other vehicle. No other cars were nearby. The protective shade remained in place and no glass entered the cabin. This appears to be a spontaneous failure of the tempered glass. I have already located a nearly identical NHTSA complaint on another 2026 Ford Explorer (Campaign 11734759). The vehicle is currently undrivable in normal conditions and is being repaired through insurance. I am concerned this is a known defect with the panoramic roof glass on 2026 Explorers.
NHTSA complaint #11752943 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The edges of the fabric sunroof cover have come off the tracks, causing the sunroof cover to not roll up properly and block the rear window when open.
NHTSA complaint #11752661 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
There are 2 recalls that have not been acted on by Homer Skelton Ford of Millington, LLC. It has been almost two years and the dealership continues to state they do not have the parts to fix the recalls. The two recalls are not indicated as active, so I’m not sure if they claimed they already fixed them in their system. The recalls are for the rubber around the windshield and the panels near the windshield.
NHTSA complaint #11752498 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Recall for faulty rearview camera. Still has no remedy. Mine is giving issues. Glitches, freezes, and displays error message to contact dealership. Has almost caused multiple accidents. Have spoken to dealership. With no remedy from ford they want to charge me a fortune to replace and reprogram the camera system.
NHTSA complaint #11752238 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V685000 (Equipment), 26V117000 (Visibility), and 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact was concerned that the incomplete recalls presented significant safety risks, specifically because the contact resided in Alaska, where it rained constantly with low temperatures. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
NHTSA complaint #11752205 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The front windshield wiper motor on my 2020 Ford Explorer is experiencing severe intermittent failure and physical binding/clunking while in operation, resulting in a total loss of front visibility while driving in rain. This failure matches the exact root cause and symptoms described in Ford Safety Recall 26S14 / NHTSA Campaign 26V117 (intermittent wiper function progressing to complete electrical continuity failure due to internal terminal misalignment). However, Ford claims my specific VIN falls just outside their designated production date window, leaving my vehicle uncovered under the safety recall despite suffering from the identical defect. Although Ford confirmed there is an active Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) listed for my vehicle's wiper motor, severe supply chain restrictions and dealership backlogs have prevented repairs. Ford has placed a restricted distribution hold on replacement motors, preventing independent shops and local dealers from securing parts, while requiring a multi-day diagnostic wait during which I am expected to drive a vehicle with non-functioning wipers. Driving a vehicle with active, unpredictable wiper failure poses an immediate safety hazard and severe crash risk. Ford's refusal to expand recall coverage or immediately supply unrestricted safety components leaves vehicle owners exposed to hazardous driving conditions. Furthermore, customers face a mandatory four-day intake period solely for vehicle diagnostics. To qualify for a wiper motor replacement under warranty guidelines, Ford requires the motor to experience total failure while under dealership care. If technicians are unable to duplicate the fault condition during testing, the vehicle is returned to the owner without repair, leaving an ongoing safety hazard completely unresolved. I have also contacted Ford Corporate and filed a formal complaint and that was of no assistance.
NHTSA complaint #11751765 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V675000 (Power Train), 26V117000 (Visibility), and 26V402000 (Power Train); however, parts for the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle with the foot on the brake pedal, the gear shifter was shifted to park(P), and the vehicle unexpectedly reversed and crashed into a nearby brick mailbox and came to a stop. There were no injuries or medical attention needed. A Police report was not filed. The contact stated that the vehicle rolled while parking the vehicle. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 87,159.
NHTSA complaint #11751786 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front windshield wiper was operating intermittently. The contact received notification of NTHSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (Visibility); and associated the failure with the recall. However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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 unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11751835 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The panoramic sun roof shade failed on my vehicle where instead of it retracting properly it drops down onto the second row passenger's. This posses a safety risk as it impedes completely the drivers ability to see through the rear view mirror by blocking off the view of the back glass. The issue happened without any notice or noise it just happened all of a sudden I noticed it as I was not able to look through rear view mirror. This also puts at risk others as it impedes the drivers field of view allowing the possibility of an accident of occurring. I like to drive with my sunroof open very often, so now that is a risk I will have all the time I open my sunroof where I will have my field of view blocked. I have called two ford dealership to try to get quotes to repair the issue. First I was shocked with the price for the repair, but I was also shocked when I was told that it is a very common issue with the panoramic sunroof where the shade drops down. I asked do people usually get it repaired or not and they told me that most people don’t fix it that they just decide to deal with it or not use the sunroof at all. One of the dealerships told me the cost of the repair was roughly above $3 thousand dollars and the other told me it would be around $2.8 thousand dollars. A lot of labor is required as they have to bring down the headliner and remove the sunroof glass panels to be able to get it repaired. They also were not able to guarantee that after the repair that it would not happen again as they told me it was a design flaw that it was just a matter of time before it happened again. I believe Ford should be hold accountable for this and provide a permanent fix to this issue that is very common with the panoramic sun roof that creates a safety hazard for vehicle occupants and others. Especially if after customers have to pay considerable amounts of money for repairs and the issue will happen again as it is a design flaw.
NHTSA complaint #11751397 — 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.
VISIBILITY
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure). While driving approximately 60 MPH, the driver's side B-pillar trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the residence, inspected, and confirmed that the driver’s side B-pillar trim was missing. The contact stated that the electrical system on the tailgate had stopped working as intended. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was determined that the tailgate would not open because the electrical system was disconnected, and the trim had fallen off. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the dome light remained illuminated and turned off approximately 4-5 seconds later. Additionally, while the vehicle was in reverse(R) on several occasions, the dome light illuminated, and the contact was unable to see out of the rear window. The vehicle was not repaired because parts for the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
NHTSA complaint #11750826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The windshield wiper motor failed, causing the windshield wipers to stop operating properly. At the same time, the windshield washer system is unable to spray washer fluid onto the windshield. This significantly reduces visibility during rain and when the windshield becomes dirty, creating a safety hazard. No warning lights were displayed
NHTSA complaint #11750024 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.