Complaint volume
1162 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2020 Ford Explorer Complaints
1162 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Ford Explorer, grouped by component category.
1162 Total complaints
34 Crash reports
10 Fire reports
28 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are power train, unknown or other, back over prevention. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 34 crash reports, 10 fire reports, 28 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 389 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 34,668 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to power train, unknown or other, back over prevention?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2020 Ford Explorer?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2020 Ford Explorer
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2020 Ford Explorer complaints?
34 Crash
10 Fire
28 Injury
0 Fatality
43 Towed
8 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Ford Explorer complaint categories?
POWER TRAIN 317
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 119
BACK OVER PREVENTION 56
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 44
ENGINE 43
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 41
VISIBILITY/WIPER 28
SERVICE BRAKES 27
SEATS 26
STRUCTURE 26
1,162 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN | While operating the vehicle it is jerking like the parking brake is activating or jerking transitioning from first and second gear. Received an alert: The powertrain control system has detected a transmission fluid over temperature condition. The engine continues to operate at a reduced power level. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted and failed to shift properly. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired because parts for the repair were not available. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,781. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his daughter was depressing the accelerator pedal to drive from a stop, the vehicle failed to respond, and the transmission failed to properly shift to the next gear and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 127,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | SEATS | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her son was positioned in the third-row seat, the head restraint unexpectedly slammed down on the tip of his left index finger. As a result, he sustained a severe injury that required immediate medical attention. The injury required 6 to 8 stitches, and the child also required surgery. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | ENGINE | The part that is affected is the engine/transmission. When the temperature outside reaches approximately 45 degrees Fahrenheit, the engine seizes upon starting and it will not engage in gear until it is warmed up. That's take anywhere from 5-10 min. If its not fully warmed and you try to go in reverse or drive forward, the car does a hard jump and jerk rendering the vehicle hard to steer . The engine seizes in the cold making it dangerous also, if you were in an emergency situation you would not be able to move your vehicle. It has been to the Ford dealership several times. A complaint filed with Ford motor company and the issue is still NOT fixed. Parts were fixed in the engine but the problem still exists. I live in [XXX] where its cold 6-7 mints out of the year, especially overnights the temps go below 45. I would like this issue addressed and fixed properly with a new engine, but Ford has not done even given the amount of times its been in their shop with the same issue They had my car for a month and still didnt fix it properly. Its an unsafe vehicle to drive INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The vehicle downshifts hard while driving at regular speeds, revving the engine. As you drive, you can feel it downshifting heavily. The transmission now has metal in it and is undriveable. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The vehicle was parked on a slight incline and they were inside the vehicle rolled away and struck a fire hydrant. The vehicle was in park and rolled down the hill and struck multiple stationary objects. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER | Explorers moon roof shad came of track and I was unaware and could not see behind my in my rear view camera. Also was covering my infant child's face when it drooped down instead of rolling back. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I contacted a Ford Dealerhip for recall work on XXX. There are multiple outstanding recalls on this VIN, and the dealership refused to make the required repairs. The dealership's name is [XXX] @ 22702 TX-249, Tomball, TX 77375. I have supporting text message correspondence substantiating my claims. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Had recall for parking brake fixed, soon after I’d be on interstate or intersection and it would lose power wrench and check power train system light came on. Took to dealership and they said it was parking pawl sylenuod. Had repaired left the shop didn’t even get home and it did the same: Mechanic said it was gas pedal sensor repaired that and same thing happened it may go real fast or not go . I worked for uber and lyft and have been out of work for a few months. Car setting at dealership and the say I need to pay for a new power train module because my cars lost it brains. So I got recall fixed and my cars went to hell in a hand basket. Now another recall is issued but no resolution. It is a huge safety issue when your gas pedal gets a not responsive to your foot touching the pedal then it accelerating without touching the gas pedal. I’m lucky I didn’t die in it. This year model just needs to be lemoned out. Oh also when it starts messing up airbag not working driver assist not working all the safety features go haywire. I feel sure this is all related to the recall and ford will be hearing from me or a lawyer one. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | The transmission malfunctioned on the Interstate. The car started jumping and then would slow way down to about 33 MPH with the RPM's super high and then kick back in and speed up super fast and I would have to brake constantly. I almost hit the car in front of me at one point. A different point in the same trip the car behind me had to slam on it's brakes to stop from hitting me when the car lost power. I got off the Interstate at the very next exit and took back roads home. The transmission has been inspected by a Ford Dealership and they said it was the transmission going out. At first there were no warning lights and after it started jumping and starting. Then a few days later the engine light and power train warning lights came on. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,WHEELS | My driver window won’t stay up once it gets to the top it goes back down. The underbody is starting to detach. It is shifting hard and makes a loud noise. Worse at low speeds and applying brakes . The tire pressure sensors all went out at one time | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was 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 his wife had parked the vehicle, the message "Parking Malfunction" was displayed and the vehicle rolled forward. The parking brake was activated to prevent the vehicle from rolling away. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 84,612. | Crash: No Fire: No | 84,612 |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The transmission shifts into park while driving causing the vehicle to jerk and slow down or stall. I contacted Ford and they stated that this was not a safety issue and that this was an advance notice and that no remedy is available until June 2027. They refused to provide a loaner vehicle until this time when the recall is "released". June of 2027 is a year from now and I drive this car daily with small kids and I am afraid that this vehicle will stall while driving and cause harm or death to my family members. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | The sunroof shade malfunctioned and feel while driving obstructing view and could possibly have caused an accident. Took to dealer and they said it was a common thing that happens with the moonroof shade coming off the tracks. They said it was not covered under warranty and was going to be a 2k repair. Or pin it up and don’t use the shade. The the car is only 5 years old and shade possibly used 4 times a year. For such a new car and unused component should not fail that abruptly or severely. There is no warning light and no prior sagging to the incident. Kids were in the car and were terrified by the car roof coming down at highway speeds and completely obstructed rear visibility. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | POWER TRAIN,SEAT BELTS | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 30-45 MPH, the vehicle stopped unexpectedly. On another occasion while driving 25-35 MPH, the transmission was shifting and the vehicle bucked. There was an abnormal thumping and metal-against-metal sound coming from the vehicle. There was a grabbing coming from the vehicle. The seat belt became tight while the pretensioner had deployed after detecting the failure. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train). While preparing to tow the vehicle, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The dealer informed the contact to pick up the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 38,000 |
| Jun 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS | With people in the backseat, the seats decided to fold out of nowhere from the previous recall where the seat released buttons on the second row get stuck. Even though it’s very clear that these buttons need to be replaced and I took it to a Ford dealership they said that they were fine even though the buttons literally are stuck in no matter what and ever so slightly touching them causes the seats to fold. The passengers in the second row were not injured, but very easily could’ve been. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | First the fuel pump control module went out and now for the 3rd time the electrical to the fuel pump control module has faulted | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | Transmission with known defects failed at 72,000 miles under normal driving circumstances and a vehicle only six years old. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER | The front windshield wiper on my vehicle,may become inoperative. The Ford Motors says that they don't have the part to replace,and when they have it I have to pay for the repair. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | POWER TRAIN | We expirenced a transmission failure on our Ford Explorer. In short summary we where driving from the airport and the problem started arising of around 5th and 6th gear downshift it would be harsh and make the car lerch. Following this we got a fluid change and that didn’t help, after the fluid change the problem got worse and produced a check engine light and at one point we got stranded on the highway because the car lost power. So we started researching and took it to a third party shop who told us that the clutch A snap ring had failed and because of that we had to get a transmission rebuild and replacement of multiple valve body’s and clutch’s. The shop also told us this was not the first explorer that’s had seen this problem, and through online research we found we weren’t the only ones with this problem. The timeline of this was from the end of May to the end of July because of overseas travel. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | ABS and parking brake. Was confirmed by the dealer & tow truck driver. No warning when I parked it, only after putting it into reverse. There were flashing ABS & Parking Brake lights plus a beeping sound. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | POWER TRAIN | My vehicle started downshifting hard, making a jerking motion, specifically from around 7th-6th gear. It is an automatic transmission but when I went to slow down at stop signs, stop lights, etc. it would make a jerking motion in the slow down process. It has inhibited my ability to drive it. There are times when it have difficulty accelerating. I took it to an independent mechanic shop to have them look at it. Immediately when examining the transmission fluid, it had a strong burning smell. This is not normal. This vehicle has 158,000 miles and has not had issues with the transmission before. There are no warning lights on the dash. I haven’t gotten any notifications that something is wrong in the Ford App. I cannot drive it to work or elsewhere due to the fact of the shifting and not knowing how much longer before it stops working all together. This is a known issue with the transmission my car has and yet does not have a recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, there was an abnormally loud, dragging sound underneath the vehicle. The contact believed that an object was dragging underneath the vehicle; however, there was nothing on the roadway that could have caused the noise. Shortly afterwards, the message "System Shift to Park" was displayed. The driver pulled over and left the vehicle running, but the vehicle failed to shift out of park while attempting to resume driving. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer the following day, where the vehicle was diagnosed. The dealer determined that the powertrain control module needed to be replaced; however, the repair was denied, and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the dealer failed to repair the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V069000 (Power Train) and 23V675000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 185,000 |
| Jun 2026 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The passenger headlamp has went out and after researching this is supposed to be a lifetime lamp and has become a common issue on these vehicles. If these lamps are malfuntioning it should be recalled because it is a safety issue specially to ones that already have vision issues at night. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |