Complaint volume
382 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
2021 Ford Explorer Complaints
382 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Ford Explorer, grouped by component category.
382 Total complaints
13 Crash reports
5 Fire reports
12 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 13 crash reports, 5 fire reports, 12 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 92 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 43,068 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 2021 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.
2021 Ford Explorer
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2021 Ford Explorer complaints?
13 Crash
5 Fire
12 Injury
0 Fatality
24 Towed
8 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Ford Explorer complaint categories?
POWER TRAIN 74
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 52
BACK OVER PREVENTION 23
ENGINE 20
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 17
STRUCTURE 14
VISIBILITY/WIPER 14
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 9
SEATS 9
VISIBILITY 9
382 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Moon roof sunshade is defective, when button is pressed to open the shade, it drops down blocking view out the rear window. This seems to be a know problem on ford explorers which is a major safety concern. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ENGINE | 2021 Ford Explorer used a work vehicle (house cleaning business) and family vehicle after hours (driving my daughter to soccer practice 4 times a week). Vehicle has been professionally and properly serviced since we first purchased it in 2021( we have been the only owners). Car has worked great not one single problem other then regular things like tires, brakes and battery all purchased and installed by Ford dealership. The day of the incident the car was working perfectly the entire day. As I drove on the freeway taking my daughter to soccer practice in the evening. I noticed the vehicle started to shake and lose all power the vehicle stopped almost completely in a matter of seconds causing cars behind us to almost crash us from behind it was a miracle no one crashed into us as we were traveling at freeway speed 60-65mph. With the little power the car had I cleared 2 lanes and parked on the side of the freeway. A friend of our picked up my daughter as we were both frightened by the incident. The vehicle gave me no alerts that there was something wrong no warnings on the Ford pass app nothing. I had the vehicle towed to Walnut Creek Ford for inspection. Ford did a diagnostic and found that the engine had a hole from the head to the block. They don’t know how this happened and say they have never seen this before. They said the vehicle is in great shape inside and out and even with 160,000 the car is very well maintained (serviced). This needs to be addressed to Ford as lives were in danger and people could have gotten hurt. They want 13,000 to repair engine, but it seems to everyone(ford technicians and second opinion mechanics) it was an engine factory defect. Vehicle suffered catastrophic engine failure while driving on freeway with no warning from the vehicle system, check engine light never came on nothing. It all happened in a matter of seconds. Engine light only came on after the vehicle was no longer drivable. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ENGINE | I own a 2021 Ford Explorer ST (3.0L EcoBoost) with 47,680 miles. The vehicle is exhibiting a severe metallic knocking noise at idle, a flashing Check Engine Light, and a dangerous loss of motive power while driving. A certified Ford dealership technician (Kendall Ford) diagnosed the vehicle with catastrophic engine failure, requiring a full engine replacement estimated at $13,000.My vehicle is exhibiting the exact mechanical failure described in Recall 24S55 (NHTSA Campaign 24V635000) regarding brittle engine intake valves. Although my vehicle shares the same build year, engine type, and failure symptoms as the recalled units, Ford states my specific VIN is not currently included in the 'repair' population.The sudden loss of engine power while operating at highway speeds creates an immediate crash hazard. I request that the NHTSA investigate whether the scope of Recall 24S55 should be expanded to include this production range.Furthermore, Ford offered a 'goodwill' assistance of approximately $3,762, which I believe is an admission of a known manufacturing defect. At the time of this failure, the vehicle was only 17 days past the 5-year warranty period and well under the 60,000-mile limit. Despite this premature failure and the safety risk, Ford refuses to cover the full replacement, leaving me with a $9,000+ bill for a defect already acknowledged in 90,000 other units. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Sunroof material when opened sags down and blocks drivers rear view this needs to be a safety recall! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | SEAT BELTS | The contact owned a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the seat belt on the passenger’s side failed to retract as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the seat belt components were replaced. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V093000 (Seat Belts). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,600. | Crash: No Fire: No | 65,600 |
| Apr 2026 | STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER | I am reporting a safety incident involving a 2021 Ford Explorer. While driving at normal speed, the hood unexpectedly flew open and struck the windshield, completely obstructing visibility and causing damage. I did not open the hood prior to driving, and there were no prior warnings or indications of failure. The incident suggests a possible hood latch or secondary safety latch malfunction. I am submitting this report due to a serious safety concern involving sudden loss of driver visibility. | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (VISIBILITY); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds in the rain, the windshield wipers intermittently failed to operate as needed. Additionally, the windshield wiper fluid system failed to spray washer fluid while activating the button, even though the windshield washer fluid bottle was full. The local dealer was contacted and stated that the part for the recall would not be available until August 2026. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in heavy rain, the windshield wiper motor started to operate at an excessively high speed. The contact attempted to change the setting; however, the wipers continued to operate very quickly. The following day, the contact discovered a significant amount of spider cracks on the windshield, specifically where the wiper blades operated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (VISIBILITY); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not 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 issue. The failure mileage was 42,508. | Crash: No Fire: No | 42,508 |
| Apr 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My car has 68,908 miles on it and the sunroof sunshade has drooped down now when I attempt to open it. When it does this it completely blocks the rearview window/3rd row seating which is a safety concern. There are no warning lamps at all for this issue. It sounds like it is operating normally but looks as though the glue has failed that holds the sunshade in the track possibly? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | While I drive my vehicle down the road the car all of a sudden sounds like you throw it in park, it screeches and grinds in the front and will not let you push the gas pedal down even when on the highway. This causes sever risk to the people around me as well as my children who drive in this car… ford has an open recall for this which my vehicle falls under year and build wise. But does not correlate with my vin # | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,VISIBILITY | The contact 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 26V117000 (Visibility); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH in inclement weather, the windshield wipers were activated, and the driver’s side windshield was not cleared, causing limited visibility. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 45,000 |
| Apr 2026 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the master warning, brake, battery, ABS, and brake system warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the message "STOP Safely Now" was displayed. The vehicle then went into LIMP Mode each time, but the vehicle failed to respond while the contact was attempting to turn off the vehicle or accelerate. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in neutral(N), it failed to respond as intended. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that there were 11 undisclosed modules that needed to be updated, and the hybrid system was inoperable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,230. | Crash: No Fire: No | 54,230 |
| Apr 2026 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Passenger low-beam headlight failure. Dealer replaced headlight module but did not resolve. Next suggestion is replacing headlight for more than 2,000. Quite common issue on the Platinum model. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Interior panoramic roof shade roller broke and is not retracting the liner anymore | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear of the vehicle unexpectedly jolted, and there was a dragging sound coming from the rear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear axle had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired due to the vehicle being previously assigned to a recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 75,000 |
| Apr 2026 | SEATS | The third-row seat headrest in my 2021 Ford Explorer is stuck in the upright position and will not fold down, preventing the seat from fully collapsing. This affects rear visibility and cargo use, which may create a safety concern while driving. The issue appears to be a mechanical failure and has not been resolved despite repeated attempts to adjust it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Sunshade has fallen off the tracks and the fabric is falling. This is a known issue amongst Ford Explorers with a sunroof; rear visibility is completely blocked. Ford requesting $1800 just to repair shade. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Car turns on but the engine will not turn over due to the electrical. And locks the car and not able to check or fix anything. If I was driving in the busy roads it would have been very dangerous as it stopped suddenly after starting the last time. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I am reporting a persistent and escalating electrical safety defect in a 2021 Ford Explorer. On February 28, 2022 (at approximately 10,542 miles), I formally reported a strong burning metal smell and the engine would be loud and idle high, there was abnormal noises and unusual electrical changes to the dealership (West Herr Ford). The dealer service advisor documented no problem found and told me not to worry about it. Over time, this unresolved electrical short and metal smell has resulted in a total system failure. In February 2026, the vehicle suddenly suffered a complete ‘black screen’ (APIM/infortainment failure) and a no-start condition. Most dangerously, the battery suddenly drains within days, which can lead to total loss of vehicle power while in motion, disabling power steering, braking assists and you can’t even put the car in neutral when this happens. I am gravely concerned that this unaddressed metal burning smoking/ electrical short issue poses a significant potential fire risk to myself, my passengers and other drivers. The same dealership has now had this car in there possession for 32 days and admits that what has happened is what happens while they have it and that they cannot find the root cause. Yet the previous service advisor from 2022, and the current service advisors ( gave the car back on 2/21/2026 and 3/6/2026 saying their was no problem) allowed the vehicle to remain on the public roads despite documented fire hazard symptoms. | Crash: No Fire: Yes | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | Carry Handle, Shell, Base,Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness,Other/I am not sure | my son is rear facing and puts his arm in the forward facing belt path then can not get his arm back out. he starts screaming and crying and i have to pull the car over to the side of the road to help him get his arm out and even i struggle getting his arm free. no sooner than i start driving again, he puts his arm back through and it’s the same cycle. i have contacted britax and have unfortunately not gotten any solution for this issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Everyday I get alerts saying the power train system, then I can’t use my cruise control, and many other alerts pop up | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (VISIBILITY); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in the rain, the windshield wiper motor failed to function as intended and prevented the windshield wipers from operating properly. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 90,000 |
| Mar 2026 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | SUNROOF SHADE SAGS WHEN OPENING IT, IMPEEDING REARVIEW VISABILITY | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Repeated failures of the rear axle bolt recall remedy on my 2021 Ford Explorer Hybrid. The vehicle has undergone multiple repairs including replacement of the rear axle bolt, axle seals, and transmission alignment. Despite these repairs the vehicle continues to exhibit driveline instability, seal leakage and symptoms similar to transmission slip. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | vehicle stalls when diving . After pulling over ina coast and turning off with start stop button then turning it back on with start stop button vehicle runs fine until it happens again intermediately cold be days could be months apart. about the 6th time over 2 years that it has occurred | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |