Complaint volume
398 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
398 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Ford Explorer, grouped by component category.
398 Total complaints
13 Crash reports
5 Fire reports
13 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, 13 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
13 Injury
0 Fatality
24 Towed
8 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Ford Explorer complaint categories?
POWER TRAIN 78
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 54
BACK OVER PREVENTION 23
ENGINE 20
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 17
STRUCTURE 15
VISIBILITY/WIPER 15
SEATS 10
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 9
VISIBILITY 9
398 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,BACK OVER PREVENTION | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | 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 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | 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) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN,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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The dash near the windshield driver side is coming undone out of the dash. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN | I had my car parked in a driveway that has a slight incline. I was buckling my child in their car seat in the back when the car started to roll backwards. The car had been parked prior and was off when the rolling occurred. Now my car is in for service requiring an entirely new transmission (under 80,000 miles) after un-smooth driving led me to bring it in. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Was driving down the interstate and the vehicle started making an awful noise and dash lights went crazy with cannot shift to park error on dash. We pulled over asap and shifted to park and went to exit vehicle and the car tried to roll off and wouldn’t engage in park and has since done this same thing 2 more times. Ford says there’s a recall and the software and parts won’t be available until may of 2027 I do not think this vehicle is safe to drive | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2026 | SEATS | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear seat unlocked and flipped forward independently. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V393000 (Seats); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Vehicle is not even 5 years old , and passenger headlight - low beam failed. Ford Dealership quote is around $3000. Online forums show that this is a defect for the platinum models. I feel I should be protected as I am still paying for this vehicle and plan to keep it for many years. This is a major safety component as without a trusted lighting system, this vehicle can be dangerous and lacks peace of mind. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Panoramic sun roof sunshade detaches and sags; interfering with rear view visibility. Shade is in this state when shade and roof are closed. Sunshade cannot be opened as this causes Driver rear visibility to become more severe. Additionally when opened, The shade sags onto anyone sitting in the second row seats. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | While driving at highway speeds, the vehicle experienced a sudden and total loss of engine power and stalled in active traffic. I lost motive power and had to safely coast through traffic to the shoulder. The vehicle would not restart and had to be towed to a repair facility. The failure matches the exact symptoms of Ford Recall 25S75 / NHTSA Campaign 25V455000 for low-pressure fuel pump failure, but my VIN is currently excluded from the recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Dashboard separation concerned with airbag. Every day driving you run the risk of more damage. Have spoken to Koons Ford who states cannot help due to warranty. No one has looked at it except for pictures. This should not be the owners responsibility since I am not alone with issues of this problem | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | STRUCTURE | The top of dashboard is lifting up and coming apart on drivers side. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Chrome trim around the window power buttons de-laminate and have a sharp edge. I cut my finger on it. | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 | Unknown |
| Jun 2026 | POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | While driving at highway speeds, the vehicle displays a "Drive Train Malfunction" warning message and the traction control warning light illuminates. Shortly after the warning appears, the vehicle loses power and may enter a reduced-power mode or stall, creating a serious safety hazard in traffic. This has occurred while traveling on the highway, forcing sudden deceleration and creating the risk of being struck by other vehicles. The check engine light is illuminated, and diagnostic code P0A1E is present. The problem is intermittent and unpredictable, making it difficult to determine when the next failure will occur. The vehicle has been taken to Ford for diagnosis multiple times, and significant money has been spent attempting to repair the issue. Despite these efforts, the root cause has not been identified and the problem continues to occur. This defect affects the drivetrain system and impacts the safe operation of the vehicle. The sudden loss of power on the highway places the driver, passengers, and surrounding motorists at risk. Based on discussions with other owners, this appears to be a common issue affecting Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles and warrants investigation by NHTSA. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| 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 |