Complaint volume
400 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
400 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Ford Explorer, grouped by component category.
400 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 93 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 43,564 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
VISIBILITY/WIPER 16
STRUCTURE 15
SEATS 10
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 9
VISIBILITY 9
400 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | I was sitting at a stop light and when the light turned green I pushed on the gas pedal and I had NO POWER! However, all of my auxillary power worked. Everything inside the car still had power, from my dashboard to my Apple CarPlay but my engine would not turn on. The check engine light did come on but not until it had been sitting there for 20-30 minutes. The Auto Start/Stop was activated so I don't know if there was an issue with that and it just never turned back on. The alternator belt was still intacted. Had it towed to repair shop (took about an hour) when it got to repair shop it started and shop couldn't find anything wrong. It has started every time since. I am afraid to drive it because I don't know if or when it will happen again. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | The vehicle was self accelerating and applying forward propulsion. It was behaving as if the cruise control was on, cruise control was verified off. When braking was applied an alert was posted on the dash stating Braking applied, power reduced and the engine would rev higher. Upon stopping the vehicle and letting off on the brake the vehicle would accelerate as if the gas pedal was depressed. Upon parking the vehicle the engine would rev up to 6k rpm and if I let go of the brake the vehicle would accelerate. Turing off the vehicle and turning the vehicle on did not reset the issue. I verified no inadvertent pressure was being applied to the gas pedal and have video demonstrating the failure. The videos I have are too large to upload via your limitations on this page. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Vehicle loses power while on freeway when 4WD, Pre-Collision Assist, Hill Start Assist, and other warning messages display. Vehicle lost power approximately 5 times while registering message, but messages have displayed approximately 40-50 times in the past week before being services. Vehicle dealership repair facility inspected and diagnosed a bad 4WD module. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN | I bought the car in 12/21/21 brand new from Hopkins Ford in Illinois drive the car just for work and school, we serviced the car and well mantained with all needed services around 1000 miles I start noticed lots of clunking noises coming out of the car right after exit the vehicle and took it to 2 diferent ford dealerships and they said was normal, which wasn't. kept driving the car I had also an issue with the panoramic roof having leaks and wasn't fixed too, around 15000 miles start noticed delay on the transmission when moving from park to reverse and also a very loud clunking noise , when moving from reverse to drive noticed de delay and and pull when the transmission engaged to drive, I use the highway around 1 time a week and noticed loose of power when accelerating so I decided to take it to the Hopkins dealership, initially they diagnose just need an update and will be ready in 5 days , they never contacted me and I call them back to ask the status because I need the SUV for my family and they gave me a Pickup TRUCK as loaner and is useless for my family, they told me it will be another 4 days, than at day 20 they said they have to replace the whole transmission , and I forced them to give me a another EXPLORER as loaner because I need that size car, I drove it and at day 29 called me and asked me for their car back and they gave me again a F150 but my car was not ready and will take another 4-5 days, magically my car was ready next day !! day 30 really? they dropped at home but with scratches in door panels and dents in the paint. they I drove the car for .3 miles and the car had the same issues , they told me to drive it for 500 miles and transmission will adapt, I drove it for 1000 miles and now the problems still and now are worse even with new transmission, vibration while driving on highway, clunking noises and lose of power , I dropped the car at the dealership already for a week and is no estimated time on repairs or how long this will take | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,BACK OVER PREVENTION | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon starting or while driving the vehicle, the front camera screen image was black or gray before going blank. Additionally, the navigation system was inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. While driving at undisclosed speeds, the transmission was slipping. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant had intruded into the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 50,000 |
| Sep 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The vehicle infotainment system regularly displays "emergency" messages theoretically designed to alert drivers to fires or other hazardous conditions. These messages seize the infotainment screen and must be cleared manually. The problem is: all of these messages are false and/ or nonsensical, .i.e "Serious fire at the intersection of Main Street and Main Street." The messages are a distraction to the driver as they often appear when using the navigation system. Ford service tells me this problem is not fixable. I raised the issue with Ford Management and they have basically ignored my request for assistance. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was shifted into reverse, the audible alarm feature failed to alert the contact to an object or another vehicle nearby. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the technician was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 22,000 |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | While driving on a freeway on Sep 15th 2023, wrench light showed up and immediately vehicle speed dropped from 65 to 30mph. This is second time this issue has happened and luckily my family survived accidents. First incident occured on Aug 13th 2023, after which i towed my vehicle to dealership. They repaired and said its safe to drive now. But issue is recurring. Please help me on this as I am reporting this issue second time on NHTSA. I reported first incident also which happened on Aug 13 ,2023 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | On July 1, 2023, I had the vehicle parked on an incline with a trailer attached to the vehicle. The vehicle was in Park and the Parking Brake was set. As I attempted to unload the trailer, the vehicle started to move and rolled down the incline. I was on the trailer and was moving with the vehicle, I could have been injured but fortunately the vehicle rolled into a pile of topsoil before it could pick up too much speed. However, both the vehicle and trailer were damaged My safety was put at risk as the vehicle was moving without anyone in it. This occurred in my driveway but could have happened on a busy street. I still own the vehicle and it is available for inspection. There were no indications, warning lamps, etc. that would have notified me of the impending failure. I contacted Ford and they have been of little help. It took them 2-1/2 months to get me scheduled to have one of their field service engineers to inspect the vehicle. I was not allowed to talk to the field service engineer and that person did not attempt to duplicate the conditions which caused the failure. The report from Ford to me said they inspected the vehicle on a lift. They said they could not find a problem and said they will take no further action. They have been extremely uncooperative and do not seem the least concerned about the safety of the vehicle. I am concerned that the problem will recur and cause significant damage or injury so I take precautions whenever I park it. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the back over prevention screen was either black or blue. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V342000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where the software was updated, and the camera was replaced however, the permanent fix was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that prior to the failure she observed a "transmission code" warning that flashed twice but did not illuminate again. The contact pulled off the roadway and stopped the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and regained power steering functionality. Additionally, the instrument cluster failed to operate as needed. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that a software update was needed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the instrument cluster failure reoccurred. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 23,000 |
| Aug 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The first window that exploded is The back windshield when my husband and I were sitting in the parking lot at the American Legion. I took the Explorer to Duval Ford they suggested I call Ford Corporate. They said they didn’t know why the window exploded. On Wednesday the right passenger back window exploded as I was traveling on Interstate 95. I called Corporate Ford and they said take it to Duval Ford to be assessed. This is two windows in 8 months that have exploded. It cost me out of pocket a total of $900 to replace both windows. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | There is a $7.00 seal that leaks near my oil filter that has been replaced for the second time and this time i was not under warranty and the labor to repair the broken seal cost $1100.00 and would like for you to recall this seal so i can be made whole again | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Due to a Sync system update the display has been unresponsive, thrown errors, shut off during driving, and been delayed during operation. Most noticeably during reverse. There is a significant delay when the reverse camera is supposed to turn on causing a potential safety hazard. Ford has not responded to the issue in a timely manner and hasn’t given an ETA on when the firmware will be updated. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I bought a new Ford Explorer XLT in 2021. I was driving with my kids on highway 101 at 70mph on 08/13/2023, wrench symbol came up and car speed immediately dropped down from 70mph to 30mph. Luckily the driver behind was very attentive and an accident was avoided and we were saved. After that car went into limp mode and had to be towed away. My car just have over 13k miles on it and is under every warranty. This wrench warning lamp came once on 07/31/2023 without impacting vehicle speed. I took the car to Ford dealership for inspection on 08/01/2023. After 3 days of inspection they said some sensor needs to be replaced which they don't have in inventory and will call me back when it is available. They handed over car to me telling it is totally safe to drive as they don't see any issue with driving. Now when I told the dealership about the harrowing experience they turned a deaf ear and said we will look into it without even caring to provide an answer. I insisted on providing a loner vehicle as they dont have a timeline on fixing the issue.I trusted the ford mechanics and ended up paying towing expenses for over 100 miles and best of all luckily survived. Me and my family are still in this shock. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION | Screen is blue by reverse | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | When starting the car, the digital screen either turns to blue or black as non-functional. The radio is not able to operate during this time. While in park, the screen is black. While in drive, the screen is either black or as shown I photo, the camera shows the parameters | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Camera is not working and was recalled. Cannot be fixed or repaired. I requested to trade my vehicle for another one at a Ford Dealership or for the pay off and was told I couldn't do anything due to the recall. I am essentially stuck with a vehicle that is unsafe and I don't feel comfortable driving. The camera turns blue in the middle of backing up and I could hit any object or person in the middle of backing up with my view obstructed. I was advised that I just had to wait or go to a 3rd party dealer who would give me cash. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, there was a rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle started shaking and vibrating before the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 69,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 69,000 |
| Jul 2023 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V342000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that on several occasions the rear-view camera failed to show an image. The failure mileage was 30,839. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,839 |
| Jul 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION | Every 6 months, the rear cameras, cross traffic sensors and blind spot warning go out and completely stop functioning. I take it to the dealer tland they keep it for 1-2 weeks and eventually replace a fuse and send it home. This has happened four times. No one will actually correct the root cause ti the issue. It's going on its third week in the shop this time. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The fuse box got wet after a routine car wash. The hood was not opened at any point prior to the car wash, nor directly afterwards until the incident occurred. A few hours after the car wash, the horn went off on its own continuously for 5-10 minutes and had to be shut off manually via disconnecting the battery. The car was not running or turned on in any way at this point. Prior to disconnecting the battery, the car was turned on to try and deactivate the horn. The horn was still blaring and the car would not shut off. Upon inspection, there was smoke coming from the fuse box. Multiple vehicle alerts went off on the dash including Hill start assist warning, Powertrain malfunction/reduced power and pre-collision assist warning lights. The car was taken to the dealership for repairs. The following "story" was conducted at the dealership: Unhooked battery. Removed front cowl battery junction box. Removed battery junction box. Battery junction box is burnt up and engine bay harness is melted. Engine bay harness needs replaced. Have to remove engine assembly to gain access to harness. Removed engine transmission and subframe assembly. Removed inner plastic firewall. Removed harness and replaced. Reinstalled drive train assembly replaced all one time use fasteners. Reassembled car. Found horn is INOP. Diagnosed and found horn is burned up from being stuck on from melted harness. Removed front bumper cover. Replaced Horn and reassembled. Horn works now. Cleared all DTCs. No DTCs returned. Test drove car. Everything is working properly now and no codes returned. Total repairs are $3,300. I did not feel safe in any regards while driving it to the dealership. Through casual conversation with a friend who works at the dealership, they witnessed something similar happen with a Ford F-150. I don't believe that this has been inspected by the manufacturer, police or insurance representatives. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the incident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I am very disappointed in Ford. I cannot believe that I have a 2021 Ford Explorer and the back up camera will go out for no reason. Also, the GPS is not working. What is the company thinking, when I am told when I call the dealer to have this issue corrected that, "Ford had put a hold on the recall due to they have not made a decision on how to handle it." Let me make a suggestion that WILL WORK. Put NEW CAMERAS in all the vehicles that has the issue that I described above. If this issue is not corrected soon, I will be trading for another model vehicle. The back up camera could cause a very serious incident. People have grown used to the back up camera since they have been installed in vehicles for so many years. This could cause a pedestrian to be backed over and seriously injured or killed. Does your company want that on your conscious!!??? Also, I have an issue when I turn my vehicle in to the dealer, I am always told they do not have a loaner vehicle. What the heck!! It is your issue and you should provide a loaner for everyone that schedules a service on the recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | POWER TRAIN | This vehicle has a major defect and is unsafe to operate. The rear differential has only 1 rear bolt and is completely inadequate for the performance and duty of the car. It can break and cause gerat injury or death if it fails. It puts anyone operating and in the car at great risk of injury or death if the only remaining rear bolt breaks, dislogding the drive shaft and half shafts in catastrophic failure. I have had the vehicle inspected and compared to the 2020 Ex ST which has 2 rear bolts and my 2021 only has 1 rear differential bolt. This is a major defect and major safety concern. Lets not wait for someone to get injured or die. Thank you. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. That contact stated that the silver plastic strip on the driver's side power window switch had started peeling away, creating the potential for her to lacerate her finger. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to Customer Satisfaction Program: 22B37, but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |