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 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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while at a stop sign, the vehicle lost automotive power and failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was undetermined. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 74,000 |
| Mar 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Sunshade cover for sunroof malfunctioned and it hangs down causing a visibility issue as it obstructs the view from the rear view mirror. After doing a search on Reddit and the Ford forum, it seems to be a common issue. My vehicle only has 35,000 miles on it and this should not be happening. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | ENGINE | I had complete engine failure on my 2021 115,000 mi Ford Explorer ST. The truck was only 3 years old. I heard a knocking noise and pulled over. Throughout the summer smoke had been coming out of the exhaust pipe every time I turned on the car before work. There was a cloud of smoke. A week before the engine failure I had the vehicle in the ford shop. They said everything was fine. I towed the vehicle to Currie Ford in Frankfort and they stated that there was catastrophic engine failure. Nothing could be done but I needed to put a new $12,000 engine in a $63,000 car. They said the warranty did not cover nor do I have any recourse. The safety of my family was placed at risk., I was travelling with my family, my wife, son, daughter, nephew who is [XXX] old and niece who is [XXX] . It left us stranded. There were no warnings. The dealership inspected the car a week before and said it was good to go. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I purchased my Explorer used last March. The window switches, on driver and passenger sides (front seats and rear seats) have the black metal pieces peeling off the switch. Metal pieces are sharp and I continue to cut my fingers on them. The dealer shows the recall did not affect my car, yet they are all in need of replacement. My vehicle has faulty window switches and I am asking Ford to replace them under recall or warranty. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2025 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | The system/component that failed is the panoramic moon roof retractable shade. This is an electronic retractable fabric shade on the inside of the car that covers the moon roof glass. The tracks that hold the shade taught and in place have failed, this is a major safety concern due to the sagging fabric blocking the view of the rearview mirror and side windows. This impairs visual awareness of surrounding vehicles, obstructions, and approaching emergency vehicles from behind. This is a known common issue with this make and model vehicles as read about on multiple forums and social media sites. There were/are no sort of warning lamps as this is a mechanical track with no sensors. Ford has not issued any sort of safety recall thus far. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2025 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact stated that there was an abnormal shaking and vibrating coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a nearby mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that cylinders #3 and #4 had lost compression, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V598000 (ENGINE). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 105,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 105,000 |
| Feb 2025 | STRUCTURE | I was backing out of my driveway and a whoosh of water came pouring into my trunk from my roof of my car. When I took it to the Ford dealership they took the headliner down and found that the drains for my sunroof were clogged and caused the leak. They found that the headliner had mold growing on it. This is currently not a recall issue yet but I believe it should be or should be considered a default from Ford, (my warranty expired a couple months earlier). After speaking with the maintenance manager at Ford, I have been informed that it is not uncommon that the sunroof drains get clogged and this is something that should be checked or cleaned out periodically. With that being said- my 3 year old vehicle has only been maintained at a Ford dealership during its life. I go every 3-4 months and this has never been checked or cleaned out. My vehicle has been at the dealership for 3 months now because the parts are on back order. When I spoke with the dealership on 12/18 I was told there were 16 headliners on order, but when I checked back in January (a month later) there were 437 on order. This seems to be an issue with more and more of these vehicles. This is a dangerous situation because I do not know how long the mold has been growing in my vehicle and could cause health issues with me or my kids. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 80 MPH, the power train warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to exit the highway and the contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact stated that upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as needed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to Express Care Automotive, where it was diagnosed that a valve in the engine had failed. The mechanic informed the contact that the engine needed to be taken apart for additional diagnostic testing. The mechanic informed the contact that the failure could be related to Ford Campaign Number: 24S55. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 80,000 |
| Jan 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Fuel Sloshing When vehicle accelerates, brakes, or turns, the fuel moves within the tank, creating waves and sloshing. This can be heard as well when you come to a stop and road noise is less. You can also feel the sloshing on your foot under the driver's side. Excessive fuel sloshing can lead to instability, affecting the vehicle's center of gravity and causing handling issues, especially in extreme maneuvers. I've reported to dealership and Ford manufacturer but they say this is normal operation of vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Hard shifting | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | STEERING,SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Queja por reparación defectuosa de recall en mi Ford Explorer Estimados Señores: Por medio de la presente, me dirijo a ustedes para expresar mi profunda insatisfacción con el servicio recibido en su concesionario relacionado con un problema de recall en mi Ford Explorer [indicar modelo y año del vehículo], cuya reparación, realizada bajo su supervisión, no ha sido adecuada. En los primeros meses de 2024, llevé mi vehículo a sus instalaciones debido a un recall emitido por Ford, relacionado con un sonido de media frecuencia resonante (de tono profundo) que se manifiesta al conducir a baja velocidad sobre superficies irregulares. Según se me informó, este problema fue causado por un defecto en una pieza, la cual supuestamente fue reemplazada en su momento. Sin embargo, después de meses de lidiar con el inconveniente inicial y tras un extenso tiempo de espera, el problema parecía haberse solucionado temporalmente. Desafortunadamente, en noviembre de 2024, el problema ha reaparecido exactamente con las mismas características, lo que me lleva a sospechar que no se realizó un reemplazo adecuado de la pieza defectuosa, sino únicamente un ajuste superficial. Al comunicarme nuevamente con su concesionario, se me ha informado que no pueden hacer nada más porque el supuesto reemplazo ya se realizó. Este tipo de respuesta es inaceptable, considerando que: 1.El problema persiste y claramente no fue solucionado de manera definitiva. 2.El recall original fue emitido para garantizar la seguridad y funcionalidad del vehículo, lo cual no se está cumpliendo. 3.Como cliente, esperaba un servicio honesto y de calidad, especialmente tratándose de un problema cubierto por un recall oficial. Solicito formalmente que este caso sea reabierto y revisado nuevamente, ya que mi confianza en la calidad de los servicios proporcionados se ha visto seriamente afectada. Espero que Ford y su concesionario asuman la responsabilidad correspondiente y brinden una solución definitiva al problema | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2025 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound, and the tempered stationary sunroof glass shattered without impact. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 38,000 |
| Jan 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | When driving or on neutral the vehicle shakes between 1000rpm-1500rpm. During driving or stationary you can feel the vehicle vibrating when in that rpm range. Under load the car does feel a bit hesitant and tampers acceleration. They're is a TSB 22-2377 which may be related to this issue as well. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Recently brought my 2021 Ford Explorer with 100,000 miles in for what I thought was a wheel bearing issue. The mechanic reports the entire rear end is gone and needs to be replaced. I’ve owned at least 4 Explorers all driven well over 170,000 without ever having this issue. This car also spent the first 3/4 months I owned it at the Ford garage getting the electrical replaced and “brains”. The crash alert system malfunctioned as did the locking system. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The class three hitch receiver is well above an acceptable tolerance causing the hitch to move within the receiver and cause damage to the receiver. This abundance of "play" in the receiver was duplicated with a brand new hitch as well. My safety as well as others was put at risk through the risk of excessive torque being applied to the hitch/receiver through it's overly large size potentially causing it to break. This problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer nor been inspected. The part has not failed, but is likely to fail through continued use. ***Plastic deformation has occurred within the hitch receiver because of its excessive size. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | POWER TRAIN | While driving on the freeway, the customer experienced a power train failure, which resulted in the vehicle stopping. Though the vehicle was able to continue driving, it would unpredictably jump gears and eventually became immobile. The "service engine" wrench light first appeared on [XXX], signaling the issue. The vehicle was inspected by Curt Service in Oak Park, Michigan, and no additional codes were identified beyond the service engine wrench light. The power train system is available for inspection upon request. This situation posed a safety risk to the driver and others on the road, as the vehicle's sudden stop and gear issues could have led to an accident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving and was at a traffic light, the light turned green and the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the instrument cluster was dark, and the vehicle failed to restart. The contact stated that his wife waited for approximately 15 minutes in the middle of the road. The contact’s wife was able to restart the vehicle and drove a local dealer. The vehicle had experienced the failure in November 2024 and the same dealer replaced the battery and replaced all four tires. The contact stated that the vehicle was diagnosed, and the dealer determined that the 12-Volt battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,000 |
| Dec 2024 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, there was an abnormal fuel odor inside and outside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the fuel hoses had ruptured due to the hoses making contact and rubbing together. The contact was informed that the fuel hoses needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V859000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 44,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 44,000 |
| Dec 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V675000 (Power Train); 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | POWER TRAIN | Difficulty shifting gears, delayed shifting, slipping between gears, jerking motions during acceleration, and stalling when you move from a stop. Also leaking oil under transmission pan and makes noises in the transmission. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I have had this problem ever since we Purchased this automobile on [XXX], When the car gets to a Quarter tank of gas or a little less the dash monitoring system says there's 87 miles left till empty and you park this car on a hill or incline with the front end facing down the car will not start and everything shuts down. The only way to restart it is to put more gas from a can in it or go through a long process to takes two people to do to get the car on a level area then it will restart. I call the Dealer abut it and they said there is no problem. The car had to be towed twice in the first few months we had it for this and as soon as they got it off the truck it would start and they do nothing about it. I call Fords Hot line and they said they know about the Problem but can't do anything about it , I was told that its a fuel pickup Problem. Today [XXX] my wife when to the store this morning and the fuel gage said it had a quarter tank of gas in it and when she came out of the store the car would not start for her. I had to go and get a 5 gal. can of gas and drive to where she was and put the gas in the car and after that the car started, she drove to the nearest gas station to fill it up. All I have been told to do by Ford and the Dealer is to keep the gas tank full and fill it when it gets to half a tank. There is definitely a problem with this car and it needs to be Addressed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact's wife stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with a system shut-down message displayed. The contact also stated that the vehicle inadvertently shifted into park. The vehicle was able to restart after 30 minutes. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the tires had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,469. | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,469 |
| Nov 2024 | VISIBILITY,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | The contact's son owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 5 MPH down a hill and making a left turn, the hood was unintentionally released, swung open, and hit the front windshield causing it to shatter. There was an abnormal snapping or popping sound detected. The driver pulled over immediately since their view was obstructed. No warning lights were illuminated before the failure however after the hood shattered the windshield the "hood open sensor" light was displayed. The driver's pregnant fiancé was occupying the front passenger's side seat and sustained injuries and pain to her left side. There was glass in her lap, and medical attention was provided. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 55,401. | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | 55,401 |
| Oct 2024 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while coming to a stop, the vehicle stalled with an engine misfire. The contact stated there was a knocking sound coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that valve springs in the engine cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V635000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact was referred to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance by the manufacturer. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 74,000 |
| Oct 2024 | STEERING | Steering is sticking | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |