Complaint volume
102 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
2023 Ford Explorer Complaints
102 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2023 Ford Explorer, grouped by component category.
102 Total complaints
7 Crash reports
2 Fire reports
5 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 unknown or other, electrical system, structure. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 7 crash reports, 2 fire reports, 5 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 25 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 20,172 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to unknown or other, electrical system, structure?
- 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 2023 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.
2023 Ford Explorer
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2023 Ford Explorer complaints?
7 Crash
2 Fire
5 Injury
0 Fatality
11 Towed
3 Medical attention
What are the most common 2023 Ford Explorer complaint categories?
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 16
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 7
STRUCTURE 7
SUSPENSION 6
POWER TRAIN 5
AIR BAGS 4
BACK OVER PREVENTION 4
SEAT BELTS 4
VISIBILITY/WIPER 4
ENGINE 3
102 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine was misfiring, and the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who replaced the spark plug,s but the failure persisted. Later, while driving, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the coolant hose had failed, and the hose was replaced. Shortly after retrieving the vehicle the misfire continued with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the head gaskets were replaced. The vehicle continued to experience failures, and the fuel injector and the crankshaft position sensor were replaced. The contact stated that later, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, who diagnosed that the engine rod bearings had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact also experienced electrical failures with the seat heaters and the mirrors. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,682. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 35,682 |
| Nov 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | There was a recall on my 2023 Ford Explorer. I took it in to have the recall fixed on 09/15/2025 and was told it was repaired on 9/19/2025. The recall was supposedly fixed and i was given an invoice from Al Piemonte Ford in Melrose Park IL 60160. It still shows on the NHTSA website as "not repaired" and it is going on a month since i was told it was repaired. Can someone please look into this and have this recall cleared since it was repaired back on 9/19/2025? I look forward to hearing a response. Thank you, | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My vehicle automatically shuts off after 30 minutes of inactivity. This poses a safety hazard as when I 1st received this vehicle from my fleet company I left my 1 year old in there to nap and had no idea that it was going to automatically shut off. Thankfully, it was not a hot day and nothing happened to her. Today I read a story about a 2 year old that died after being left in a vehicle that has an automatic shutoff after 30 minutes. This feature needs to be removed from vehicles as people have been napping their children in cars for many years and many people do not know about this feature and think that their car will stay on and stay cool with the air conditioner. Please do everything you can to get this feature removed from all vehicles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | I have a 2023 Ford Explorer with a sun room/moon roof and the fabric is sagging causing visibility issues due to not being able to properly see out of my rear view mirror. I have not taken it to the dealership to get it checked out but I’m going to as my vehicle already has an open recall on it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Recall 25V442 was not completed on this VIN but was completed on VIN [XXX] . This service was reported on the incorrect VIN. I have spoken to the dealership service manager and to Ford customer service and they will not correct this incorrect reporting. Attached files are for the service and recall work performed on VIN [XXX] but recorded as completed on VIN [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | They are selling and won't fix/recall their broken cup holder design. This causes the driver to look down and the awkward cant of the cup in the center console in traffic. The cup actually falls into the center console. It is a known defect to Ford and causes a distraction to driver looking down and something that shouldn't break like that. Should be repaired at no cost to owner but instead Ford wants $500-$800 to fix a defective plastic part. Causes distraction and discomfort to drivers of vehicle. Furthermore, Ford won't cover under warranty nor extended warranty. Horrendous! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | STRUCTURE | The sunroof leaks water when fully closed. Especially noticeable when going through car wash. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | STEERING | The system that warns the driver that you do not have both hands on the steering wheel. It turns on while I have both hands on the wheel and sometimes I can not get it to acknowledge that and the car begins to stop on the interstate, in traffic and in a dark tunnel wiht no shoulder. The dealer can not reproduce the proble,. I have had it to them now for the third time.It has been inspected by the dealer and they have only reinstalled the software and can not fix the problem nore can they disable the system.This has been occuring with this care since I purchased it and have had it into the dealer but no fix. During a recent trip it acted very dangerously and I began to slo in a dark tunnel and even after banging ther steering wheel in frustration it continued to activeae and slow the car from 70 MPH to 30 MPG. I tryed to take a video of the problem but that became to dangerous. I stopped during my trip and installed a zip tie on the steering wheel and that seemed to help a bit with but even with both hands on the steering wheel and the zip tie it still activated several times. This has occurred several times over the past two years. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V442000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). The contact received Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP): 24B47 in August 2024. 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. Most recently, the contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the navigational system displayed a black screen, compromising the functions on the screen. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the Ford App on the cellphone failed to sync with the vehicle as intended. The message "Unable to Connect" was displayed on the App. While attempting to remotely start the vehicle, the message "Temporarily Unavailable – Unable to Connect" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the software and screen had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and sent an Over-the-Air software update; however, the sync failed to connect as intended. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,000 |
| Aug 2025 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. While the contact’s son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and shook violently. The driver noticed a strong fuel odor inside the vehicle. The hood was raised, and the fuel odor was much stronger. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact’s son, who is a certified mechanic, used a diagnostic machine to retrieve DTC: P0300, P0304, P0305, P0306, and P0352, indicating several cylinder misfires. The vehicle was towed to the dealer the following day and was diagnosed with three incorrectly misaligned cylinders. The contact was informed that the three cylinders had been realigned. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 10,628. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 10,628 |
| Aug 2025 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | The contact owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V442000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a white screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, preventing the driver from safely operating the vehicle. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the navigation screen seized and turned white. The contact stated that the screen icons failed to function as intended. The message "Unable to Connect with your Vehicle" displayed on the phone while using the Ford App. 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 unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | The contact owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V442000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a black screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, which prevented the safe operation of the vehicle. The contact stated that the black screen was permanently displayed on the rearview camera. The contact stated that none of the touchscreen icons on the screen were functioning as intended. 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 notified of the failure and referred contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 7,000 |
| Aug 2025 | SEATS | drivers side second row captain seat makes ticking noise under the seat. if I put weight on seat it stops. it is intermittent. Im concerned it might be electrical. I have a video but unable to download. I can send if there is an email to send to. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | SUSPENSION | I noticed a loud squeak when driving over bumps at lower speeds. Almost sounds like a bad shock or spring. I am not sure. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became inoperable. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the wiring harness located on the passenger’s side of the vehicle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 44,500. | Crash: No Fire: No | 44,500 |
| Jul 2025 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | The contact owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, a diagnostic test was not performed. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the vehicle had been scheduled for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,100. | Crash: No Fire: No | 44,100 |
| Jul 2025 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | The contact owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH on the interstate, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle responded as intended. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the dealer was unable to retrieve a diagnostic trouble code, and informed the contact that there was no failure. No assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and informed the contact that the repair would have to be out-of-pocket with the possibility of being reimbursed. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 17,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 17,000 |
| Jul 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his wife had parked and remained in the vehicle, and while driving at various speeds, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the Cross-traffic monitor and Blind Spot monitor had failed. The contact was informed that the software was updated; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was notified of the failure and opened a case. The contact was referred by the manufacturer to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 33,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 33,000 |
| Jun 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Request for Inspection and Service – Transmission & Water Leak Issues on 2023 Ford Explorer I’m reaching out regarding my 2023 Ford Explorer, as I’ve recently experienced two concerning issues that I’d like to have inspected and resolved: Transmission Behavior: The vehicle has been showing signs of abnormal transmission performance, including -- “hesitation when accelerating,” “jerky gear shifts at low speed,” or “delayed engagement when shifting from park to drive”. These issues are becoming more noticeable and impact the vehicle’s drivability and safety. Water Leak: I've also discovered a water leak, going down second row seat belts and getting water in corner of sunroof itself. I suspect it may be related to sunroof coming to a complete seal when shut via the buttons on vehicle even though it should be sealed, which I've read may be a known problem on this model. The vehicle is still under warranty, the vehicle has less than 36k milese on it, and I would like to schedule an inspection at your earliest convenience. If there are any recalls, service bulletins, or warranty coverages related to these issues, please let me know. I’d also appreciate a diagnostic without incurring fees for problems that may fall under warranty or known concerns. Thank you in advance for your attention to these matters. I look forward to your reply with next steps. Best regards, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2025 | STEERING,SUSPENSION | The contact owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn into the intended direction. In addition, the contact stated the vehicle failed to remain in the intended lane while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the shocks and struts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact stated the vehicle had been taken to the dealer several times prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to an alternate dealer where it was diagnosed with strut mount failures. The contact was informed that the strut mounts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 18,000 |
| May 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | my vehicles checked for a light came on. The Ford State it is not an emergency and that the vehicle can be driven, but it does need to have somebody at the Ford dealer fix it. Appointments are two weeks out. There are several problems with this number one most important I have lost signals I don’t know how you can say you can drive a vehicle and have no signals, number two. : I only have wipers on rapid speed. Number three, and of course this is just a luxury. The wiper on the rear window of the SUV does not work at all. Number four: the alert covers the main part of the vehicle screen very distracted. You cannot clear it. You cannot get rid of it even if you say OK.I think this should be a recall from everything I read there are tons of people who have this happening with this particular year and vehicle I do think it’s a safety hazard. I’m going to try to get my vehicle in sooner than the 13th. I’ve had the appointment now for almost a week. I just thought you folks should know. I don’t know if this is the appropriate form or not. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION | Error codes such as blind spots detection with traffic and a couple other codes that is stored in view status area in oasis | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | STEERING,LANE DEPARTURE | What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The steering system failed completely while the vehicle was in motion. It is currently at the Ford service center in Cocoa, Florida, and is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My wife and our two children (ages [XXX] and [XXX] ) were nearly killed due to this catastrophic steering failure. While traveling at approximately 70 MPH on [XXX] near West Melbourne, Florida (between exits XXX and XXX) in the far right lane, the vehicle suddenly and without warning jerked aggressively to the left, crossing into the center lane, nearly causing a high-speed collision with a semi-truck. The truck driver was able to swerve just in time to avoid an accident. At that point, the vehicle became extremely difficult to steer. It continued to pull to the left, and it required all of my wife's strength to get it off the highway and safely stopped on the shoulder. The safety of multiple drivers on the interstate was compromised due to this failure. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? We are currently awaiting confirmation. The vehicle is in the possession of the Ford service center in Cocoa, Florida, and they are attempting to diagnose the issue. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The vehicle is currently with Ford. We were told they are trying to recreate the issue by driving it in a field behind the dealership, but as of now, they have not taken the vehicle back out on the road or highway for testing. The Florida Highway Patrol was called at the time of the incident, but they did not dispatch a trooper since there was no crash or contact with another vehicle. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No. There were no INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | STRUCTURE | The A piller molding on BOTH sides of the windshield has been blown off. When blown off it cracked the windshield. This resulting in a hazard to drivers around but also the fuel economy of the car. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | WHEELS | Around 20,000 miles, I took my vehicle to the dealer due to rattling and knocking in the front right wheel well and it was discovered the stabilizer arm was cracked. Received the vehicle back, and approximately 1000 miles later, there is rattling at the front driver and passenger wheel well and squeaking going down the road. The sounds coming from vehicle are that of a 40-year-old vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |