Complaint volume
1134 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
2020 Ford Explorer Complaints
1134 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Ford Explorer, grouped by component category.
1134 Total complaints
33 Crash reports
10 Fire reports
27 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 33 crash reports, 10 fire reports, 27 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 385 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 33,892 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 2020 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.
2020 Ford Explorer
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2020 Ford Explorer complaints?
33 Crash
10 Fire
27 Injury
0 Fatality
40 Towed
8 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Ford Explorer complaint categories?
POWER TRAIN 306
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 117
BACK OVER PREVENTION 56
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 44
ENGINE 42
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 40
SERVICE BRAKES 27
VISIBILITY/WIPER 27
STRUCTURE 26
SEATS 25
1,134 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | The wiring is faulty. We have had electrical issues since buying this vehicle. The car is not old- I turned my car on put it into reverse and all these lights popped up saying there’s electrical issues and it can’t work and the brakes legitimately did not work. We almost went into traffic from a business with no ability to break. For a 4-5 year old car this should not even be a thing I feel like. And it should not be having this serious electrical issues. Everything electrical in the car is not working and the fuses are fine according to the mechanic. Si we are going down the list of issues that could be an issue. But he is saying the wiring could just be faulty. Which is scary because it almost cost me and my oldest child our lives. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The vehicle was driven to the destination and then turned off. Upon turning the vehicle back on and attempting to drive it, the vehicle vibrated and shuttered violently at times. The vehicle was looked over on-site before being driven to a mechanic for any loose parts or debris in the fender wells. The vehicle was able to be driven slowly to mechanic and only wide turns could be made or it would shudder and vibrate. After inspecting the vehicle, the mechanic stated that the front axles needed to be replaced and this would solve the issue. Approval for the front axle replacements to be completed was given to the mechanic and the soul was completed. However, the vehicle continued to vibrate and shudder in forward and reverse gears, especially when turning. The mechanic suggested to go to the dealership to get it checked out and reset/reprogram the PCM. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who looked it over and checked for a rear axle bolt failure and then sent it back to the original mechanic to swap the axles as they are unsure if the correct parts were installed. The original mechanic contacted the Ford dealership and ordered the front axles again and installed them. The problem persisted. The mechanic then attempted the completion of the TSB 23-2174 to see if that would help solve the problem. The vehicle was then driven to the dealership to have the PCM reprogrammed and the work completed by the mechanic reviewed. After leaving the vehicle at the dealership for several weeks and having the work completed, the problem persists. However, since this problem started, the transmission or drive train now slips or hips when coming to a stop right at 0mph. It also pops and jumps when taking off in the lower gears.the drive train behaves erratically and feels like something is loose or slipping or of place. The rough shifting and hop when stopping causes concern about the vehicle not stopping or shifting out of gear or into the strong gear or something is coming loose | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Low beam projector bulb prematurely fails. Replaced under warranty and failed again. Due to dynamic bending feature dealer recommended replacing entire assembly at a cost of $1500. High beam and dynamic bending works, just low beam out of service. Seems like a less costly option to replace LED bulb. Online research lead to other owners reporting similar failures and replacement cost. Some owners replaced control module which fixed the issue, so it is possible that this is controller fault. But a non-working headlight is a safety issue as well as traffic violation. Is this an issue for this agency? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | SEAT BELTS | We received a recall stating that one or more of our seat restraint fasteners may have been improperly secured which may not effectively restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. However, there are no parts or fix available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The panoramic roof fabric has become unhinged from the track and caused a visibility issue for my rear view mirror. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Fuel does not pump in correctly and causes spit back. The car has been taken into ford numerous times without a solution & parts have been replaced. The problem still exists. This causes gas to leak at the gas station as it doesn’t flow fast into the tank even on the lowest flow possible. You are also unable to move the nozzles around, in or out to make it work. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Door handle chrome plating is peeling off. Finger cut when opening the car door. Chrome tips on window buttons had already been recalled for the same reason, but the door handles were not included in this recall. Attached picture of finger was 7 days later. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | SUSPENSION,SEAT BELTS | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V093000 (Seat Belts); 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 vehicle was leaking oil near the front wheels. Additionally, the vehicle was shaking while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that the rear seat belts failed to secure the passengers. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the right and left bearings were leaking oil and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that there were no additional recalls on the VIN. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | SEAT BELTS | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V093000 (SEAT BELTS); 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. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | We had an issue where the abs light came on going down the road. If you applied the brakes the dash would say release parking brakes and then the vehicle did not want to stop when I actually needed too. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle felt misaligned and made an abnormal rubbing sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated; however, the dealer recommended the transmission be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and covered the transmission replacement. The dealer replaced the transmission. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was test-driven, and the failure was duplicated; however, the dealer could not determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related to the failure of Ford Campaign Number: 24N01. The manufacturer was contacted, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly jerked and jolted before returning to normal functionality. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission control module. The contact was informed that the TCM needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 108,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 108,000 |
| Apr 2025 | STRUCTURE | The sun roof cover has come lose blocking the rear view | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The car leaks water into the cabin on the front passenger side from the HVAC system. This has been a consistent issue and has not been resolved by Ford. The car has no sunroof and the water drips from behind the glovebox. It is enough water to make a large puddle in the front passenger side foot space. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle jerked with the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 56,000 |
| Apr 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated the center display screen failed to turn on upon starting the vehicle. The rear air conditioner, backup camera, and heater failed to be operational due to the failure. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who replaced the camera under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V342000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, and confirmed the recall repair and that the screen was not covered. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 55,000 |
| Apr 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The sunroof liner began sagging when opened. It was inspected and repaired. The repairs were out of pocket at Auto Nation Frisco. We have owned the vehicle for 4 years and hardly use the sunroof. We had no other problems with the sunroof. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle had started to vibrate abnormally. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact later noticed that oil had leaked onto the driveway from the rear driver's side wheel well. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the subframe bushing had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V675000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 84,000 |
| Apr 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER | The sunroof fabric covering the glass sags down and does not work properly. This is a known issue on 2020+ Ford Explorers with the sunroof option. The sag blocks visibility out the rearview mirror and causes a distraction to drivers. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the failure recurred increasingly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the left and right catalytic converters were fractured. The dealer was then notified of the failure and informed the contact that only the left catalytic converter replacement was covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 92,000 |
| Mar 2025 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under Customer Satisfaction Program: 22N17 (Power Window Switch Chrome Tip Replacement); however, the failure occurred with the driver's and passenger's side door handles. The contact stated that the chrome paint on the driver's and passenger's side door handles had peeled, exposing a sharp edge that cut the contact’s hand while opening the front driver's side door. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for routine maintenance, and the contact was informed that the driver's and passenger's side door handles were not covered by Customer Satisfaction Program: 22N17 (Power Window Switch Chrome Tip Replacement). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 40,302. | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 | 40,302 |
| Mar 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission randomly shifts from gear to gear. Dealer says must replace transmission. Only 58k miles | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Sunshade for the sunroof is starting to sag/come off track | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | POWER TRAIN | At 56000 miles and 5 years 40 days, the transmission started downshifting roughly from 8 to 7. Apparently this is a common issue with the explorers. Ford extended the warranty to 5 years or 60000 miles, so by driving the car conservatively and not beating on it we inadvertently helped the transmission survive a little over a month past its warranty length. The transmission degraded towards complete failure quickly making it nearly impossible to get it to the repair facility safely.03 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 30 MPH and attempting to decelerate, the vehicle independently jolted before downshifting into the 1st gear while the accelerator pedal was being depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to several local service shops; however, the vehicle was later taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 66,000 |