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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The panoramic sunroof shade broke and hung down obstructing my view out of my rear view mirror. It is dangerous for me to be driving without being able to see behind me when my sunshade or sunroof are open. It is available to inspect. I brought it to a repair shop and they said it is a very common issue with Ford Explorers and an expensive repair. The vehicle wasn’t inspected by the manufacturer or police and there were no warning lamps. Ford is well aware of this issue and needs to fix it | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The car started hard shifting, bucking like an animal in the middle of driving 70 on the highway, hard to control, hard to stay out of traffic, started to smell like fuel was in the cabin, it took all I had to keep it in my lane and get over to safety without killing myself or someone else, took it to the dealership, they could not look at it for two weeks, took it to a different shop, he found that a wire had been cut and some hoses were zip tied to the frame ( previously only work on this car has been at dealership) he then towed it to the dealership at the two week appointment and they say its burning transmission fluid and hard shifting and needs a new transmission. The warranty expired two days before this occurred so not covered, it is a 2020 , should not have to completely replace a transmission only 74,000 miles on it . I had taken it n three times previously for hard shifting but it was an occasionally occurrence, they could never find any codes to explain so did not look further than what the computer said. That day, it did not throw any codes, until the secondary mechanic took the time to look under the hood, find the cut wire and fix that. Then he had 3 pages of codes. Now I not only have to pay the financed amount on this vehicle but I have to pay an additional 10,000 for a car that did not do its high functioning job and report a problem when i was feeling the problem and probably could have been a warranty fix before the warranty expired if the code appeared the first time, telling the computer to tell the technician to fix it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Since I have bought my 2020 Ford Explorer (brand new off the lot) it has had to have the turbo replaced several times now . Currently the turbo is bad again and I’m looking at a $3500 repair for a turbo that was already replaced 2 times since I bought it. I feel there is an issue with this car handling the turbos , I am a single mom of 5 kids and cannot afford to keep replacing turbos every couple years. I now have it sitting in my driveway cause it can’t be driven and still have a $740 momthly payment to pay on it and because I can’t use the car I can’t go to work anymore so I need help with this please | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The panoramic sunroof cover is not functioning properly. When it is open, it’s supposed to spool up in the back, but it is not working and the cover just drops back into the backseat, obscuring the view to the rear of the vehicle. It’s a very unsafe situation and upon doing some research, I have found this to be a very common problem with this car. No recall has been issued, but it is very clearly a manufacturers defect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The sunroof fabric is sagging and partially obstructing my view through the rear view mirror | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | POWER TRAIN,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the system then resumed normal functionality. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that an unknown sensor had failed. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The contact stated that recently the liftgate failed to function as intended. The contact used the key fob to open the liftgate, and the liftgate failed to function as intended. The contact turned off the vehicle and waited to restart the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact was able to open the liftgate after fifteen minutes. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The contact stated that one year ago, there was an abnormal sound coming from the powertrain. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where unknown sensors were replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 95,000 |
| Dec 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The sun shade for my 2020 Explorer has now joined the list of many others, where the sunshade drops and as it is now, I can’t see out my rear view mirror. Very dangerous! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | SUSPENSION | I was replacing the rear struts on 12/5/25. I noticed that both speedlogix vertical links were cracked in the exact same location. I called Speedlogix and they said they no longer carried those links (I see why). Asked for a refund and doesn’t appear I am going to get one. They were purchased November of 2024. No telling how long they’ve been cracked like this. Could have ended up killing me and my family. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Car was bought from Healy Ford in Goshen Ny in January 2023. Car drove fine for the first 6 months. Out of no where all the lights on the dash came on. Hill assist 4wheel drive fault power train malfunction. Collision assist I mean everything. Took it it Rea Ford they looked at it and charged me for a system update. Was good for about 8 months still had a problem when in reverse splitting out of gear then would slam back in to gear. Then the power train malfunction comes on every time I drive it, Took it back to dealership he updated the software I was told it was a bulletin not a recall and it is going to cost me over 2000.00 to fix since the update didn’t fix the problem. I am truly disappointed but stuck with ford at the moment. How can this not be a recall when you go on and see the hundreds of complaints saying the same thing. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission was shifting roughly while upshifting or downshifting. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed about a TSB with a similar failure, and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN related to the transmission. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 50,000 |
| Nov 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Somehow the sun shade for the sun roof has started sagging. It’s like it suddenly popped out of its tracks and it can block the rear view which is very unsafe | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The dash at the bottom of windshield and where the dash meet is coming up. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | SUSPENSION,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Left lowlight headlight stops working intermittently and then completely. Both front axles cracked. Right rear shock busted. Gas purge valve malfunctioned | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | My headlights and turn signals continue to go out and come back on. Multiple people with this exact same model explorer are also having this same issue. I truly think this should be a recall with the 2020 ford explorer platinum as this is a huge safety concern. Please see linked Reddit post for proof of multiple people reporting the exact same issue. This issue has been addressed by the dealership, and I was advised that the entire headlight module would need to be replaced. My driver side was replaced under warranty and the headlight is now functioning, but my driver turn signal continuously goes out every month or so now after the replacement. This issue started mere months after I purchased this vehicle directly from the dealership brand new. Please see this attached Reddit post for multiple people with the exact same car complaining of the same issue. I can also provide all receipts from where this was addressed at the dealership multiple times. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Subject: Formal Complaint – 2020 Ford Explorer Transmission Failures and Unfair Coverage Practices Dear Ford Customer Service, I am writing to formally express my concern and disappointment regarding repeated transmission failures in my 2020 Ford Explorer. The vehicle required its first transmission replacement at just 4,000 miles, and again recently at approximately 100,000 miles. It has come to my attention that Ford issued a recall for transmission issues affecting a large number of 2020 Ford Explorers manufactured at the Chicago Assembly Plant during the COVID production period. My vehicle, however, narrowly falls one month outside of the official recall range. Despite this, the symptoms and failures my vehicle experienced are identical to those described in the recall and in numerous owner complaints online. I find it deeply concerning and unjust that Ford refuses to extend coverage to vehicles like mine that clearly suffer from the same manufacturing defects. It is unreasonable for a I find it deeply concerning and unjust that Ford refuses to extend coverage to vehicles like mine that clearly suffer from the same manufacturing defects. It is unreasonable for a $45,000 vehicle, only a few years old, to require two complete transmission replacements. This is not an isolated case — thousands of 2020–2022 Ford Explorer owners have reported similar failures with the same transmission model, often shortly after warranty expiration. I am requesting that Ford review this case for goodwill repair coverage or reimbursement, and to consider expanding the recall parameters to include vehicles like mine that were evidently affected by the same defective components and production issues. I have purchased over $100,000 on Ford Cars, and have only purchased Fords. I am going to purchase a brand new car in 2 years, and it most likely will not be with Ford due to their shady recall practices, and lack of care for the quality of their product and customer service. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The electric sunroof/moonroof shade malfunctioned and pulled off the track, with part of the shade falling into the car compartment and obstructing the driver's view out the rear, including obstructing the rear view mirror. The dealer looked at it and stated that a spring had broken, but that the entire sunroof shade assembly needs to be replaced —a $2100 repair. In my opinion, this is a safety issue due to obstructed driver views, not just a cosmetic or convenience issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | SEATS | The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the second-row driver's side seat independently shifted backwards. In addition, the contact stated that the contact's [XXX] child was in a car seat attached to the second-row driver's side seat. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V393000 (Seats). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer in April 2025. The vehicle was inspected, and the contact was informed that the parts were ordered. The contact made multiple calls to the dealer and inquired about the delivery status of the ordered parts. The contact was informed that the parts had not been delivered and were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that dealers were to perform the recall repair. The contact stated that no additional information was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | 109,000 |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Powertrain malfunction/ Reduced power Bill start assist warning Pre-collision assist not available | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Hard shifting in lower gears when transmission warms up, hard downshifting to lower gears as well. This is extremely harmful if the shifting jerks hard, causing whiplash or can cause a wreck. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The component that failed was the CDF Clutch Hub. Very hard shifting when accelerating from a stop and when going up hill. The problem has been confirmed by the Ford dealership. I had no warning prior to this happening. Safety concerns in that I could not accelerate quickly to avoid impending traffic. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Air Conditioner turns ON by itself even after being manually TURNED OFF, happened multiple times. This occurred with the manual start and the vehicle running / moving. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Sunroof headliner assembly failed. The headliner fabric detached and came off the track without an prior misuse or manual operation, it simply fell loose on its own. The material is now sagging and when trying to use the sunroof the fabric hangs in the line of vision causing a safety hazard. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? While the issue did not cause an immediate accident, the loose headliner obstructs visibility while trying to use could become a distraction to the driver.IT blocks the driver's line of sight or interferes with airbags in an emergency. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?The failure occurred spontaneously and I have a appointment to take the dealership for further inspection. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No formal inspection has been completed at this time. The issue will be presented to a Ford service center for further evaluation. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warning lights or messages appeared prior to the failure. The issue occurred suddenly and without any prior indication. The fabric and track system separated unexpectedly during normal stationary conditions. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The sunshade that covers the sunroof when not in use has separated from the track. I am told (via several forums) this is a very common issue that affects most ford explorers in some cases multiple times even after replacement. When the shade opens, rather than retract as intended it drops down into the cabin of the vehicle obscuring visibility via the rear-view mirror as well as falling on any passengers in the second row of the vehicle. This is a definite safety hazard when driving. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | When driving the vehicle's instrument panel cluster randomly goes blank. When it does so, all of the items related to speed control, lighting, turn signals, etc. become non-operational. Additionally, the driver has no idea what his/her speed is nor any other information about the operation of the vehicle. It is very unsafe. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The power retractable fabric sun shade / sunroof cover came out of the rails while retracting this while driving, causing the fabric to hang down in my baby's face and cause loss of rear mirror visibility. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |