10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
71,789 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2010 Ford Explorer:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #25

Sep 062021

Explorer

  • miles
Driving 65 mph on I95 and it just shut off. The yellow wrench on dash came on. I somehow was able to Pull over to the shoulder without being killed. I cranked once then tried it again and it started. Drove all the way home and it-??s running fine now. This is a common problem and Ford should be contacting me to warn me and fix it. By the way I had a baby in the car. Thanks Ford for the warning.

- Philadelpia , PA, USA

problem #24

Mar 082021

Explorer

  • miles
While driving on the highway, my Explorer did a sudden jolt and I had no control over the vehicle. It acted as though it was no in gear. I almost crashed going 60 mph on a 4 lane highway. It then did another large jolt and revved high into the red line. I took it to Firestone and they recommended that I take it to the dealership to check the transmission. I called the dealership and they advised me to drive it over. They told me it was "probably the transmission as Explorers are notarious for transmission issues." The dealership inspected the Explorer and confirmed that it was a known transmission issue involving codes P0798 and P098. The dealership advised that there were MULTIPLE pressure code errors [that never did a warning] and that the transmission required replacement. I asked if it was covered under warranty and the dealership advised me that Ford had no issued a recall yet, even though it was a known and serious transmission issue. The dealership recommended that I call Ford Customer Care at 1-800-392-3673 and request that Ford cover the replacement. I called Ford Customer Care and spoke with Bruno who advised me that it was indeed a known issue and that I "was not the only one with this issue" and that "there will be a recall soon so [I] can get reimbursed." Bruno was to have a supervisor call me within 24 hours. It has been almost 2 weeks and there has been no response from Ford. This is a well known issue that Ford knows of. There has been recalls of other Explorers for the same problem but my VIN is not included for some reason. If you go online, there are thousands of complaints. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE SOMEONE DIES OR IS SERIOUSLY INJURED. I have the telephone recordings of Ford but I am unable to upload them here.

- Seaford , VA, USA

problem #23

Jan 012021

Explorer

  • miles
Service rsc light comes on with the wrench light when driving the vehicle. Replaced the tcm and the problem did not go away. Codes U0101 and U1900 are popping up. Vehicle goes into limp mode. Replaced ignition coils on the left bank and it did not go away.

- Wilmington, DE, USA

problem #22

Sep 222020

Explorer

  • 145,000 miles
My vehicle has been suffering a radek transmission and power train issues and I am I am told that I will need to replace it. As well when I looked up the recall for this vehicle under general year and model it does come up that the transmission is up for recall however when I typed the particular van and at stated on your website there are no outstanding recalls again conflicting with the fact that the recalls on transmissions have been noted and noteworthy in previous C 2011 Explorer such as my own. Please advise and let me know if it is covered before my transmission gives up completely thank you so much for your attention. My vehicle both has a tendency to jump yours as well as idle high and transmission fluid is proper and in good condition please help me.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #21

Jun 182020

Explorer 6-cyl

  • 189,000 miles
When I drive the ABS light comes on, the break system light, engine light, and air bag light all came on at the same time and the radio will shut off along with all the dashboard lights. When I drive sometimes the car will stop catching gear and stop accelerating randomly. The vehicle fails to accelerate at all speeds. The transmission has been replaced and we were told the PCM was burnt out and unrepairable and Ford has the product on back order and doesn't know when it will be available.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #20

Aug 012016

Explorer

  • 127,000 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Explorer. When the vehicle was engaged in park, the key became stuck inside the ignition. The contact mentioned that he manually pushed a pin in the shifter to remove the key. The contact also mentioned that the gear was able to be removed out of park without the key being in the ignition. The vehicle was taken to shults Ford Lincoln (10401 perry hwy, wexford, pa 15090, (724) 934-2388) where the contact was informed that the shifter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for repairs. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 127,000.

- Mars, PA, USA

problem #19

Aug 162018

Explorer 6-cyl

  • 120,000 miles
August 16, 2018 I had an accident as a result of my 2010 Ford Explorer accelerating while my foot was on the brake. I was almost completely stopped and out of no where my vehicle surged forward so fast. The sound coming from the engine was extremely loud. My daughter had unbuckled her seat belt since we were all but stopped and hit her head on impact. My vehicle accelerated very fast and hit the rear end of a large Yukon truck which was parked in front of me. The Yukon then was pushed forward and broad sided an older truck which was parked at a gas pump. This was all a very dangerous situation. I was attempting to park on the side parking lot of a store. My vehicle was almost stopped, with my foot on the brake. I had to almost stand on the brakes with brakes not responding.

- Northfield, MN, USA

problem #18

Nov 252018

Explorer

  • 118,839 miles
Truck recently start having problems, has correct amount of transmission fluid, everything. Transmission light came on car stalled, restarted the car tge car drove but acted like it was slipping, light still on, took it to mechanic... the light did not give any codes of any sort on any of their scan tools car drives fine today kind of, it "falls" out of gear when I come to a stop and kinda stutters when I begin to drive. Again there should be no reason for this unless a manufacturer defect is the cause. Correct fluid levels, clean fluid, regularly changed as scheduled in the manual. Vehicle only has 119, xxx miles. Ridiculous. Note the light does not even come on anymore.

- Port Richey, FL, USA

problem #17

Nov 152018

Explorer

  • 133,000 miles
"takata recall"-diagnosis/engine light(wrench coming up on screen)-code PO741 transmission torque converter system stuck off. PCM won't command transmission to shift and when does command transmission will slip. Taken to Ford dealer-sheehy Ford Mercury Lincoln Mercury-10601 midlothian turnpike, richmond, va 804-794-0500-after mechanic was not able to obtain parts 9L2A-12A650-fd & 9L2A-aa. Advised cost to repair will be $5,600 or more. Had to put 20% deposit or $3,400 down before work could begin. As I speak to other Ford owners, advised that they had to make same repair. Wrench light warning appears while driving.

- Powhatan, VA, USA

problem #16

Aug 162018

Explorer

  • 104,000 miles
Coming to a complete stop with my foot on the brake, the engine all of a sudden surged forward. I was not able to stop it with the brakes. It surged so fast and hard that it rear ended a Yukon which was parked about 10 feet in front of me, which forced the Yukon forward approximately 7 feet which then broadsided a parked pickup. This accident happened in a parking area, adjacent to a gas station. My daughter was unbuckling from her seatbelt when the vehicle surged forward and caused her head to hit the windshield. Turning the bill into insurance, our vehicle was totaled. We had been without a car for 2 months while insurance took its time totalling it. We now have to purchase a new vehicle, start a new car loan when our Explorer was half paid off. After the accident we researched our vehicle and learned this has happened to many others with Ford Explorer years 2002 thru 2010. Ford has refused to deal with any of this, although we read half way thru 2010 they did start correcting this problem.

- Northfield, MN, USA

problem #15

Dec 312017

Explorer

  • 63,000 miles
Car sitting in park will not shift out of park with brake pedal fully pressed. Can't drive car because it will not go into gear.

- Medford, OR, USA

problem #14

Sep 232016

Explorer 6-cyl

  • 87,233 miles
The wrench symbol has come on several times. The last time it stayed on along with an engine symbol. Ford dealership said they couldn't find anything to indicate why the wrench symbol came on but did replace the throttle body to take care of the engine symbol. I'm concerned that if this comes on again, it may lead to serious problems. Could they have removed a fuse that controls the wrench trouble light? in all cases, I was driving the vehicle when the wrench symbol came on.

- Peyton, CO, USA

problem #13

Sep 262016

Explorer 4WD 6-cyl

  • 81,000 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Explorer. While driving 30 mph entering the highway, the crankshaft pulley fractured and caused three other vehicles to be struck by the pulley. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000. Updated 01/06/2017 the consumer stated the harmonic balancer fell apart without warning. Not only did it fly off in traffic, it rendered him without brakes and steering. Updated 03/01/17.

- Murray, UT, USA

problem #12

Apr 272016

Explorer

  • 69,476 miles
Transmission intermittently slips out of a low gear preventing acceleration. Appears to jump into a neutral revving engine only before catching in gear. Very dangerous for merging onto highways. Only occurs periodically and at low speeds. Had several transmissions replaced continues to do same.

- Venetia, PA, USA

problem #11

Jun 202016

Explorer

  • 67,000 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Explorer. While the vehicle was parked, the key fob could not be removed from the ignition. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that an unknown pin within the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,000.

- Liberal, KS, USA

problem #10

Nov 302015

Explorer

  • 88,000 miles
A failure of the electric interlock between the ignition and the "park" position occurred which makes it possible to move the shift from "park" to some other position without pressing on the brake pedal. This can result in someone sitting in the passenger seat moving the shift from "park" while the vehicle is on an incline. This has been such an extensive/ongoing problem with this vehicle, that the parts to repair it are on back-order for up to 6 months!! it's only a matter of time before the scenario I described above occurs, causing damage if not injury to something/someone. The current condition of my vehicle is that I cannot rotate the ignition key to the "off" position, so it must be left in the vehicle when I depart. That's illegal in this state, but I have no choice if I want to/have to use my vehicle. I checked 'blogs' on this subject, and discovered that this problem has been occurring for a long time, and Ford is aware of it.

- Spanaway, WA, USA

problem #9

Feb 282015

Explorer

  • 80,000 miles
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle continued to roll when the gear was shifted into park. The continued jumped in the vehicle, but the brakes failed to respond. The vehicle crashed into the wall of the house and an iron gate. The vehicle came to a complete stop. The local authorities were notified, but no report was filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was repaired per the insurance company. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

- Santa Isabel, PR, USA

problem #8

Oct 012014

Explorer

  • miles
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the gear shifter failed to shift out of park. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.

- Canton , MI, USA

problem #7

Mar 142013

Explorer

  • 27,000 miles
I own a 2010 Ford Explorer XLT 4X4 that I purchased new in 2009. At approximately 30,000 miles the driver's side front wheel bearings wore out and were replaced under warranty. A second time after warranty at approximately 55, 000 miles the same wheel bearings were replaced at a cost of over $500. The entire wheel hub assembly was replaced and I was told by the dealer that this is fairly common" the truck now has only 66, 000 miles on it and has 3 sets of wheel bearings on the same side. What kind of defect in the front end can be causing this" (I rarely use the four wheel drive if this helps).

- South Hamilton, MA, USA

problem #6

Jul 102014

Explorer 8-cyl

  • 28,773 miles
Car idles and surges while either in park or while foot on brake quite scary as you watch the RPM rise on its own wondering if the car will jet out in traffic.

- Oak Lawn, IL, USA

Read the next 5 complaints »