10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 5
Injuries / Deaths:
14 / 0
Average Mileage:
42,224 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 2013 Ford Explorer:

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

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #4

Mar 042013

Explorer 6-cyl

  • 600 miles
I drove my recently acquired and new Ford Explorer Sport for first time on the highway on March 4, 2013. When accelerating to pass a truck, I lost control of front end to point of swirling and near collision with the truck. I don't consider this a fluke as same happened a while later during same highway trip. I'm very familiar with high horsepower passenger vehicles and sports cars for that matter. I am also very familiar with higher and allowable speeds having driven and handled sport cars and passenger vehicles on german autobahns while living in europe. It is my experience and belief that the combination of characteristics (weight balancing in combination with significant horsepower, possibly large tire size, traction and four wheel/front wheel drive aspects, thrust etc.) make this vehicle, the Ford Explorer Sport, extremely dangerous on highway while accelerating at allowable speeds. A local dealerships' expert (read: Dealer is an independent contractor) in Indiana confirmed my observations and beliefs and used term "squirlyness" to describe vehicles' handling when accelerating at highway speeds. Ford indicates that vehicle operates as designed, I content the design is bad, causing this Ford Explorer Sport version to be very dangerous. In my mind it is entirely foreseeable that accidents will happen to unsuspecting drivers of this vehicle based on the vehicle characteristics. Obviously this is something that will not be admitted to by Ford due to pre-emptive liability assumption in case of accidents. I offered Ford to take this new vehicle back. Once again I understand that they would not as this would imply admittance of safety concerns regarding the Ford Explorer Sport version.

- Grand Rapids, MI, USA

problem #3

Feb 142013

Explorer

  • 345 miles
This 2013 Explorer XLT 4WD with 345 miles on it and less than two weeks old experienced complete engine failure while being driven in a residential area at mid-day.

- Wichita, KS, USA

problem #2

Feb 012013

Explorer 6-cyl

  • 1,023 miles
I just bought a 2013 Ford Explorer last week and I am having an issue with burnt oil smell getting inside the cabin even with A/C in recirculation mode. It is such a disappointment to pay over 40K for a brand new SUV and been dealing with such an issue. I have a newborn and I am afraid to take it with me in the Explorer because I guess it is harmful for anybody. First time I bought a Ford and I am not happy about my decision to switch brands. I took to the dealership and need to go back on Monday to do a system update but I don't think updating the software it's going to solve the problem. I hope someone from Ford can read this and pay attention to us because it's not healthy to be driving inhaling harmful fumes.

- Miramar, FL, USA

problem #1

Jul 202012

Explorer 6-cyl

  • 350 miles
When accelerating the vehicle quickly with the air conditioner on (does not matter if it's on fresh air intake or recirculating), there is a definite odor of gasoline exhaust in the cabin of the vehicle. The problem can be duplicated at any speed, from a dead stop or accelerating during a passing maneuver. The vehicle was taken to the local dealership and two technical bulletins were addressed (one for a vibration sound coming from under the hood which was repaired and the other for the exhaust odor in the cabin). Upon completion of the factory warrantied technical bulletins, the odor remained. Upon further review of the documentation, the wrong odor was addressed (radiator fluid, not gasoline exhaust). The odor is present regardless of burning 87 octane or E-85 fuel.

- Columbus, GA, USA