8.5

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$4,500
Average Mileage:
78,350 miles
Total Complaints:
4 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. replace turbo (4 reports)
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problem #4

Jun 012024

Explorer Sport 3.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 75,000 miles

Issue started at 75K miles. Driving home from trip, 150 miles. Start out ok, at about 50 miles, sluggish pickup. Small amount of smoke when acceleration, which became worse. Freeway smoking became so bad after about 100 miles had to stop and have car towed home.

Repair shop advised both turbos shredded, shavings in engine, complete tear down. Catalytic converters filled with oil, needed replace also.

After repair, lasted to 90K miles.

Engine light came on, timing issue. Ran ok, rough idle. Took to dealer, Specifically asked to read PCM and asked to check if Ford notice advising "PCM requires IDA release 97.03 or higher installed to resolve the issue".

Asked to check and advise and print the software version currently installed, when picked up car 3 weeks later, was told they don't have printers on the code reader, but car was up to date. Two miles down the road car went into limp mode.

Currently Parked.

- General M., Warren, US

problem #3

Aug 012023

Explorer Sport 3.5L-Liter Ecoboost V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 74,000 miles

Ford Explorer 2013 Sport Both turbos failed Sept 2023, (impeller shred metal) both replaced, catalytic converters flooded with oil, replaced, multiple engine drain and clean at 75,000 miles.

Runs fine, after about 250 miles, P0018 error code, all 4 camshaft sensors replaced, still has error code but still runs great. Engine trouble light on. Tester reads "Actual Intake Camshaft Position Bank 2(o) -18.36" Mechanic states only resolve is timing chain. Just not ready to replace timing chain.

Turbo failure on this model quite common, Ford only used this turbo on 2013 models, no recall for the issue..

- General M., Roseville, US

problem #2

Nov 132020

Explorer Sport 3.5L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,820 miles

Our Explorer recently turned over 100K miles. Upon starting the car one morning, my wife noticed the car started to smoke a little. As it was a cold morning, I figured it was just excess exhaust from the car warming up on a cold morning. She drove it all morning and as I had thought, the smoke went away when it warmed up. She then brought it home and parked it.

I got in the vehicle that night for a small 20 mile trip to pick up my son. This is when I first saw the smoke. We looked like Uncle Buck driving down the road, but it subsided after a few minutes. I got the oil changed at that point because it needed it anyways. As we left the lube center, the car started to smoke again. this is when the check engine light started to flash. We pulled over and called a tow.

We had the car towed to our local Ford dealer. After a diagnostic, they deemed that the rear Turbo had a catastrophic failure causing the smoke and thus has failed and in turn destroyed the converter under it. I am under the impression that Ford's Turbos need to be replaced between 100-150K miles. My car literally has 100,820 miles on it. The repair shop wanted 3700 to replace both the turbo and the converter. He has also noticed the other turbo on this car is near failure as well. As a dealer and mechanic that sees these repairs all the time, he said it's "unheard of" that both turbos would fail at the same time and with this few miles on them.

I have not noticed any recalls on this but am aware of the many issue ECOBOOST motors have had with Ford Motor Co. If these things fail and then leave such a costly bill for the owner, wouldn't you think they would find a fix? Also is there anyone I can contact about them failing simultaneously? I find it had to believe that such important parts that contribute to the operation of the motor running smoothly such as the turbos should be failing this quickly.

- Scott T., chester, US

problem #1

Nov 292016

Explorer 2.0L I4 Ecoboost

  • Automatic transmission
  • 63,546 miles

The Turbo just simply quit working at roughly 64k miles. Luckily I was smart enough to buy an extended warranty.

- Jeff D., Parker, US