What 2,223 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Ford Explorer Gas

The SUV will swerve into other lane when it switches gears. Replaced both struts. Odor in the cab. Coolant will not stay and after spending $1000 for repairs, it still cannot be fixed. Cracked head gasket.

NHTSA ODI 11510468

Water pump failure, this part has been recalled on most Ford explorers but not mine and I’m unsure why. My water pump has failed and is causing additional damage to hoses and the engine due to overheating. My vehicle overheated on the interstate and was completely drained of water. I had to pay a $400 tow bill and walk over 10 miles home. The water pump started working again and then once again stopped working. This has caused a lot of problems to my safety and well-being, not to mention I have lost my job due to being late for work multiple times due to not having a reliable form of transportation. A quick Internet search has showed me this is a very common issue for my vehicle and I believe Ford should be held responsible for the faulty part.

NHTSA ODI 11508979

Leaking water pump at bolt

NHTSA ODI 11506597

I know there was a recall on exhaust fumes coming in the vehicle months ago, and it's starting again I've had really bad fumes coming in my car .

NHTSA ODI 11501810

The sunroof motor burned out due to water intrusion from clogged drains. Water also pooled in the passenger side floorboard and soaked the carpet from faulty drains. Cracks in the manufacturer's seam sealer at welds cracked at the back tailgate and leaked all down into the carpet and floorboard below the cargo area. This is a huge issue for those of us to are extremely sensitive to mold and mildew. It can also cause severe corrosion to other components of the car. I have reported it to the company and the dealer and they say that it is not their issue. In fact, they accused me of trying to weld or caulk the cracks. The vehicle has been inspected by Ford mechanics. There were no warnings of any kind. I discovered the burnt sunroof motor due to the sunroof not closing. Had to scramble to find someone to remedy the problem. I've investigated these issues and there are several customers with these exact same problems on Ford vehicles from 2011 - 2019. There should be several recalls concerning these issues.

NHTSA ODI 11501689

WATER PUMP! WATER PUMP! WATER PUMP! The same exact issue with every other Ford Explorer that they knew about when coming off the assembly lines and not doing anything to be held accountable. As the Millions of Americans get screwed over because we have to now pay Minimum $2K to have it repaired. Canada has them as a recall, why not USA ? Absolutely Ridiculous on FORD to get away with this.

NHTSA ODI 11500176

Water pump leak after 123000 miles. Antifreeze got in engine and may have damaged the engine. No warning given. Found anti freeze under vehicle in garage. Ford website expects water pump to last 150K miles. Had to have vehicle towed to repair shop. Estimate around $3k to repair. Read on Ford forums of many folks having similar experience. Why no recall on these issues?

NHTSA ODI 11492669

The water pump failed and left my family stranded in northern New Mexico. This issue overheats the engine making the vehicle un-drivable. Super dangerous and apparently very common in ford explorers.

NHTSA ODI 11488485

As stated in the 2 of the articles in this year make and model range 2013-2018 Ford explorer. The car has been up to date with maintenance, after a couple thousand miles after the oil changed was. I then took the car to a mechanic shop and was told the water pump and thermostat were failing. I stopped driving the car and decided to take it to a ford dealer. After visiting Palmetto Ford in Miami. I was told the car did not have an open recall for this vin and they did not cover it. It is evident that the problem has been present in many ford explorers in this year and has been a safety concern since the car overheats while on the road. I will need to have a recall placed on my vin number so that i can take this to a ford dealer and get it resolved asap so that i can get back to my normal living as I do not have a transportation and happen to be losing time from work and spending money in rides. My vin number is provided in this report Vin: [XXX] 2013 Ford Explorer Limited Recall 16v925000 (engine and engine cooling) https://www.bing.com/search?q=2013+ford+explorer+water+pump+recall&cvid=744c57e549d049c2bbcd35d89655cedd&aqs=edge.0.0l3.8405j0j1&pglt=41&FORM=ANNTA1&PC=U531 https://www.carproblemzoo.com/ford/explorer/water-pump-problems.php#:~:text=The%20contact%20reference%20manufacturer%20recall%20number%3A%2016s46%20campaign,not%20assist.%20The%20failure%20mileage%20was%20approximately%2065%2C000. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11484748

My water pump failed while driving which made the car overheat and instantly shut off while driving. I have maintained the engine. The internal water pump is leaking the coolant into the motor. Why an internal water Pump?

NHTSA ODI 11482787

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the coolant warning light illuminated on the instrument panel as the vehicle hesitated upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle would not accelerate above 35 MPH. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who discovered a leak in the water pump. The contact called two dealers and was informed that there were no recalls on her vehicle for the water pump and was given an estimate for repair. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

NHTSA ODI 11480222

Water pump failure - engine overheating and leaking coolant. Potenential to cause catastrophoic damage to engine. Not safe. Appears to be common with 2013 Ford Explorers. Many of the same cases and complaints found online but I cannot find the recall.

NHTSA ODI 11470233

While driving, the vehicle will drop out of drive, the engine will run roughly, the engine will not respond to accelerator pedal inputs. The service engine light will illuminate. If I coast to the side of the road, turn off the vehicle, then restart it, it runs normally as if nothing has gone wrong. The first four times this happened, no codes were set in the computer. This occurs at varying speeds and varying conditions. The last two times it occured, I had already driven the vehicle for 2 hours on the highway (70-75 mph). Once I left the highway, I drove for another 50-60 miles and then the issue recurred. Finally today, the vehicle set a P2111 code, which indicates an issue with the throttle actuator system. This is a dangerous situation. Each time it happend I was in traffic, sometimes heavy. Luckily I was able to quickly pull off safely and no crash occured, but a collision certainly could have happened.

NHTSA ODI 11467804

Unknown, heater started blowing cold air, and realized was low on coolant. Filled up coolant but noticed was leaking coolant when came home from work and parked car. Cannot locate leak as of yet but seems to be leaking from water pump as it is not a hose issue that I can feel or see. From research, it seems like Ford has had several complaints and failures with the water pump but no recall. If this part is continuing to fail, why has it not been recalled? This presents danger to the engine, car, and families in it. The pump is also located inside the engine making repairs with labor come around 2-4K. This should be covered by Ford due to failure rates reported and poor design choices made by Ford.

NHTSA ODI 11463138

I was driving down the road and my engine overheat alarm light went off. Tried replacing the thermostat and this did not help the situation. Then noticed coolant fluid leaking. Tried replacing the coolant fluid and it was coming out as fast as I was putting it in. My safety was put at risk due to this occuring while I was driving down the road with no warning. I carry my children in the car. I was able to slowly get my car back to my house and I had a mechanic come out and take a look and was told it was my water pump that had failed.

NHTSA ODI 11462442

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that she was able to coast safely off the road and assess the vehicle. The contact stated that there was water on the ground as well as leaking from her vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and remained with the independent mechanic. The contact was informed that the water pump failed and caused the engine to fail to operate as needed. The dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 127,000.

NHTSA ODI 11457098

Carbon monoxide levels in the cab. Persistent 10ppm co2 in the cab of the vehicle. Peak at 30ppm. The recall for this issue had previously been completed. 2nd issue was a valve allowed oil to infiltrate the intake which resulted in odor in the vehicle

NHTSA ODI 11454216

WATER PUMP LEAK INSIDE THE ENGINE, CAUSING COOLANT AND OIL TO MIX. CAR OVERHEATS

NHTSA ODI 11454239

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the engine failed. The contact mentioned that there was coolant going onto the engine. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact called the dealer to notify them of the issue. The vehicle was not repaired. No further information was available.

NHTSA ODI 11452284

While on the highway July 2021 a red warning light flashes, I didn’t get to see exactly what it said, it went away. Shortly after that I stopped at a Walmart service location off the highway, but by then the light wasn’t on and the mechanic said “they don’t do anything regarding engines”. Then about a week later it flashed again then I was ready and able to take a picture (attachment #1) it said “engine coolant over temperature”. I called several repair shops and dealerships and had gotten a few estimates (attachment #2). One place added a lot of coolant (Grease Monkey) and that seem to get me going and I didn’t see the light again until about 3 to 4 weeks later. Then my husband and I had to start checking my coolant level daily to see if more coolant had to be added which most times it did. The high cost for repair - is in getting to the water pump - which I’m being told by at least 4 people can take 11 to 12 hours of labor. One repair place said “I may be better off by getting rid of the SUV”. I previously had a 2003 Ford Explorer (original owner) kept it for 10 years then upgraded to a 2013 Ford Explorer (original owner) and thought I could do the same, however costly problems started in 2021. Ford is aware of all of the water pump related issues and should have a recall and/or make repairs free of charge. This has been apparently going on for 10+/- years. In October 2021 once while on a rural highway in Colorado about 30 minutes from home my car ran hot and stalled on me and my son who is disabled and cannot walk. We putt putted over to a restaurant lot, had to let the car cool down to then add water. After that we almost made it home before the light came on again, we were about 3 minutes from home. That was very scary to be driving in traffic and your car stalls. My car has been sitting for the last 4 months because of the cost for needed repairs.

NHTSA ODI 11447762

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the instrument cluster showed that the engine was overheating. The vehicle stalled and was not drivable. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the water pump and engine were needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

NHTSA ODI 11425854

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WATER PUMP WAS LEAKING COOLANT AND WATER CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE WATER PUMP HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO AN UNKNOWN FORD RECALL REGARDING THE WATER PUMP HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO NHTSA FOR ASSISTANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11405060

THE POORLY PLACED WATER PUMP. 2013 FORD EXPLORER XLT WITH THE WATER PUMP INSIDE ENGINE. JUST GOT THE CAR 6 MONTHS AGO HAS 107900 ON IT. YESTERDAY STARTED LEAKING COOLANT. HAVE TO TAKE TO THE FORD DEALER TODAY.

NHTSA ODI 11403053

CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED AT 137,000 MILES

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SMELLING A WEIRD SMELL COMING FROM THE CABIN LIKE CARBON MONOXIDE SMELL .

NHTSA ODI 11386156