Home · 2013 Ford Explorer Hev · Complaints

What 2,222 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Ford Explorer Hev

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (2,222)Crash / fire / injury (78)Steering (831)Body & structure (435)Engine (224)Electrical system (160)Fuel system (153)Transmission & drivetrain (119)Suspension (79)Engine & cooling (67)Visibility & wipers (62)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (45)

3 of 2,222 complaints match · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Oct 8, 2023Electrical systemEngineFire

Unknown what caused the issue but our vehicle erupted into flames in our driveway not 10 minutes after we pulled in. No warnings, no indication anything was wrong. We smelled smoke and went outside to find the hood completely engulfed. It took fire department to extinguish it. They’re not certain of cause yet but said likely an electrical short

NHTSA ODI 11548867

Sep 18, 2019Electrical systemBody & structureFire1 injury

SMELL OF SMOKE, AND TAPPING NOISE PRIOR TO FIRE. SMOKE CAME FROM NEAR THE CENTER CONSOLE BETWEEN DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT. FIRE STARTED. MADE A COMPLAINT PRIOR ABOUT SMELL OF SMOKE AND NOISE.

NHTSA ODI 11256307

Feb 1, 2016Electrical system2 injuries

ELECTRICAL OUTLET IN REAR CENTER CONSOLE WAS COMPLETELY PULLED OUT WHILE TRYING TO UNPLUG COMPUTER EXPOSING ELECTRICAL WIRES ELECTROCUTING MY SON AND NEPHEW. THIS HAPPENED AT NIGHT WITH THE VEHICLE IN MOTION.

NHTSA ODI 10823439

Working with the data? Download all 2,222 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 14, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Ford Explorer Hev verdict →