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

I pulled into a parking spot. I shifted to park, turned off my engine. My vehicle rolled backward and hit a parked car while I was still sitting in it.

NHTSA ODI 11476027

MY WIFE EXPERIENCE "SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION" OF OUR FORD EXPLORER. MY WIFE WAS PULLING INTO A WALGREENS PARKING LOT, SLOWED DOWN TO TURN INTO A PARKING SPACE WHEN THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. MY WIFE HAD HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE AS SHE WAS ENTERING THE SPACE, BUT THE BRAKE COULD NOT CONTROL THE CAR. THERE WAS AN EXTREME AND SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION. ONCE THE CAR HIT THE POLE, IT AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED INTO REVERSE EVEN WITH MY WIFE APPLYING THE BRAKE. THE CAR CAME TO A STOP AFTER HITTING A PARKED TRUCK. ADDITIONALLY, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS ENOUGH FORCE ON THE FRONT END TO MAKE THE AIRBAGS DEPLOY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11329641

THE VEHICLE WILL NOT STAY ENGAGED IN PARK. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS BEEN REPAIRED. HOWEVER, THIS TIME IT ROLLED BACKWARDS INTO SOMEONE ELSE'S VEHICLE. OUR VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AT THE TOP OF THE DRIVEWAY FOR NEARLY 2 HOURS BEFORE THE PERSON PARKED BEHIND OR VEHICLE. THEY WHERE AT OUR HOUSE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, WHEN THEY WHERE LEAVING WE NOTICED THAT OUR VEHICLE HAD DISENGAGED FROM PARK AND ROLLED 15' DOWN THE DRIVEWAY INTO THEIR VEHICLE. THANKFULLY, THERE WERE ONLY A FEW SCRATCHES ON EITHER VEHICLE. OUR DRIVEWAY IS FAIRLY FLAT, IT HAS A 1-3 DEGREE SLOPE TO IT. LEADING TO THE CONCLUSION, THAT THERE IS NOT A LARGE INCLINE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FORCED OUT OF PARK. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE WAY THE TRANSMISSION IS ENGAGED INTO PARK OR THERE IS YET ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH THE SHIFT LINKAGE. THE SHIFT LINKAGE WAS ADJUSTED THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED. THE SECOND TIME THE SHIFT LINKAGE WAS REPLACED. WE ARE TAKING IT BACK TO THE DEALER TODAY TO SEE WHAT THEY FEEL NEEDS REPLACED THIS TIME.

NHTSA ODI 11182102

HAS THERE BEEN ANY REPORTED CASES OF A 2013 FORD EXPLORER SLIPPING FROM PARK TO REVERSE WITH THE SHIFTER? I HAVE NO SPECIFICS OTHER THAN AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE CAR WAS PHYSICALLY SHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO PARK OR REVERSE (ACCIDENTALLY) AFTER PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT IN HOUMA, LA.. PERSON DROVE CAR INTO PARKING LOT AND POSSIBLY WANTED TO GET OUT AND SEE HOW FAR THEY WERE FROM CURB. CAR WAS STILL RUNNING AND PERSON EXITED VEHICLE AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY RUN OVER. BYSTANDER WHO HEARD/SAW ACCIDENT SHIFTED CAR TO PARK (WAS PHYSICALLY IN REVERSE WHEN THEY GOT IT). I HAD HEARD THAT OLDER EXPLORERS MAY HAVE HAD AN ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11162920

I NOTICED RIGHT AFTER BUYING MY CAR THAT IT WOULD SOMETIMES BE IN PARK, BUT THE CAR WOULD TELL ME TO SHIFT TO PARK. I TALKED WITH THE SALES GUY AT THE DEALERSHIP, HE SAID HE WOULD LOOK IN TO IT. IT HAPPENED A FEW TIMES. THEN ONE TIME, I SHIFTED TO PARK IN A RAIN STORM AND RELEASED THE BRAKE. I LOOKED IN TO THE PASSENGER SEAT TO GRAB MY THINGS AND THE CAR ROLLED IN TO MY HOUSE CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE HOUSE AND TO THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 10824075

EXITING FROM PARKING LOT AND SPEED OF ABOUT 15 MPH ON A STRAIGHT ROAD, NO POT HOLES, AT ABOUT 100 FT FROM THE PARKING EXIT, IT HIT AN ELECTRIC POST. LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION, FENDER, WHEELS,PILLARS, ROCKER & FLOOR, RADIATOR SUPPORT, FRONT LAMPS, HOOD,STEERING ROCK, CRADLE, TRANSMISSION TRANSFER CASE, FRONT DOOR AND MANY MORE DAMAGE. ALL ARE IN LEFT SIDE. I CHECKED THE VIN BUT IT IS NOT ON RECALL FOR POWER STEERING PROBLEM HOWEVER I SUSPECT POWER STEERING WAS THE CAUSED OF ACCIDENT. IT IS A MAJOR DAMAGED AND THE INSURANCE IS NOT YET DECIDED IF REPAIR OR TOTAL WRECK. I ASKED THE FORD DEALERSHIP TO SEE ON THE DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER OF THE VEHICLE BUT UP TO NOW THEY HAVE NOT YET CHECK. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10702359

PARKED ON SLIGHT INCLINE IN DRIVEWAY, DID NOT USE PARKING BRAKE, AFTER ABOUT TWO HOURS I CAME BACK AND NOTICED THAT MY VEHICLE HAD ROLLED INTO THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME, A TOTAL DISTANCE OF ABOUT 3 FEET, MY TIRE TRACKS WERE VISIBLE IN THE SNOW, WHICH IS HOW I IDENTIFIED THAT MY VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS AND WAS NOT HIT FROM THE VEHICLE BEHIND MINE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10693062

I WAS LEAVING TO RUN ERRANDS I START THE CAR & SEEN I FORGOT SOMETHING SO I LEFT IT RUNNING OPENED DOOR & IT ROLLED BACK INTO OUR CARPORT POLE WHILE IN PARK. IT HAS BEEN GIVING A SHIFT TO PARK WARNING FOR ABOUT A MONTH WHEN THE CAR IS IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THIS IS THE 3RD TIME WE HAVE HAD TROUBLE SINCE WE BOUGHT JUNE 6. HERE'S MAINTENANCE JULY 7,2104 FRONT WHEEL BEARING AUGUST 6,2014 THE MOLDING CAME OFF WINDSHIELD PASSENGER SIDE WHILE DRIVING & THE DRIVERS SIDE WAS LOOSE. SEPTEMBER 23,2014 ROLLING BACKWARDS WHILE IN PARK. WE ALSO HAVE A PICTURE OF THE WARNING SHIFT TO PARK. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10638554

I TOOK A 10-MONTH RENTAL ON THIS VEHICLE IN JULY/2012 THRU ENTERPRISE/SANTA BARBARA, CA, WHERE THIS INCIDENT TOOK PLACE. I: LEFT THE CAR CURBSIDE BELIEVING IT WAS IN PARK; CROSSED THE SIDEWALK TO GREET A FRIEND, LEFT THE DRIVER DOOR OPEN; NOTICED THE CAR ROLLING BACKWARD TOWARD A CAR PARKED FURTHER DOWN THE CURB; RAN AFTER THE CAR; GOT INTO THE 'V' BETWEEN THE DRIVER SEAT AND DOOR; KEPT MY LEFT FOOT ON THE STREET - MY RIGHT FOOT IN THE CAR TO HIT THE BRAKE; WAS UNABLE AS THE MOMENTUM AND DOOR PUSHED ME BACKWARD; "RODE" THE CAR BACKWARD WITH 2 HANDS IN THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE, HOLDING MYSELF OFF THE ROAD. THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR RAKED UP THE LENGTH OF MY LEFT SHIN (SCRAPES AND HEMATOMAS) AND FORCED ME TO LET GO. LANDED ON THE STREET, LEFT ARM STUCK UNDER MY BACK. I WAS PINNED BETWEEN THE EDGE OF THE DOOR AND THE ASPHALT AS THE CAR DRAGGED ME DOWN THE STREET. IMPLORED MY FRIEND TO HELP. HE GAVE CHASE AS THE DOOR EDGE CUT ACROSS MY TORSO AS IT DRAGGED ME (TREMENDOUS PRESSURE ON CHEST AND LEFT SHOULDER?LONG BRUISE FROM RIGHT HIP TO LEFT SHOULDER. HE SUCCEEDED WITH DIFFICULTY AS THERE WAS NO POWER TO THE BRAKES. EXTREME PAIN FOR DAYS, COVERED WITH EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL BRUISES. MRI REVEALED A ROTATOR CUFF TEAR IN LEFT SHOULDER. ENDURED MONTHS OF PAIN/LOSS OF MOBILITY WHILE FINISHING PROJECT IN CALIFORNIA. RETURNED HOME TO CONNECTICUT, ENDURED A DIFFICULT ROTATOR CUFF + LABRUM REPAIR SURGERY. FACING MONTHS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY AND A LONG, HOPEFULLY SUCCESSFUL RECOVERY. THIS WAS THE 2ND SUCH INCIDENT WITH THIS VEHICLE, THE FIRST WITHOUT TRAUMA. LUCKY TO COME OUT OF THIS AS WELL AS I DID, I'M TOLD THE NEXT IN SEQUENCE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE TIRE RUNNING OVER MY LEG. I KNOW OTHERS HAVE BEEN DISABLED + KILLED IN SUCH SCENARIOS. PLEASE DON'T NEGLECT THIS GLARING PROBLEM. I URGE THE NHTSA TO DO EVERYTHING IN ITS POWER TO REMEDIATE THIS GIANT LEAP BACKWARD IN VEHICULAR SAFETY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10523625