What 2,224 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Ford Explorer Police Intercept

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the trim on the driver's side and passenger's side had become loosened. The contact added tape to secure the A-pillar trim. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11595482

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly hesitated and lost motive power. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the water pump. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 93,000.

NHTSA ODI 11595511

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sunroof leaked water, causing the rearview mirror and rear seat belts to become wet. The contact stated that the sunroof motor and dashboard were previously replaced due to the failure; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

NHTSA ODI 11595562

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim separated from the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the driver's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim had detached. The local dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled for the repair. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11595016

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the "Traction Control" and "Power Steering" warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel was very difficult to turn, and the vehicle was pulled over off the roadway. The contact stopped and turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle had not fully regained power steering functionality. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed but was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact had researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 167,000.

NHTSA ODI 11595100

I own a 2013 Ford Explorer. While driving in the rain exiting the freeway at approximate speed of 25 MPH the steering wheel seemed to lock up and then was extremely difficult to steer, making it impossible to maneuver the vehicle causing me to hydroplane across several lanes until I crashed into a mature bush. Causing damage to my radiator. I have not taken it to the dealer and have only shopped around for independent mechanics. I am not sure of the extent of other damage. I just became aware that this is a similar problem for other owners. The car is currently undrivable and is going to cost me a large amount of money - now the registration has lapsed (cannot smog) and I have DMV fees to. This was a solo car accident and no other people were in my vehicle at the time. I saw the recall notice (recently) on NHTSA but my VIN number is not included. I have not contacted anyone yet regarding this - I am already have trouble with FORD regarding covered repairs and being charged for a rental car (that was supposed to be included) Not sure what to do! Now i am making payments on a vehicle that i cannot drive and i cannot afford to purchase another one.

NHTSA ODI 11595170

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering was difficult to steer. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. The contact stated that when the vehicle was parked, the vehicle lost motive power and would not restart. The contact The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with a failed water pump. The contact was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11594211

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly after the steering wheel seized in place, making it impossible to maneuver the vehicle. The power steering assist and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 111,000.

NHTSA ODI 11594233

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the steering warning light was illuminated. The stability-trac and loss of power steering messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and was reprogrammed four times. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The contact stated that the failure was due to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000.

NHTSA ODI 11593445

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11593091

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the moonroof was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the switch and sun/moon roof motor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that there was no Warranty coverage on the vehicle for the failure. The manufacturer contacted and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 116,414.

NHTSA ODI 11592063

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he noticed a sound coming from the front of the vehicle, near the windshield. The contact inspected the vehicle and became aware that the exterior A-pillar trim from the passenger's side had detached and flown off the vehicle. Additionally, one part of the trim on the driver's side had almost detached. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11591789

While driving at highway speeds, I heard a rattling sound twice and then noticed something flew off of my car. I couldn't tell what at the time. When I was able to look later, the driver's side front a-pillar (which I was recently informed has a recall on it) was gone. This had then become a hazard in the road for other driver's. No remedy for the recall is available at this time. There was no warning lights or alarms at the time.

NHTSA ODI 11591455

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The traction control warning light was illuminated, and the "Service Power Steering Now" message was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 166,394.

NHTSA ODI 11590979

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 - 12 MPH and turning and or veering to the right or the left, the steering wheel failed to redirect to center. The contact had to use an excessive amount of force to maneuver the steering wheel. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that most recently while pulling into a parking lot at approximately 5 MPH, the steering wheel became firm. The contact pulled into a parking space and the steering wheel seized with the "Service Power Steering Now" and "Lane Keeping System Malfunction Service Required," illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that due to the amount of sensors, the vehicle needed to be serviced by the dealer. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, immediately referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but a case was not opened. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 130,200.

NHTSA ODI 11590994

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the driver’s side trim detached, and soon after the passenger’s side trim also detached. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11589900

The steering system, a known problem which previously had a recall in 2014, is failing. My SUV is apparently not included in that recall, even though it is the same issue. There are no warning lamps. This was confirmed via OBD2 scanner and the SUV's behavior. Confirmed by dealer. It has been an issue since I purchased the vehicle in 2023. On 2/14/24, I took it in for a different recall issue - toe link. The tech told me I needed a front-end alignment, which he did not do. I took it to another mechanic for the alignment, at which time they informed me there was an issue.

NHTSA ODI 11589414

Due to trim panel recall, trim came off and while driving and now water leaks in windshield when it rains. Leaking water dripped on to climate control panel and caused it to stop working. Now I can’t control heat or AC in car and it continues to leak when it rains

NHTSA ODI 11589220

My 2013 explorer that I purchased is apart of the recall OEM 15n01 EPAS steering efforts. My VIN matches under the recall and my steering gear/rack seems to be faulty or broken. The service center confirmed the steering rack is faulty and is not safe to drive, It doesn’t let me drive in a straight acceleration and there’s knocking/grinding noise when it allows me to turn the wheel. What steps do I take in having this issue repaired?

NHTSA ODI 11589224

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle and flew off. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11589270

When I move my steering wheel in any direction there's a grinding noise and my steering wheel tries to get stuck.There was no warning lights on and now the vehicle is difficult to drive

NHTSA ODI 11588678

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that when the vehicle was purchased from an auction it was listed with power steering assist failure. The contact stated that the power assist failure and the traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The dealer confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 195,500.

NHTSA ODI 11587911

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11587191

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel was stiff and difficult to turn. The contact stated that moments afterward the steering wheel became firm with the "Loss of Power Steering" message displayed. The contact pulled over and stopped the vehicle. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle several times, but the power steering functionality failed to return. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed, and the mechanic informed the contact that there was a recall for the year, make, and model for a power steering failure, and the contact was referred to a dealer. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The contact called a local dealer and described the failure and was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA ODI 11586627

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the trim on the A-Pillar on the passenger’s side of the vehicle detached and blew off the vehicle and almost struck another vehicle. The contact was unable to recover the trim piece. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11586015