Home · 2013 Ford Explorer Police Intercept · Complaints

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

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 (2,224)Crash / fire / injury (78)Steering (832)Body & structure (436)Engine (224)Electrical system (160)Fuel system (153)Transmission & drivetrain (119)Suspension (79)Engine & cooling (67)Visibility & wipers (62)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (45)

Newest first · 2,224 complaints · page 9 of 89

Apr 1, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger's side windshield trim detached. The contact stated that the detached trim was hitting up against the front windshield. In addition, the contact stated that the detached trim caused the windshield wipers to not function properly. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available to repair the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but was unable to confirm when the part would be available. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11651987

Apr 1, 2025Steering

Steering suddenly became hard to turn the wheel. Felt kind of jumpy.

NHTSA ODI 11652152

Mar 31, 2025Body & structure

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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11651819

Mar 28, 2025Body & structure

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 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11651245

Mar 28, 2025Body & structure

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 11651252

Mar 28, 2025

The backup camera on this vehicle stopped working correctly a while back. The image usually is shown mirror... so everything left-right is flipped which causes confusion for the driver. Other times the screen goes completely blank/black. Both of these create a safety issue when backing up, for cross traffic and pedestrians. This is issue just suddenly started one day. I asked the Ford dealer about it and being outside of the warranty period, there wasn't anything they could do. I can pay to replace the camera, but others reported doing that and the same problem came back later. I see now that Ford as active recalls for the same problem - but only for more recent model year vehicles.

NHTSA ODI 11651254

Mar 28, 2025Electrical systemBody & structureSeats

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while it was raining, water was leaking into the vehicle through the front windshield. While making a turn, water entered the vehicle, and the front seat passenger became wet. The seat was damaged by the water. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact ordered a power window switch online. 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 contact had not experienced a failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11651277

Mar 27, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the front driver’s side and passenger’s side A-pillar trims detached. In addition, the contact was able to retrieve both front A-pillar trims and temporarily repaired the vehicle with adhesive. 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11651045

Mar 27, 2025Body & structure

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 while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the A-Pillar trim detached. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or 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 issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11651054

Mar 26, 2025

Bad welding on the top left hinge of the liftgate allowed a crack to form over time. The crack exposed metal which allowed rust to form and leaks from rain water. This excess build up of water also allowed paint chipping and additional rust along the entirety of the crack and rear tray. This was discovered after some time, due to not being immediately visible from the rear of the car.

NHTSA ODI 11650950

Mar 21, 2025Body & structure

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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the windshield trim had detached from both the passenger’s and driver’s sides of the vehicle. The contact had reinforced the trim with glue and tape several times; however, the trim persistently detached. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11649677

Mar 21, 2025Steering

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the power steering failed to operate as needed. The contact used an excessive amount of force to turn the steering wheel. The power steering and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the power steering had failed, and the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); and was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.

NHTSA ODI 11649755

Mar 20, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that the front windshield trim on the passenger's side had detached. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the parts to repair the vehicle were not available. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, the manufacturer was unable to confirm when parts would become available. The failure mileage was 132,182. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11649558

Mar 19, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on the driver’s side of the windshield started to detach. 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, and the dealer confirmed that the remedy was not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or 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 approximate failure mileage was 45,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11649201

Mar 19, 2025Steering

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became stiff and difficult to turn in either direction. The message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a local service center, where the vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The parts for the repair were ordered, and the repair was pending at the owner's expense. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

NHTSA ODI 11649240

Mar 17, 2025Body & structure

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 45 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving 45 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was repaired after the most recent failure. The contact had ordered the part from Amazon. 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 failure mileage was approximately 40,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11648685

Mar 17, 2025Body & structure

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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the A-pillar trim had detached on both sides of the windshield. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 220,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11648724

Mar 17, 2025Body & structure

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 unavailable. 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 stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the A-pillar trim on the driver's side was blown off the vehicle by the slipstream. The contact was unable to retrieve the trim. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11648812

Mar 14, 2025Steering

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the power steering assist failed to operate as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle because the steering wheel was stiff. The contact, who is mechanically inclined, inspected the vehicle and discovered that the failure was caused by a defect with the rack and pinion. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) was linked to the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 76,800.

NHTSA ODI 11648271

Mar 12, 2025Body & structure

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 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 stated that while driving on the highway at 70 MPH, the passenger’s side trim clip detached and flew off the vehicle. The contact was unable to recover the trim clip. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11647832

Mar 10, 2025Body & structure

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 dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle made a loud noise, and the contact thought that the sound came from a bird. There were no warning lights illuminated. Once the contact arrived at the destination, upon inspection, the contact became aware that half of the A-pillar trim had detached. The contact contacted the dealer and a quote for the repair was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was awaiting a second notification for part availability. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11647395

Mar 7, 2025Body & structure

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 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 11646956

Mar 6, 2025Body & structure

BOUGHT THE CAR 07/03/23 FROM PRIVATE PARTY AND ITS BEEN LEAKING WATER SINCE. FOUND THE CRACKS 02/28/25. BODY IS CRACKING ON TOP REAR ROOF OF VEHICLE CLOSE TO THE REAR HATCH HINGES ON DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE WHICH CAUSES WATER TO COME INSIDE THE REAR INTERIOR PART OF THE VEHICLE. 3RD ROW SEATBELTS ARE SOAKING WET WHEN IT RAINS. WATER ALSO LEAKS IN THE TRUNK AND SPARE TIRE SPACE. ORIGINALLY, THOUGHT IT WAS FROM CLOGGED SUNROOF DRAINS, BUT FOUND THE CRACKS AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION. PICTURES HAVE BEEN ATTACHED.

NHTSA ODI 11646853

Mar 5, 2025Steering

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while attempting to parallel park, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact drove back to the residence. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a related recall. The dealer confirmed that the vehicle was not previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and case was filed. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 179,663.

NHTSA ODI 11646457

Mar 4, 2025Body & structure

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 11646212

← NewerOlder →

Working with the data? Download all 2,224 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 23, 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 Police Intercept verdict →