What 1,160 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Ford Explorer Gas

Fuel gauge on electronic instrument panel shows empty at all times. Driver can run out of gas without warning. Vehicle OBDC shows fuel sensor fault, local dealer claims a faulty instrument cluster with very costly repair. No warnings before this happened. Just Fuel light coming on, check engine light coming on and fuel level showing Zero.

NHTSA ODI 11536882

There have been a few times when the gas pedal (accelerator) isn’t responsive. I have pressed the accelerator to the floor a few times and there has been a long delay in response from the engine and when it did respond it was at a lower rpm then expected when the pedal is to the floor. It has occurred when the vehicle is at a stop and the accelerator is pressed to hard. This has occurred multiple times.

NHTSA ODI 11535225

Previously filed reports 11521566 and 11494044, stating problem with no response from the accelerator pedal, it happened several times again, at different speeds and different driving modes, should I wait to be involved in an accident to sue the company directly or what other recourse do I have? Have taken the car different times and mentioned the problem but they say "we found nothing wrong" the car is out of warranty now and have seen reports of transmission problems that should have caused a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11533701

engine does not respond when trying to pass slower traffic, press the gas pedal several times with no response, car started to slow down with fast traffic behind/sides on the freeway, took more than 20 seconds to respond to gas pedal input almost causing an accident

NHTSA ODI 11521566

Car did not respond to accelerator while driving on the freeway causing the car to decelerate on traffic creating a dangerous situation, other cars honked and swerved around

NHTSA ODI 11494044

WHEN STOPPING, MOVING SLOW OR PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT OR GARAGE YOU CAN HEAR AND FEEL THE FUEL IN THE TANK SLOSHING BACK AND FORTH. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE FUEL TANK IS AT LEAST 1/2 FULL AND IS VERY NOTICEABLE BUT SEEMS TO GO AWAY WHEN FUEL IS UNDER 1/2 TANK.

NHTSA ODI 11403968

WHEN PARKING VEHICLE OR BACKING OUT OF GARAGE SLOWLY, YOU HEAR FUEL SLOSHING UNDER THE FRONT SEATS LIKE THERE IS NO BAFFLE IN THE TANK. VERY VERY NOTICEABLE AND ALSO MENTIONED ON THIS SITE FROM OTHER FORD OWNERS. A TSB SHOULD BE ISSUED BY FORD IMMEDIATELY AS THEY DID FOR THE SAME ISSUE WITH TSB 18-2378. THIS IS NOT A NORMAL CONDITION AND IT'S A COP OUT FOR FORD NOT TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM THAT THEY HAVE HAD IN OTHER FORD PRODUCTS AND THIS ONE NOW AS WELL!!

NHTSA ODI 11397819

I TOOK MY CAR TO THE BANK AND PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT AND WHILE I WENT TO THE ATM I LEFT THE CAR RUNNING I WASN'T AWAY FROM THE CAR FOR MORE THEN THREE MINUTES AND WHEN I GOT BACK IN THE CAR IT STARTED SPUTTERING AND THEN JUST SHUT OFF. I TRIED TO START IT BACK UP BUT UPON DOING SO THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T TURN OVER. THE ENGINE SOUNDED LIKE IT WANTED TO TURN OVER BUT WOULDN'T. I TRIED THIS A BUNCH OF TIMES UNTIL THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED( ABOUT AN HOUR) BUT EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE STILL WOULDN'T TURN OVER. JUST CONTINUED TO MAKE THE ENGINE NOISE THEN WOULD SHUT OFF.

NHTSA ODI 11394729

VEHICLE WILL NOT START WHEN PARKED ON DRIVEWAY W/ NOSE FACING STREET IF THERE IS LESS THAN ABOUT A QUARTER OF A TANK OF GAS IN IT. WHEN TRIED TO MANY TIMES THE DASH READS CRANKING LIMIT EXCEEDED. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP - 2021 LOANER WAS PROVIDED AND THE SAME ISSUE HAPPENED. DEALERSHIP ALSO ADVISED THEY HAD ANOTHER CUSTOMER WITH A 2021 EXPLORER HAVE THE SAME ISSUE A WEEK PRIOR. WAS TOLD TO PARK MY CAR IN STREET AND NOT USE DRIVEWAY OR TO ALWAYS HAVE MORE THAN A QUARTER TANK OF GAS. THESE ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE ANSWERS

NHTSA ODI 11389731

VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN MULTIPLE REPAIR SHOPS MULTIPLE TIMES FOR FUEL PUMP, ELECTRICAL, AND POWER TRAIN PROBLEMS. THE FIRST TIME IT SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF A PARKING LOT, IT WAS TOWED WAS AT 1720 MILES. IT CURRENTLY HAS 7772 MILES. I WOULD GET IT OUT OF THE SHOP ONE DAY THE CAR WOULD EITHER HAVE THE SAME WARNING LIGHTS APPEAR OR BREAK DOWN TOTALLY. PRIME EXAMPLE PICKED IT UP ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2020 AND IT STARTED EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS ON THE 24TH AS SOON AS THE GAS WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THE CAR SHUT OFF AT 65 MPH AND ALL THE CABIN LIGHTS CAME ON INSIDE THE CAR. I MANAGED TO GET IT RESTARTED AFTER 20 MINUTES AROUND 8:15 PM AND GET TO A GAS STATION AND I PUT GAS IN IT AND THE GAS WARNING LIGHTS WENT OUT. THEN SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY AT 70 MPH ON THE 25TH ON HIGHWAY 421 NEAR YADKINVILLE, NC. WARNING LIGHTS WOULD APPEAR AT THE MOMENT THE CAR SHUTS DOWN. (NEAR HIT BY A TRACTOR-TRAILER THAT SWERVED TO MISS HITTING ME.) HAD IT TOWED TO TWO SEPARATE FORD DEALERSHIPS. THE FIRST SAID THEY COULD NOT WORK ON IT BECAUSE IT WAS A HOLIDAY AND THEY KNEW I WAS OUT-OF-TOWN FROM VIRGINIA. THE SECOND DEALERSHIP INQUIRED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. OHMED OUT THE FUEL COMPONENT AND DISCOVERED THE CONNECTOR WAS DEFECTIVE ON THE FUEL PUMP AND IT HAD BEEN WIRED IMPROPERLY AND REPLACED THE MISSING SCREWS ON THE FUEL PUMP. THE SHOP REWIRED THE COMPONENT CORRECTLY AND THE VEHICLE RUNS. I STILL CONSIDER THE CAR UNSAFE BECAUSE I CAN STILL FEEL THE POWERTRAIN JERK SUBTLETY.

NHTSA ODI 11377011

RECEIVED MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP- REGULATORY

NHTSA ODI 11361218

TRANSMISSION ISSUES AGAIN. SAME BROKEN / CRACKED WELD AT TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER. PART REPLACED. THIS IS THE VEHICLE'S 3RD OIL COOLER (WE'RE AT 12,600 MILES NOW)

NHTSA ODI 11319148

WHEN STARTING AT INTERSECTIONS OR STOPPING YOU CAN HEAR AND FEEL THE FUEL IN THE TANK SLOSHING BACK AND FORTH. I'VE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CONFIRMED THE NOISE AND DOCUMENTED IT. THEY REACHED OUT TO FORD WHICH SAID THEY KNEW OF THE ISSUE AND AT THIS TIME THERE IS NO FIX.

NHTSA ODI 11310542

FUEL TANK SLOSHING AND CLUNKING NOISE UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS. THE VEHICLE FUEL TANK DESIGN LOCATES A PORTION OF THE GAS TANK UNDER THE VEHICLE AND BELOW THE SEATS. WHEN THE GAS TANK IS ABOVE HALF FULL, YOU CAN HEAR AND FEEL THE GAS MOVING IN THE TANK, ESPECIALLY AT LOW SPEED, DURING TRAFFIC WITH FREQUENT STOPPING. NOT SURE HOW SAFE IS TO FEEL THE GAS MOVING INSIDE THE FUEL TANK AND THE NOISE WHEN THE GAS IMPACTS THE GAS TANK WALLS. WHEN THE TANK IS FULL AND YOU BRAKE, THE FUEL SLOSHES FORWARD AND MOVES SOMETHING INSIDE AND SLAMS AGAINST THE INSIDE OF THE TANK.

NHTSA ODI 11308257

DURING LOW SPEED MANEUVERS LIKE PARKING AND WHEN COMING TO A STOP, THE FUEL SLOSHES LOUDLY AND CAN BE HEARD INSIDE THE VEHICLE. IT SLOSHES MOST NOTICEABLY WHEN THE FUEL LEVEL IS ABOVE 3/4 FULL. THE FUEL MOVES SO MUCH IT SOMETIMES SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING HITTING THE FLOOR UNDERNEATH THE DRIVER SEAT OR A DRIVELINE ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11307917

THE EXPLORER WAS PUT INTO REVERSE. THE VEHICLE DROVE FORWARD ABOUT 3 FT, JERKED, THEN SLAMMED INTO REVERSE. REACTION TIME ON MY BEHALF WAS SLOW AS IT WAS UNEXPECTED, I ALMOST HIT A LIGHT POLE. THIS OCCURRED IN A PARKING LOT

NHTSA ODI 11307291

BREAKS GAVE OUT WHILE BACKING OUT OF LANE. SEPARATE ISSUE PRESSED ON GAS NO RESPONSE OR DELAYED RESPONSE IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. ACTED LIKE IT WAS ALMOST OUT OF GAS BUT NOT. ALSO OTHER SMALL ISSUE IS LOUD HIGH WHISTLE NOISE ABOVE 70MPH.

NHTSA ODI 11288246