What 1,163 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Ford Explorer Police Intercept

When my truck is decreasing speed/on the downshift, there is a very hard jerk. I took it to my local Ford dealer and was told there’s an issue with my transmission.

NHTSA ODI 11641804

1. Component: AWD system – Front Axle Disconnect Actuator / Intermediate Shaft • Failure Type: AWD system failed, preventing power transfer to front wheels • Availability for Inspection: Yes, diagnosed and confirmed by Zeigler Lincoln Ford 2. On Thursday, [XXX], while driving in a snowstorm with my two children, my 2020 Ford Explorer AWD system failed completely, leaving us stranded on an icy hill with no traction or ability to move. • My vehicle lost all AWD functionality, causing it to become immobilized on an active roadway in hazardous conditions. • We were trapped between two semi-trucks that were also stuck, creating a high-risk situation where a collision or multi-vehicle pileup could have occurred. • With freezing temperatures and no way to move, we were at risk of hypothermia while waiting for a tow truck. This was not an isolated issue. Ford acknowledges this AWD system defect under TSB 23-2174, meaning this failure can happen to any driver under similar conditions, creating a major safety hazard. 3. Yes. The issue was diagnosed and confirmed by Zeigler Lincoln Ford, who determined it was covered under TSB 23-2174. • Ford has officially acknowledged this defect but has not issued a recall. 4. Yes. The vehicle was inspected by Zeigler Lincoln Ford, and the AWD failure was confirmed as a front axle disconnect actuator/intermediate shaft defect. • Ford issued TSB 23-2174 to address the defect, proving that this is a known issue. • However, instead of issuing a recall, Ford is making owners pay for repairs out of pocket, despite the serious safety risk. 5. Yes. Prior to the AWD failure, I received a wrench icon warning (Powertrain Malfunction Indicator) on my dashboard. • Error codes C0631 and C0633 were later retrieved by the dealership, confirming AWD disconnect failure. • I had experienced intermittent AWD traction loss in winter conditions, but the system failed completely during the snowstorm incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11641806

Transmission jerked in and out of low gears, causing very harsh shifting and lack of acceleration. Service shop at dealership found metal shaving in the transmission and replaced the whole thing. Vehicle only had 50k miles on it.

NHTSA ODI 11641451

Is making a noise and I have 2 incomplete recalls

NHTSA ODI 11640990

When downshifting from 7th to 6th gear it jerks hard and fluid and everything seems ok

NHTSA ODI 11640218

I have recently have experienced engine failure with the 2020 Ford Explorer 2.3 ecoboost engine. I was driving on a 4 lane highway, specifically on a bridge, and I experienced loss of power and acceleration. At that time, the engine light came on. I managed to get home, with the vehicle seemed as if in limp mode. I had my vehicle towed to the Ford Dealer ship. The service manager stated that they believe it is complete engine failure. He believes the failure is in the cylinder walls which is due to coolant intrusion in cylinders 2 and 3. His suggestion is to change the "long block" at the costs of $12,284,51. Also, he expressed a concern with the transmission. It might be an issue with the computer, or wire harness. Which would be $1091.81. Plus, a couple sensors, spark plugs. In all The total repair costs are $16,904.16. I owe about $9,500. Prior to this, in 2022 the Turbo went out. It was replaced under the warranty at that time. This was at 90,000 miles. After doing some online research. There has also been a class-action lawsuit involving the 1.5L, 1.6L, and 2.0L EcoBoost engines. Owners of these engines reported issues such as coolant leaks leading to engine overheating and, in some cases, engine failure. The lawsuit claims that Ford was aware of these defects but did not take adequate steps to address them. There are some fantastic videos on youtube that explains and illustrates the reasons for the manufacture defect and engine failure. [XXX] I am a high mileage driver of highways and interstates. I understand that vehicles will have normal wear & tear. I now have 190,000 miles and no longer under warranty. However, based on my investigation, and other similar complaints about the 2020 Explorer with the same or similar issues, I believe there could be a defect with the Cylinder head just like the other ecoboost engines. Other ford explorer owners will likely experience the same as the add miles INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11638610

On [XXX], with the wife and 3 grandkids in the car, as we made a left turn and were picking up speed suddenly the car downshifted to first gear. This jerked the whole car whipping the necks of everybody in the car and drastically slowed the car. Fortunately, the guy behind me did not rear end me, but almost. This scared us all. The car recovered and we proceeded the 15 miles home but several times the transmission seemed to have trouble finding the right gear. There were no lights or warnings on the dash. My wife said she would not drive the car any more. We parked the car until Monday, January 6. I drove the car to Tracey Langston Ford in Springfield and they have said I need a new transmission. This is a $6,700 repair out of my pocket. They have said they will reduce it to $6,000. Meanwhile, I still do not have the car and we have made it with one car for over 2 and one half weeks.

NHTSA ODI 11638147

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted, hesitated, and jerked abnormally. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was also referred to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 97,000.

NHTSA ODI 11637419

Cracked Transmission Cooler where hoses attach. Replaced/repaired at owners expense.

NHTSA ODI 11636598

1. Yes, available for inspection. 4 x 4 issue. Front half shaft axel needs replaced, as well as hoses because of the change in the front half shaft design. My safety is at risk as when I'm driving the veichle it will randomly kick out of 4 x 4, and hill assist. I cannot make it up hills and slide everywhere. I have almost been into multiple accidents due to the failed system. Ford Dealership inspected the car, and diagnosed it. They said it's a known issue for the year and there is a TSB but no recall. They fix the sams issue frequently. Ford Dealership read the codes and wrote a order of the parts I need. No lights or issues prior to this safety issue. This issue causes all sensors to stop working, hill assist to kick out, auto hold to kick out, and causes the entire car to not work in 4 x 4.

NHTSA ODI 11636039

2020 Explorer ST transfer case and transfer case module failed. Safety was a high risk factor for myself and anyone around me because when trying to make turns the vehicle slow way down like the brakes were being applied and the vehicle would violently shake. The vehicle has been inspected by a dealer and confirmed to be the transfer case and transfer case module. When this occurred there were several warnings, advancetrac fault, hill start assist fault, 4WD fault, ABS fault, and traction control fault.

NHTSA ODI 11635155

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while the vehicle was in to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V675000 (POWER TRAIN); the mechanic discovered metal shavings inside the rear axle differential fluid. The contact was advised that the rear axle assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.

NHTSA ODI 11633923

Received letter for Ford CSP 24N01 which states that the one bolt holding the rear end is at risk of breaking off under load. The letter then says if the bolt is broken or if any noise and/or vibration is present in the rear, to then bring the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer then stated that the bushing the bolt rides in is tearing at the top but the vehicle is not eligible for the CSP. The main issue is they will not quote just replacing the bushing but they are required to update the rear diff cover that accommodates two bolts and bushings (which is the CSP). I’m forced to either pay $1800 for the dealer to address this or just throw the CSP in the glove box and let the stress of the bolt take the abuse of a sloppy bushing and let my wife drive along until her rear end falls out. I would get the bushing replaced but the dealer is not giving that option. The bushing that is in the vehicle is DISCONTINUED due to a design flaw. How is this not a recall for all explorers of these years? Mine was built 02/2020 which is part of the Safety Recall 22S27.

NHTSA ODI 11631967

I discovered a leak from the Transmission oil cooler. Diagnosed by Ford but not covered under power train warranty. Upon further research discovered the vehicle not included in the Customer Satisfaction program, Campaign #20B34 initiated by Ford Motor Company. If I had not discovered the leak, damage to the transmission would have occurred or caused the transmission to fail putting the occupants at risk of injury or death. Vehicle currently being repaired at my own expense.

NHTSA ODI 11629832

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked while the transmission was shifting gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated while driving 30-35 MPH, the crash prevention system, the traction control system, the driving mode warning lights, and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was unable to change the driving mode to the current driving condition. Additionally, the vehicle unintendedly switched from 4WD to 2WD. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Jordan Ford (609 E Jefferson Blvd, Mishawaka, IN 46545), where it was diagnosed and determined that the AWD control module and the front axle seals needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the AWD control module replacement was not covered under the power train warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.

NHTSA ODI 11629161

I have a previous file for this situation already submitted reference # 11626064. Since that filing I have had an additional occurrence of the same description. I also found a recall for 2021 explorers which sounds to be the same as what I have experienced , below is a reference to the 2021 Explorer recall. [XXX] Please confirm if the recall can be updated to include the 2020. Best Regards [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11629237

Transmission stalls at high speed it seems as if it gose in to neutral

NHTSA ODI 11628743

Transmission gose into limp mode when trying to pass other vehicles missed shift warning ️ on dash also loud rattling noise from floor passengers side

NHTSA ODI 11628753

First I started randomly getting lights come up on my dash hill start assist not available powertrain malfunction traction control reduced power took it to ford multiple times they tell me there is nothing wrong. Finally I have to have my car towed due to not going into gear yet again they still find nothing wrong same thing happens again we tow it home my husband looks under the car it is pouring fluid out of the front axel seal and the inner cooler. He checks the transmission fluid there is no fluid in my transmission. Call ford again get no answers as to why they have looked at my car multiple times supposedly checked transmission fluid and continue to tell me there is nothing wrong. Then I find out there are TSBs for both these issues yet can’t find anything on my car being in that recall.

NHTSA ODI 11628101

Carr rolls when put in PARK until the Emergency Brake senses the roll and engages.

NHTSA ODI 11627672

Oil change and service check was completed on 20 Nov 2024. Maintenance record shows transmission fluid levels passed inspection. Issue started on 23 Nov 2024. Driving at speeds of 65, 55, 45, and 35mph on a highway. When accelerating to the speed limit, a hard shift was noticed at around 45mph. When decelerating to stop light or to reduce speed due to traffic, a very hard shift was noticed. Around 25mph is the hardest shift. On 25 Nov 2024 while increasing speed from 42mph to 50mph, a very loud metal clanking sound was heard at the same moment a hard shift took place. A check engine light came on briefly and went away within one minute. I took the vehicle to a transmission repair shop to inspect the codes. Two transmission over temp codes were shown without the check engine caution light on. The codes were cleared and the vehicle was taken for a two minute test drive. Upon returning to the shop, when the vehicle was put into park, a rough gear shift was heard and felt throughout the vehicle. The two transmission over temperature codes were populated again after the test drive.

NHTSA ODI 11627324

Transmissions “A” clutch failure diagnosed by Ford service department. There were no warning lamps indicating there was an issue Car start jolting upon acceleration and deceleration in 2nd to 3rd gear. Because of the jolting effect, especially upon deceleration, it put me at greater risk of an accident. Vehicle is only 4 years old.

NHTSA ODI 11627356

Harsh downshift

NHTSA ODI 11627131

When placing the car in park using the gear shift selector nob the vehicle rolls until the automatic stop feature kicks in. IF it does not roll you can easily push it. This is a continuous issue, parking by selecting "P" never works. You must set the parking brake, so it does not roll.

NHTSA ODI 11626092

The transmission shifts hard when going at speed and slowing down through about 30mph. Sometimes it will not accelerate, like when passing another car. Overall poor transmission shifting. This is an ongoing issue.

NHTSA ODI 11626093