What 245 owners told NHTSA about the 2022 Ford Explorer Gas

On XXX, in the parking lot of O'Reilly Auto Parts (store #2460, telephone number: [XXX]) [XXX], between 12:10 pm and 12:45 pm, my [XXX] daughter was seated in the rear driver's side seat of my parked 2022 Ford Explorer when the unbuckled seat belt unexpectedly became twisted around her body and would not release through normal operation. She was unable to free herself and the belt continued to tighten as we attempted to untangle her. She experienced difficulty hearing, breathing, lost sensation in her arms and nearly lost consciousness. Multiple adults attempted to release the seat belt using the buckle and by manipulating the belt mechanism, but the belt would not release. Because of the immediate risk to her safety, the seat belt had to be cut in order to free her. The failed component was the rear center seat belt assembly. The damaged seat belt is available for inspection upon request. This malfunction placed my daughter at risk of serious injury due to restricted breathing and the inability to exit the restraint. The vehicle could not be returned to normal operation because the seat belt had to be cut to release her. At the time of the incident, there were no warning lights, messages, or other indications that there was a problem with the seat belt system. UNKNOWN whether there were any prior symptoms before the failure. The incident was witnessed by individuals who assisted in freeing my daughter. Two O Reilly employees and my [XXX] daughter who was a passenger. They assisted during the emergency and can verify what occurred. The manufacturer and local dealership have been notified, and a customer service case has been opened. At the time of this report, the manufacturer has not inspected the vehicle or confirmed the cause of the failure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11750920

On [XXX], at approximately [XXX] PM, my 2022 Ford Explorer suddenly lost power while driving in the left lane of [XXX] in Emporia, VA, at 70 MPH (the posted speed limit), with my [XXX] daughter. My vehicle shuddered and started to decrease in speed. I was able to maneuver safely to the shoulder, and my Explorer became inoperable requiring roadside assistance. My daughter and I remained on [XXX] for several hours due to delayed tow service availability. My Explorer has been at Battlefield Ford in Culpeper, VA since June 19, 2026, and is available for inspection upon request. Battlefield has confirmed the low-pressure fuel pump failure, confirmed this is subject to Safety Recall 25S75 (NHTSA Recall 25V455), and there is no remedy available. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11747291

While traveling on I-26 east near North Carolina MM 51 in the left lane, the vehicle suddenly pulled uncontrollably to the left resulting in a sideswipe of the guardrail. The vehicle then swerved to the right stopping near the center of the interstate. My wife was able to move the vehicle to the right shoulder under its own power. The right front tire/wheel was laying almost flat attached to the vehicle only by the brake line. The entire wheel assembly was detached from the steering/suspension system. The vehicle was towed to a local collision center and inspected by my insurance adjuster. The vehicle was determined a total loss. There were no injuries or other vehicles involved. The NC Highway Patrol responded but did not complete an accident report.

NHTSA ODI 11715098

The driver's side impact airbag burst open when it deployed. This deposited unreacted airbag propellant on my skin, causing a severe chemical burn. The airbag is with the vehicle and currently in the yard of a local body shop, but which will soon turned over to my insurance company. To my knowledge, no investigation has yet been conducted regarding this equipment failure. There were no warning lamp or lights lit which would indicate that there was an issue with the associated Supplement Restraint Systems. I was the driver in a collision where the side impact airbags were deployed. I was wearing my seat belt. There was no intrusion of any foreign object into the cabin of the vehicle. I was not hit on the driver's side of the vehicle. When the side impact airbag deployed it tore open the left side of the t-shirt I was wearing and deposited unreacted airbag propellants on my skin. The unreacted airbag chemicals left me with a what looked to be a minor injury but which soon developed into a very painful chemical burn the size of my fist. Over the course of the next several days, this painful burn proceeded to eat through my skin.

NHTSA ODI 11685505

The rear traffic warning did not alert timely, resulting in a fender bender in a parking lot. I have dash cam footage with audio supporting that it did not beep until it was too late.

NHTSA ODI 11671386

The contact owned a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon taking off after yielding to a stop sign, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power in the middle of an intersection. As a result, the vehicle was struck by another vehicle on the rear driver's side door, sending the vehicle careening back through the inspection past the stop sign before coming to a complete stop. All air bags were deployed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The occupants did not immediately receive medical attention but later transported themselves or were transported to area hospitals for evaluation. The contact received a full-body MRI and was treated for whiplash, neck pain, and various bruising caused by the seat belt, while her husband received a CAT scan and was treated for whiplash, neck pain, back pain, and bruising on his arms. Meanwhile, the [XXX] occupant was transported to his primary care physician by his parents and treated for a neck burn caused by the seat belt. The contact also stated that the driver of the other vehicle was transported to an area hospital by EMT but was unaware of her condition or treatment. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11660969

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 20-25 MPH, the brakes were applied, and the brake pedal fell off. The brake pedal was not responding. The vehicle increased in speed to 43 MPH. The contact maneuvered around an unknown vehicle to avoid an accident, but the unknown vehicle turned and crashed into the passenger-side quarter panel. The vehicle traveled off a curb and landed in a ditch. The contact and two passengers occupying the second-row seats and one child passenger occupying the third row in a car seat sustained bruises and cuts and were transported to the hospital. The air bags did not deploy. There was no fire. A police report was filed. There was an abnormal beeping sound detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a body shop. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a claim and declined to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 57,865.

NHTSA ODI 11659021

POLICE VEHICLE WAS CLEARING INTERSECTIO WHEN A UPS TRUCK COLLIDED WITH IT'S RIGHT SIDE FORWARD. THE COLLISION CAUSED THE SIDE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. THE OFFICER'S VEST, SWEATER, UNDERSHIRT, T-SHIRT AND THE OFFICER'S RIGHT SIDE SUFFERED THERMAL BURNS FROM THE EXHAUST PORT. THE OFFICER SUFFERED 3RD DEGREE BURNS AND HAD TO HAVE SURGERY AND SKIN GRAFT.

NHTSA ODI 11647596

Front panel of panoramic sunroof "exploded" into the vehicle while traveling on interstate without any sign of a projectile or rock hitting the vehicle. Outdoor temperature was -3 degrees Fahrenheit with indoor temperature set to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Glass rained down into the vehicle, startling the driver (myself) and passengers. One piece of tempered glass went into one rear seat passenger's eye and was successfully removed without extensive injury. Reported incident to Ford Dealer and had dealer service department inspect the vehicle. Attempted to have it repaired under manufacturer warranty. Coverage was declined from the manufacturer (Ford) and was subsequently repaired via personal comprehensive vehicle insurance. There was no indication of an issue with the vehicle prior to incident. It is concerning this happened without warning and we were lucky to have not gotten into an accident following the event.

NHTSA ODI 11641351

On [XXX] my 2022 Ford Explorer was involved in a collision during my morning commute to work. On [XXX] while stopped at a stoplight across from Sheetz, with the auto brake hold engaged for a minute or two already, my vehicle accelerated forward into the vehicle in front of me. The impact was so sudden that the driver of the vehicle I collided with thought I had been rear ended. While I had contacted my insurance company (Erie Insurance) regarding the collision, I had also reached out to my service center, Laurel Ford (Windber, PA), concerning the incident. Because of my concerns with the auto brake hold and Copilot system with the collision, they had me bring it in on 16 September to run diagnostics. Later that day on the 16th, I had received a phone call from the service tech letting me know that he did find system error logs approx. 40 minutes prior to the collision. He let me know that he was going to keep diagnosing and will be most likely reaching out to his next level service support. The next day on the 17th, the service technician called me back to let me know that when he reported the issue to his support center he was advised to park the vehicle, not let it be driven, and for the service manager to get with me to file a report (Ford reference # XXX). Since that time, nothing more has happened with my Explorer. I have both the current manufacturer's warranty and Ford Protect warranty. The most recent update from Laurel Ford was that Ford Corporate said a Field Service Engineer needed to evaluate the issue. The Laurel Ford Service Center is no longer getting replies from corporate and has a regional manager involved, with no luck so far. It has been an extreme burden and has been beyond stressful using my wife's car for work, l'm in the military and my base is over 40 miles away, while she relies on friends/family to get to her work and also make sure that both of my kids get to their activities. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11633997

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated when she was shifting the vehicle into reverse (R), and as she depressed the brake pedal, the vehicle was lunging forward. The contact stated that the failure had occurred following a routine service appointment with a local dealer. The contact stated that the failure was occurring only when she was shifting into reverse (R). The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that she had had a crash in a parking lot after she had shifted to reverse (R). The contact stated that the vehicle lunged forward and the front end crashed into a concrete parking bollard. The contact stated that the front bumper was dented and there was no other damage. The contact stated that she later was in pain and had bruises on her right shoulder and chest. The contact stated that she went to an urgent care facility and was x-rayed. The contact stated that she only had the bruising and no broken ribs or bones. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and no power train failures were detected. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

NHTSA ODI 11626629

On 4 separate occasions the brakes on this Explorer failed to engage. The first incident happened as I was backing out of my garage and the brakes did not engage immediately. This resulted in my damaging our trellis. I was traveling at about 5 mph This happened Sept. 2023. The second incident happened as I was coming out of the car wash and applied the brake, but it did not engage and this resulted in a small fender bender with the car in front of me.- Again very slow speed, about 2 MPH Happened in November 2023. The third incident was on the road as I approached a car stopped for a red light. Again the brakes failed to engage, but I was able to avoid the car in front of me by swerving into the lane to the left. Fortunately no car was approaching on that lane this happened November 2023. The final incident again was on the road. The car in front of me was stopped for a left turn and I applied the brakes, the car did not stop so I swerved to the right onto a lawn and side swiped a tree before the brakes finally took hold. I was slowed down to about 30 MPH happened inJanuary 2024.. This failure in the car braking system has resulted in a substantial money loss . After these incidents I am no longer driving the car. I contacted the dealership and they would not look at the vehicle until it was repaired. We will be returning the car to the dealership for their evaluation of the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11573855

The plastic window switch has peeled, creating essentially a very sharp edge that has cut me and caused bleeding and pain. It is available for inspection and I have pictures. This is a problem known to Ford. The vehicle was dropped of at a Ford dealership, Crossley Ford Liberty, MO. The problem identified, but not covered under warranty.

NHTSA ODI 11545808

Ford explorer didn’t recognize the vehicle coming from right side and it didn’t applied emergency brakes as well as it didn’t show any forward collision alert also.

NHTSA ODI 11531079

The contact rented a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 65 mph, attempting to slow down, he crashed into a deer. There were no warning lights illuminated. The passenger-side front knee air bag was partially deployed. The passenger sustained bruising to her lower leg. There was a plastic substance released from the air bag which cut her ankle. The passenger was taken to the hospital where medical attention was provided. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. A police report was filed. There were no reported fire. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11530890

I was backing up at low speed (less than 1 mph) to park by gently letting my foot off the brake to back. I was using the rear backup camera to gauge how far I could go back without striking the vehicle behind me. The screen showed video that I was still several feet away from the vehicle behind me when I felt a sudden bump. I stepped on the brake hard to ensure I was no longer moving but the camera still showed several feet between my rear bumper and the vehicle behind me. I put the vehicle in park and got out to verify that I had struck the vehicle behind me. I had. I returned to the driver’s seat, put the vehicle back in reverse to see what the camera showed and now it appeared on the screen that my bumper was touching the vehicle behind me. The video on the screen had absolutely froze while I was backing, which contributed to me making an error in judgement while backing, causing me to strike the vehicle behind me. The DuPage County Sheriff’s Office (Illinois) completed a crash report. SOPC23-08519

NHTSA ODI 11529002

1. My 2022 Explorer limited purchased mid Dec 2022 began having issues during shifting of gears and would stutter before jolting or would drive in the opposite direction when shifting btwn gears starting in Feb 2023. Ford would not give me an appt until may. In March I put the car in reverse in front of my child's daycare, it drove forward, hit a large vase and damaged the front end. Ford was contacted and again told me the earliest they could get me an appt was may. I recorded all events from there forward. In May my car was inspected and numerous error codes were found. One of which was a "gear shift lock solenoid/actuator circuit 'A' range/performance". They ultimately fixed the faulty shifter. But refuse to repair the front end damage to the vehicle caused by the malfunctioning shifter stating "I should have braked". There was a list of error codes they told me have been addressed but on the final invoice it also states one has not. But they have refused to provide me with a list of interpretation for the errors codes. 2. This faulty gear shift could have resulted in severe injury to myself or a bystander. When I contacted ford after the accident they continued to disregard my safety concerns and would not provide me w an early appointment to investigate these serious problems 3. See answer 1 4. No. The car functioned normally from purchase date in mid December to mid-late Feb when symptoms began without warning and occurred intermittently until the car was assessed the first week of May

NHTSA ODI 11527710

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph when another vehicle suddenly pulled in front of their vehicle causing them to hit the driver's side of their vehicle. The contact's vehicle had damage to the front bumper and passenger side of the vehicle. The airbags did not deploy. The seat belt failed to lock causing the contact to slam into the steering wheel. The contact injuries to their left shoulder, left foot, head, neck, back, and stomach area. Medical attention was needed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was able to be driven away. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred them to NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 12,994.

NHTSA ODI 11523646

I was driving (at a fairly low speed) recently when my vehicle began driving erratically. I pulled over and noticed that there was smoke in the passenger compartment. I exited the vehicle and walked to the passenger side (out of traffic) and opened the passenger door to retrieve my cell phone. At that point there was a burst of flame upon opening the door, and the fire quickly spread to the passenger compartment.

NHTSA ODI 11516106

When vehicle is put into reverse, there is a 15-20 second delay before reverse kicks in. You don't know when it is reverse yet , you let go of brakes and vehicle moves forward until transmission engages. Have taken vehicle to dealer to have checked out and ford and dealer says normal delay. Very unsafe not knowing when reverse kicks in, I have rolled forward into garage when ready to back out. No warnings come on about transmission. This started as soon as i bought the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11506963

In late October, 2022, when reversing in my driveway, I hit a tree. The rear camera alert system did not notify me of the presence / closeness of the tree (lived here almost 6 years, should know of tree but heavily rely on the camera and alerts to let me know if I'm too close). On another day, my husband was in the car with me and as I was reversing - he said "your alert didn't go off, this is probably why you hit that tree." I was unaware until today (1/30) that there is an active recall on my car for this issue. I had the damage fixed in November at Gerber Collision Center in Sebastian FL (Micco Rd). The cost of the fix was $2046 out of pocket (did not claim through insurance). Rear-driver side lamp, bumper, quarter panel. Invoice for repairs is included for detail in what all needed to be fixed. Pictures are not great and are after we taped the light on.

NHTSA ODI 11504384

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stationary and idling in a pharmacy drive-thru line with the auto hold parking feature activated, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and drove forward driving over a median divider and crashing into a parked vehicle. The contact indicated that the auto-hold parking feature was activated but malfunctioned. During the crash, no air bags were deployed and no injuries were reported. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 6,500.

NHTSA ODI 11494582

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his fiancé was at a complete stop, the auto-hold mode designed to maintain the brake pedal depressed was engaged. However, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly and crashed into the rear of the vehicle in front of him. There was no warning light illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated it was a minor crash. The contact's fiancé did not sustain any injuries. The driver of the other vehicle sustained unknown injuries and sought medical assistance. A police report was filed. The contact's fiancé was able to drive the vehicle. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 9,980.

NHTSA ODI 11478937