What 17 owners told NHTSA about the 2026 Ford Explorer

Purchased brand new vehicle two months ago, only has 2000 miles on it. We took it on vacation 14hours from home. Made it to our destination and started getting “vehicle communication errors” on the screen. Jumped the vehicle, notifications went away. We scheduled an appointment with a local ford dealer who told us to bring it in. On the way to the dealership and while driving on the road, the vehicle screen listed the same “vehicle communication error” indicator and every single vehicle service light was on. We lost all electrical power. No blinkers, no miles per hour indicator, no lights etc, but we were able to continue driving to the service dealership. Drove an additional 15 miles with absolutely no electrical power and did not want to stop as we were afraid the car was not going to turn back on, on the side of the road per previous experience.

NHTSA ODI 11749586

This 2026 Ford Explorer has stopped, stalled, hesitated and jerks after fuel fill-ups. It stopped twice for myself in busy intersections. The dealer has had it for weeks and when driving the vehicle back to me, stalled and hesitated for Ford Service dept. twice. They told me I could not have my car back for safety reasons.

NHTSA ODI 11748926

The contact owns a 2026 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to make a left or right turn, the front passenger’s side seat was moving from side to side. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The contact was informed that that bolts were all connected. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact he would receive a call back within 24 hours. The approximate failure mileage was 2,600.

NHTSA ODI 11745642

I have a brand new 2026 Ford Explorer ST. There is a permanent haze on or between the glass windshield that does not come off with any cleaning agent and appears to be between the layer. The service manager at the dealership acknowledges seeing the haze and the reduced clarity but clains Ford will not warranty since it is not on a recall. It is dangerous when the sun glare causes it to "glow" impairing clear visibilty of the road. It is also evident and impairs during rain. The difference is very evident when looking through the windshield versus the side windows at the same object,

NHTSA ODI 11745208

Description On your vehicle, it may be possible that one or more engine camshaft roller finger followers were not properly installed at the time of engine assembly. Safety Risk An improperly installed engine camshaft roller finger follower may result in engine failure, resulting in a no-start condition or a loss of motive power. A loss of motive power increases the risk of a crash. Your vehicle may also experience engine ticking or tapping noise, and or a low-volume oil leak due to this condition. Remedy A remedy is not yet available. Ford Motor Company is working to provide parts for this repair. When the remedy becomes available, Ford Motor Company will notify you via mail to schedule a service appointment with your dealer for repairs to be completed free of charge. The remedy is anticipated to be available 4TH quarter of 2026. Next Steps Contact your dealer for more information to schedule the free service.

NHTSA ODI 11744633

I purchased this new car from Bell Ford on XXX. Since I have owned it, it has been under Ford’s care for almost 2 weeks at 2 different service departments. (I have owned for 90 days.) The car sputters and stops when putting on the gas from a start position. I ended up stalling in a busy intersection on [XXX] All the dash lights come on and then the engine light comes on. Says, take to dealer. They are replacing the fuel pump now and trying that. This car has less than 4900 miles on it. The car they have given me to use is not comparable. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11743994

Description On your vehicle, some of the bolts used to attach the vehicle trailer tow hitch may have below-specification torque. Safety Risk This condition may affect vehicle handling characteristics or lead to loss of attachment of the trailer hitch while towing, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy Parts are now available to repair your vehicle. Ford Motor Company Lincoln has authorized your dealer retailer to inspect and secure or replace the trailer tow hitch bolts as required free of charge. Next Steps Contact your dealer for more information to schedule the free service.

NHTSA ODI 11744048

Purchased new 26 Ford Explorer on [XXX] from Franklin Ford in TN. During test drive noted the BlueCruise hands free was canceling but was advised by dealer that it might need to download an update or sync my profile. Next day I confirmed the BlueCruise and adaptive cruise was not working. The hands free BlueCruise and adaptive system will cancel randomly with no warning even while in turn. This almost caused me to slam into the vehicle next to me several times but was able to catch the wheel just in time. This is an extreme danger and hazard. The issue seems to revolve around the lane centering feature but Ford has not confirmed this for me. I dropped the vehicle off with Ford of Franklin on 3/24 who kept the vehicle for 4 days. At the end I was advised Ford engendering was working to push out an update to correct this issue. As of today (5/27), I have confirmed with Ford of Franklin that there is currently no fix for this. I have had to disable Ford BlueCruise and have as of today requested a buyback from Ford. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11740470

Hello, I am contacting Ford regarding a serious concern with my newly purchased 2026 Ford Explorer ST. Within days of purchase, we discovered water leaking from the moonroof area into the interior of the vehicle, including water coming through the seatbelt pillar area , wetting the roof as well, during rain and vehicle washes. In addition to the leak, there is noticeable wind and air noise coming from the moonroof area even when the roof is fully closed, (we notified them the day we got the vehicle about this) which raises concerns that the seal is not properly seating or sealing against the vehicle. After noticing these issues, we inspected several similar vehicles on the dealership lot and observed that multiple vehicles appeared to have uneven or improperly fitted moonroof seals as well. This has increased our concern that this may be a manufacturing or assembly defect rather than normal wear or an isolated issue. Because this vehicle is brand new and the issue was reported almost immediately after purchase, we are requesting that Ford review this matter seriously and assist in ensuring the vehicle is properly repaired or otherwise resolved. We are concerned about long-term damage to the interior, electronics, airbags, mold or mildew risks, and the overall value and reliability of the vehicle. We have documented the leak and seal concerns with photos/videos and are currently working with the dealership for inspection. Thank you for your time and assistance.

NHTSA ODI 11738409

At approximately 1,700 miles, my brand-new 2026 Ford Explorer ST (3.0L EcoBoost) suffered a sudden, catastrophic engine failure while driving, causing an immediate and dangerous loss of motive power. Prior to the failure, the engine experienced severe misfires. Following manufacturer Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) guidance regarding EcoBoost engine misfires, a step-colder spark plug heat range (NGK LTR7IX-11) was utilized to remedy pre-ignition. Ford Motor Company has denied warranty coverage for this catastrophic powertrain failure, falsely claiming the TSB-compliant heat-range plugs caused the destruction. The sudden loss of engine power poses an immediate safety hazard on public roads. I request an investigation into 2025-2026 Ford 3.0L EcoBoost spark plug issues, pre-ignition failures, and unfair warranty denials leaving dangerous vehicles unresolved."

NHTSA ODI 11737580

During driving all safety systems shutdown and give warning of fault Has happened multiple times at different speeds.

NHTSA ODI 11737723

The contact owns a 2026 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sunroof glass panel made an abnormally loud sound and shattered without impact. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

NHTSA ODI 11734759

While driving my new Ford explorer, with 638 miles on it, on the highway I heard a loud pop, and lost power steering. I was barely able to pull the vehicle over to the shoulder to get off the highway. If I would have been on an interstate or a busier highway it could have been very dangerous. I believe that this has put me in danger having to maneuver the vehicle to the side of the highway and sit there while waiting for a tow truck. The Vehicle was towed to the dealership where we bought it. the service manager told us that the engine had blown, it was a catastrophic failure. There were holes in the oil pan as well as through the top part of the engine from it exploding. I believe that we are lucky that the engine wasn't hot enough to start a fire, as we were only a few miles from the start of our drive. there were no warning lamps or messages prior to the engine exploding. The vehicle is currently at our dealership in Monroe Wisconsin, Alphorn Ford is the dealership.

NHTSA ODI 11733462

While operating the vehicle with the cruise control enabled and engaged, the vehicle resets the “set” speed 5 to 15 MPH higher than initially set with no driver input or adjustment and begins accelerating. My spouse related this has happened several times to her at various speed settings. Today, I was on the highway with it set at 60 MPH, the vehicle began accelerating and I noticed the set speed had changed to 75 MPH. I disengaged the cruise control and turned it off. We plan to notify Ford and take it to the dealership for evaluation.

NHTSA ODI 11732286

While driving, Sirius XM pushes advertisements to my infotainment display. These notifications are distracting to driving and they WILL cause an accident. This practice should be banned outright and a monetary fine placed on Sirius XM for impairing driving. Completely unacceptable placement of advertisements and it is going to get someone seriously injured or worse.

NHTSA ODI 11730312

I was driving home from work on the interstate. It was not overly crowded and not many vehicles around me. I was going the speed limit. All the sudden I heard a loud pop and a very loud sound. I wasn’t sure exactly what happened. I thought maybe I blew a tire so I pulled over to the side of the road. I then figured out that my sunroof had shattered/exploded in my brand new 2026 ford explorer. I just purchased it new on 1/30/26 and it has approx 3k mileage. Luckily I had the shade on my sunroof closed otherwise glass would have been everywhere in my car and all of me while I was driving. I was now on the side of the interstate cleaning glass off the top of my car into a bag so I could continuing driving home and it wouldn’t blow off onto the highway into traffic. Needless to say it took a long time. I have no idea what could have caused this to happen other than a manufacture defect in the glass. It is very scary for that to happen while traveling at a higher speed on an interstate. In addition if the sunshade would have been open. I have not spoken to the dealership or insurance company yet, but will call them tomorrow.

NHTSA ODI 11730076

Bought the vehicle brand new on March 13, 2026, and the battery light came on in less than 200 miles driven. The vehicle is currently in Ford's possession.

NHTSA ODI 11728173