KnownCarProblems2013 Ford Explorer Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 2,237 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Ford Explorer, most often about the steering (37% of complaints, typically around 95,000 miles). It is the 3rd most complained-about Explorer model year since 2000 and has 11 recalls.
Most common 2013 Ford Explorer problems
Steering
836 complaints · 37%Half of these problems showed up before 95,000 miles. Parts named most often: electric power assist system, rack and pinion, column, hydraulic power assist.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. While making a turn at an unknown speed, an abnormal clicking sound emitted from the steering wheel without warning. In addition, the vehicle veered to the left or right independently without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering gear…
Power steering stopped working and displayed power steering assist fault error on the dashboard. Was unable to turn wheel at low/slow speed. Car was being parked at the time the fault occurred.
Body and structure
439 complaints · 20%Half of these problems showed up before 70,000 miles. Parts named most often: body, frame and members.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the driver side door failed to secure. The failure was persistent. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the door latch failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not…
At a speed of 65 to 70 MPH on indiana hyw 31 a very loud sound shook my car--I thought I had hit something--looking via the real view mirror I saw the car following me jerk into the other lane--I put on my warning flashers and pulled over as did the car following me. The young man thought I had thrown something out my…
Other or unspecified
345 complaints · 15%Half of these problems showed up before 59,500 miles.
This evening my wife ran a few errands and afterwards literally stumbled into our home because of how dizzy she was. I asked her what was wrong and she said she accelerated quickly to get on a busy city street near our house coming home and she subsequently inhaled an "exhaust/burnt hair" smell from inside the car.…
Figured out that the constant annoying flapping noise during cross winds while driving at highway speeds that seemed to be coming from the windshield trim or lower door post was actually coming from a loose panel fastener or shield clip on the inner fender splash shield/skirt. There are several of these fasteners and…
Engine
290 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 57,000 miles. Parts named most often: exhaust system, cooling system.
Strong exhaust smell in the cabin of the vehicle. Smells bad and gives me a headache. I drive with my daughter in the car and am very worried about the effects it is having on her (as well as myself). This should be a recall issue!!
Exhaust odor noticed inside 2013 Explorer. The fumes have caused headaches,nausea, and fatigue. These incidents have occurred during acceleration and sustained highway speeds. The exhaust smell is noticed throughout inside the vehicle, from the driver to the passengers in second and third row (my kids). This is a…
Electrical
163 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 57,000 miles. Parts named most often: instrument panel, instrument cluster/panel.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled and all the instrument panel lights illuminated as the wrench warning light illuminated. The contact coasted over to the side of the road and was able to restart the vehicle and it was driven to the residence.…
Driver side door ajar switch is malfunctioning. Dash display and warning chimes warning me that the door is open when its closed. **this should be a recall because of the hundreds of people that are experiencing this. Hard to find aftermarket parts and Ford dealers want $475 to fix it! B.s.!!! Recall it. Losing faith…
Fuel system
153 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 49,500 miles. Parts named most often: delivery, fuel injection system.
My 2013 Ford Explorer v6 engine shuts off while driving down the highway or in town creating a very unsafe driving situation. Looking online there is quite a few complaints to the same that the throttle body loses electrical power and shuts down. This has happened twice in 2 days and I no longer drive it until a…
I currently own a 2013 Ford Explorer that has approximately 51k miles. I've noticed on more than one occasion, that during periods of sustained driving we experience odor of certain gases or fumes. These odors are not constant, but they are present within the cab even while the windows are secure. Again, the only…
Transmission
119 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 60,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
I noticed right after buying my car that it would sometimes be in park, but the car would tell me to shift to park. I talked with the sales guy at the dealership, he said he would look in to it. It happened a few times. Then one time, I shifted to park in a rain storm and released the brake. I looked in to the…
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. When the vehicle was engaged in park, the vehicle still showed that the gear shifter indicator was in drive. In addition, the shift to park warning indicator illuminated. In order to get the vehicle to engage in park, the vehicle had to be turned on and off multiple times. The…
Suspension
79 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 96,500 miles. Parts named most often: front.
Driving on nys thruway at 70 MPH. Roadway dry, weather is clear, dry and sunny. Suddenly and without any warning signs the vehicle violently lurched to the left, right, sideways, etc. The car was unable to be steered and was completely out of the driver's control and not responding to any input. This repeated itself…
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while having routine maintenance performed by an independent mechanic, she was informed the brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. Additionally, the suspension was compressed onto the tire. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2013 Ford Explorer recalls
Body and structure: roof and pillars
Risk: A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the a-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model years. Owner notification letters were mailed between july 18, 2024 and december 16, 2025. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24s02.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2011-2019 explorer vehicles. The a-pillar trim retention clips may not be properly engaged, allowing the trim to detach.
Suspension: rear
Risk: A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealer will inspect for the presence of a cabj. If a cabj of any design is found, the dealer will inspect the tightness of the cabj, and replace the cabj, knuckle, and/or toe link as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters were mailed november 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on march 17, 2022. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21s43.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in connecticut, delaware, the district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, and wisconsin. These vehicles may be equipped with a cross-axis ball joint (cabj) replacement part that could seize, and result in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link.
Suspension: rear
Risk: A rear toe-link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the cross-axis ball joint (cabj) knuckle, and replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall numbers 16v-245, 19v-435, and 20v-675. Certain vehicles previously repaired will need to return for the new remedy. An interim notification letter notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on september 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on march 16, 2022. Owners may contact ford's customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21s32.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 explorer vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Exposure to road salt can cause the cross-axis ball joint to corrode and seize, resulting in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link.
Suspension: rear
Risk: A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the cross-axis ball joint (cabj) knuckle attached to the rear suspension toe link and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began november 27, 2020. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20s62.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in connecticut, delaware, the district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, and wisconsin that were previously repaired under a prior recall numbers 16v-245 or 19v-435. The outboard section of a rear suspension toe link may fracture.
Suspension: rear
Risk: A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, and inspect both rear toe link ball joints, replacing the rear wheel knuckle(s), if necessary, free of charge. The recall began june 26, 2019. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19s17.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2011-2017 explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
Fuel system: fuel system, gasoline
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. The recall began on december 21, 2015. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 13s04-s1.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 explorer, explorer police utility, taurus, taurus police interceptor, flex, lincoln mks, and lincoln mkt vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the fuel delivery module may crack, allowing fuel to leak.
Body and structure: door
Risk: If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began on july 23, 2015. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15s11.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 explorer vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after actuation.
Steering: electric power assist system
Risk: If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist it will require extra steering effort at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the power steering control module (pscm) software, free of charge. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of motor position sensor signal when the vehicle is brought in for the recall remedy, its steering rack assembly will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on july 23, 2014. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14s06.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 ford explorer vehicles manufactured may 17, 2010, through february 28, 2012. The affected vehicles may experience an intermittent connection in the electric power steering gear, which can cause a loss of the motor position sensor signal resulting in a shut down of the power steering assist.
Doors and locks: latches/locks/linkages
Risk: If the child lock is deactivated, the door could be unlocked and opened from the inside which could lead to personal injury to an unrestrained child.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will test the safety locks. If necessary, the locks will be replaced free of charge. The recall began on august 2, 2013. Ford's recall number is 13s07. Owners may contact the ford customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain model year 2013 ford explorer, taurus, and lincoln mks vehicles manufactured november 29, 2012, through december 12, 2012. In the affected vehicles, with sufficient door openings and closings, the child safety locks may change from an activated position to a deactivated position without notice.
Fuel system: fuel system, gasoline
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. The recall began on july 20, 2013. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall campaign number is 13s04.
Full defect summary
Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 explorer, taurus, flex, fusion, police interceptor sedan and police interceptor utility vehicles; and certain model year 2013 lincoln mks, mkt, and mkz vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the fuel delivery module may develop a crack, allowing fuel to leak.
Fuel system: tank assembly
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel tanks and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on may 9, 2013. Ford's recall campaign number is 13s03. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
Full defect summary
Ford is recalling certain model year 2012 taurus, lincoln mks, and model year 2013 explorer vehicles manufactured july 19, 2011, through march 15, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the fuel tanks may have a marginally sealed seam in the side of the tank. As a result, the fuel tanks may not provide the expected strength in the event of an impact. The tanks may also leak.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Windshield trim molding item detachment
Summary
On january 27, 2023, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe23-001 to investigate allegations of a-pillar trim panel detachment on model year (my) 2011-2019 ford explorer vehicles. At the time of opening, the office had received 164 vehicle owner questionnaires (voqs) reporting this failure. Odi has received 671 voqs regarding this failure, including 1 alleged crash and 2 alleged injuries. Some consumers have reported that the failure occurred while they were driving at highway speeds, with the detached trim panel entering the path of travel of the vehicle behind them, requiring the driver of the following vehicle to take evasive action. It is noteworthy that motorists who experi
Exhaust odor in passenger cab
Summary
During the ea17-002 investigation, the agency reviewed and analyzed reports of exhaust odors in the passenger cabins of model year 2011 to 2017 ford explorers. This investigation required an approach that incorporated knowledge and expertise from the automotive, medical, environmental health, and occupational safety fields. The agency conducted an in-depth investigation that encompassed the review of over 6,500 consumer complaints, conducting field inspections, and testing the relevant vehicles, both independently and in coordination with ford and other entities. During the investigation, the evolution of ford service bulletins intended to reduce the level of exhaust odors and carbon monoxid
Ford explorer exhaust odor
Summary
During the national highway traffic safety administration?s (NHTSA?s) investigation into the ford carbon monoxide allegations, the office of defects investigation (odi) identified additional vehicle owner questionnaire (voq) reports with similar exhaust odor claims.presently, odi has identified 791 voqs for model year 2011-2017 ford explorers pertaining to exhaust odor claims.odi has identified three crashes and 41 injuries potentially linked this issue.the reported injuries range from unspecified to loss of consciousness, with the majority being nausea, headaches, or dizziness ? All of which can be symptomatic of carbon monoxide exposure.additionally, ford provided 2,400 reports including o
Front brake hose failure
Summary
On april 29, 2015, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe15-017 to investigate a report alleging incidents of front brake hose failure in model year (my) 2015 ford explorer police interceptor vehicles used by the sacramento police department in its pursuit driving training program (voq 10705832).on september 28, 2015, odi upgraded the investigation to an engineering analysis (ea15-005) to assess maximum front caliper crimp temperatures under various test conditions, test hose assemblies removed from police interceptor service for any signs of thermal degradation, and further assess field data for evidence of a defect trend related to the alleged defect.the alleged defect results
Front brake hose failure
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) opened pe14-027 based on a report of 13 front brake hose (jounce hose) failures in 11 vehicles in the district of columbia metropolitan police department (dcmpd) fleet of 46 model year (my) 2013 ford explorer police interceptor (pi) vehicles (voq 10621634).the dcmpd fleet provided ford with 71 jounce hoses for analysis, including 4 of the 13 failed hoses.inspection of each of the failed hoses identified a small tear in the outer cover on the body end of the hoses on the outboard side. Ford?s lab analysis of these hoses identified splits in the inner liners 1.5-2.0mm from the end of the nipple (outside of the crimped ferrule joint).ford conducted pres
Electric power steering failure
Summary
On may 27, 2014 and amended june 2, 2014, ford motor company (ford) submitted a defect information report (dir) to NHTSA describing a safety defect that may result in a sudden loss of power steering assist in approximately 179,027 model year (my) 2011 through 2013 ford explorer vehicles equipped with electric power assisted steering (epas), including 82,328 my 2011 explorersthat are the subject of pe12-017.ford has assigned the recall number 14s06.the NHTSA recall number is 14v-286.ford's dir indicates that loss of power steering assist while driving would require higher steering effort at lower vehicle speeds, which may result in an increased risk of a crash.sudden loss of power steering as
Questions about the 2013 Ford Explorer
- What are the most common problems with the 2013 Ford Explorer?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: steering (836 complaints, typically around 95,000 miles); body and structure (439 complaints, typically around 70,000 miles); other or unspecified (345 complaints, typically around 59,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2013 Ford Explorer have?
- 11 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from January 19, 2024 (body and structure). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2013 a bad year for the Ford Explorer?
- It is the 3rd most complained-about Explorer model year since 2000, with 2,237 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.