2013 Ford Explorer complaints

Steering rack moving up and down, steering loose

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 20 MPH, the power steering seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

Started car and Power Steering Assist Fail message came on, put car in drive and tried to turn steering wheel and had no power steering. Shut down car and restarted. The message did not show up this time, put car in drive and had power steering. This message has shown up in the past, approximately 10 to 12 times, but this is the first time we’ve had a loss of power steering. It appears Ford has had a recall for this issue already (Recall #14S06) with a limited number of vehicles. Obviously, this is a problem with farther reaching ramifications that Ford should be required to do something about at their expense. If I had lost power while driving down the highway, I could have been involved in a wreck injuring myself and/or others. Please look into this. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the power steering failed to operate as needed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had become a recurring failure. The contact also stated that when the Lane Departure: Lane Keep: Automatic Steering was engaged, the function independently disengaged, and the vehicle was drifting out of the lane. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the functionality returned. Additionally, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was notified of a failure with the rear suspension related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension) rear toe link. The contact related the steering failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 214,000.

Sudden loss of power steering and traction control components at high velocity. Loss of steering put me and other at risk by not being able to control the vehicle.

Side pillar flew off while driving

The front windshield trim starting flapping and hitting my side window and windshield while driving approximately 65 miles an hour. At first I had no idea what the loud noise was. Something was in my eye sight hitting my window and windshield. I did not know what was happening, it was very startling and scary! I was in traffic. I pulled over as soon as I could, trying to avoid getting hit by other vehicles. When I was able to get out, I saw the trim had come loose. I taped it so I could continue on my trip. It is very frightening and unsafe while in traffic. The other side of the windshield trim is now coming out. I fear that the windshield is not secure. A couple of months ago, I received a letter about this problem in the mail. We made an appt. with Ford dealer to get it fixed. I had to cancel that appt. due to an emergency. I contacted the dealer last week and said I could now bring the Explorer in to get it fixed. I was told that there has never been a recall or any letters addressing this problem sent out to owners. I DID receive a letter several months ago, my husband took the letter to Ford when he scheduled the original appt. and the dealer kept it as reference! Now I am told that a letter about this windshield trim has never existed! I will take my Explorer to a dealer and get it repaired, letter or no letter. I feel like Ford is not being totally honest with me about an unsafe problem.

The trim on the front windshield blows off constantly at highway speeds. I’ve had this car for a little over a year now and we’ve already replaced it four different times. Every time, it stays on about a month before it detaches and blows off again. The last time, it just barely missed the car behind me. I haven’t replaced it since then because I am terrified the next time it happens, a motorcyclist will be behind me and it could hit them and cause a fatal accident. This is a SERIOUS issue that needs addressed! I should not be scared to drive my car over 45 MPH for fear of causing a serious accident! On top of that, not replacing it means it now leaks into my car when it rains. I love my explorer but the trim on it is absolute garbage..

Transmission has failed at 136,000 miles. All maintenance is up to date and has been performed by the dealership. When i pulled out on a main road the car would not accelerate almost causing an accident. I took it to our local mechanic and they had two mechanic's check it and stated the transmission failed. Check engine light show catalytic converter failure, Terraine maintenance failure and solenoid shift failure that came out of the middle of now where .

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while turning out the driveway, there was a grinding sound coming from the vehicle. The steering wheel became firm with the power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was 181,324.

For the 4th time since I have owned this vehicle, the trim on the driver's side of the windshield came loose, (the other times it snapped off), the gasket seal around the windshield came loose as a result, loosening the edge of the windshield. The first and second times we thought it was a coincidence or installation problem. By the 3rd time, after Ford denied there was an issue, my mechanic's shop took the time to investigate and found that this is a recurring problem and a design defect. This just happened again and once again I found myself hoping to make it to a store where I could buy tape to hold it all in place until I got home. I used a fair amount of 10x tape, but in addition to severe anxiety and stress over wondering if my windshield was going to peel off (that's what it sounds like), I also had the worry of being in an accident or causing one when the trim snapped loose completely and flew onto the highway. Because I travel for work as well as fun, I am now facing another repair bill that I cannot afford, but cannot do without. All four times this has been at highway speeds. I have reached out to Ford Motor Company and they have denied that there are any reports of problems. I looked online to see that you have opened an investigation and that there have, in fact, been numerous complaints about this same issue. Any support or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, and I am happy to speak in further detail with you. Thanks.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that he depressed the accelerator pedal while shifted into reverse to exit his driveway and the steering wheel seized. The contact depressed the brake pedal and shifted into park. The contact stated that the “electric power steering assist failure” message was displayed. The contact then stated that he inspected underneath the hood of the vehicle, but no failures were detected. The contact then turned off and restarted the vehicle. The warning indicator had turned off and the vehicle operated as designed. The dealer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving in a parking lot, the steering wheel seized. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle worked as designed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, who referred her to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the steering wheel became firm, requiring extra effort while steering the vehicle. The contact stated that the stability control warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the warning light turned off an hour before the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the power steering functionality had not returned. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the electronic power steering assist had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The failure mileage was approximately 156,000.

While turning, the power steering assist stopped functioning, leaving me veering into oncoming traffic as I could not complete my turn without the power steering assist.

The back up camera is now inverted. What is coming from the left appears to be coming from the right, and what is coming from the right appears to be coming from the left. Once the problem started, it has not gone away. The problem was confirmed at an independent service center.

Vehicle began exhibiting intermittent, momentary ABS activation (right front) which would cause vehicle to randomly and severely pull to the right and momentarily flash the traction control warning lamp. This problem began early in 2022 and was first taken to Ford dealership in May 2022. Multiple visits to dealer resulted in inability to diagnose due to lack of recorded codes although they were able to reproduce. Dealer hypothesized a bad electronic steering rack. Subsequent visits to non-Ford repair shops yielded no solution despite replacing ABS Control Module, Electronic Steering rack, yaw sensor, and front struts. Repair shop was able to reproduce. Recently took vehicle to Ford dealer who reproduced and performed pinpoint tests identifying the yaw sensor in the Restraint Control Module (RCM) as most likely cause, but replacement failed to solve. Dealer then removed the front bumper assembly and cleaned and calibrated the cruise control module. Dealer finally identified the problem as a failed Steering Wheel Rotation Sensor and replaced/repaired on May 25, 2023 (over a year after first exhibiting). This part (Ford BB5Z-3F818-A) covers 25 fitments ranging from 2011-2016 and is on national back-order. Speaking with dealers across the US while searching for the part, we found many dealers have been awaiting this part to fix similar problems for a year or more and there were only 7 dealers nationwide with this part in inventory. Based on these facts, it would appear this is li

Vehicle A pillar flew off while driving on the highway and almost hit a vehicle behind me.

A Ford Dealership informed me my water pump was severely leaking and needed to be replaced. The water pump is located inside the engine, which is EXTREMELY costly to repair. After digging into it I realized that this is common in this type of engine but Ford has not issued a recall in the US, but Canada has a recall. Now we have to come out of pocket to fix this issue when it is well know to Ford that this water pump inside the engine is a massive design and mechanical flaw.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the high engine temperature and the check engine warning lights illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The camera system should have been apart of the recall. None of the electronics work in the console area. The backup camera goes black often and stops working.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering assist fault message was displayed. Over time, excessive effort was required to steer the vehicle because the steering wheel was firm. The contact called the dealer and was referred to the manufacturer. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 216,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on several occasions when the vehicle was started, an unknown warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while making a left turn, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the service power steering now warning light was illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal, and the steering wheel was able to turn properly. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 243,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering assist warning light illuminated, and the steering wheel became firm. The dealer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) which she linked to the failure. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

The passenger side windshield trim panel has flown off. When asking the dealership about it, they said it was an issue with the Explorers and that it will most likely happen to the second one as well. We are unable to attach it back on but have kept the piece as we were able to pull over and retrieve it.

I was driving and the steering wheel got really hard to turn. It continues too do this periodically. I know there was a recall for this on vehicles built before mine.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the passenger’s side window trim panel detached from the vehicle, and moments later the front driver’s side window trim panel detached. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 88,345.

The trim of the windshield has come off. This may have hit other drivers behind me as well as caused significant distraction to me. Also the rear view camera does not work and should be recalled. This causes significant safety concern.

Over several months at highway speeds the windshield trim on left and right of the windshield flew off. Appeared to be meagerly attached with clips and Velcro strips. These two strips are connected to the forward roof pylons, exposing the weather seals and allowing water to leak into the interior

Windshield trim on both sides detached while driving . First incident was November 2019 while driving 70 mph on the DC beltway. The part landed in the middle of the road and was run over by several vehicles traveling behind me, but there was no damage to any of them. The second incident occurred during the summer of 2020 while driving 50 mph on a local, well traveled road. The part landed in the grass on the side of the road and did not hit any other vehicles. I have seen numerous other ford explorers that are also missing the windshield trim, and have read several articles stating there have been numerous reports of this issue occurring frequently, but it has not been confirmed by a dealership of any other service center. This issue has not been inspected by a dealership, law enforcement, or my insurance company. There was no indication prior to the trim detaching on either side that it was loose or not properly installed.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the trim panel of the front windshield detached from the vehicle. The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage 108,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer The contact stated that why driving approximately 75 mph when suddenly the power assist failed. The contact had pulled over and restarted the vehicle however the power assist failed to correct. The power assist warning light had illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated that the power assist module failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired by a certified mechanic who was not associated with the dealer to which the vehicle was brought. The failure persisted causing the vehicle to be an additional 2 times. The contact stated the owner before them had the same power assist module replaced once before as well. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed them that they had missed the warranty/recall deadline then referred them to NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

There is a recall for 2011-2013 Ford Explorers re: Electric power steering malfunction but my VIN# is not included. My 2013 Explorer is experiencing this problem. Can you help? Vehicle was not driven much after incident. Thank you!

My car was showing oil engine replace message, it was not performing as usual, when taken for normal service at ford dealer to change oil, they identified cooling liquid leaking inside the engine as it seems in the ford explorer and other models the water pump is inside the engine which makes identifying any leakage very challenging as it is not easily visible.the faulty water pump leaks liquid inside the engine which overheats and damages the engines and lead to car failure when driving it. Since leakage is not easy to detect the faulty water pump and bad design(by putting the water pump inside the engine) may lead to engine failure when driving the car and accidents leading to life threatening situation. When seaerching on the net it seems several ford explorer 2013 owners faced same issues and were not able to identify the leakage easily and had engine damage and had to pay a lot of money to fix it. Ford should recall and change the pumps on its own cost.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH and exiting the highway, while making a left turn, the steering wheel failed to respond. The contact stated that while switching to the center lane, the vehicle kept drifting to the left. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the rack and pinion steering arms needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 204,049.

The driver side windshield panel flew off/broke off while driving at 55-60 mph.

My suspension was damaged and my car froze and stalled during winter storm and caused my car to go to several shops and I spent lots money on repairs

The driver-side outer windshield trim moulding panel flew off of my vehicle while I was driving at highway speed. Upon inspection, I discovered the passenger-side panel is loose, as well, and could detach at any time.

Power steering assist fault

I was driving down the highway yesterday (Sunday, March 26, 2023) and the windshield trim panel on the driver's side flew off. I was doing the speed limit, which was 70 MPH. Thank goodness there wasn't anyone behind me! It could have smashed into their windshield!

The windshield trim (passenger side) was detached and flew off my car, while driving on a highway at 75 mph.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated the water pump needed to be replaced. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called an independent mechanic who provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance provided. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while making a turn from a complete stop, the vehicle gradually lost power steering functionality. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving by using physical strength to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure occurred increasingly while making turns and decreased while driving on straight. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 168,000.

My power steering assist fault came on while driving my steering wheel became very hard to turn which caused me to almost crash I had swerve and stop me and my 3 year old were almost killed my truck electrical system is malfunctioning on its on and ford will not look into it I’ve read up on all the recalls ford has had for the power steering assist fault and it’s scary that it happened to me while driving I’m extremely terrified to drive after having that happen to us

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH with her three-year-old in the vehicle, the power steering assist fault warning light illuminated and the steering wheel became difficult to turn, causing the vehicle to strike a street pole sign. The contact stated that she was unable to turn the steering wheel. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained neck injuries but did not receive medical attention. A Police report was not filed. The contact was concerned for her safety and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with an electrical power steering assist failure. The contact was informed that the electrical power steering assist needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the part required to fix the vehicle was no longer in production. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was 200,060.

Windshield Trim on right side passenger came off while driving on the freeway luckily no was behind at the time to avoid further collision

Water is leaking out from underneath the front passenger side part of the engine. I was told it was a water pump failure and the water pump is internal to the engine.

Power steering assist fault I was driving when it came on and almost wrecked with my 3 year old in the car with me

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary in his garage, he noticed a leak of water on the driveway. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with needing the water pump to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.