2020 Ford Explorer Recalls, Complaints & Specs

33 safety recalls list the 2020 Ford Explorer, and owners have filed 1,227 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

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33 safety recalls for the 2020 Ford Explorer

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

1. Mid/rear assembly (seats)

   NHTSA 26V451000 Reported July 14, 2026 387,911 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

   Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2027 Aviator and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles. The switch for the easy-entry second-row outer seats may bind or stick, resulting in the seats unlatching, tipping, or sliding unexpectedly.

   Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the bezel around the switch as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim…

2. Automatic transmission (power train)

   NHTSA 26V402000 Reported June 24, 2026 741,195 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

   Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Navigator, Expedition, 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2021 F-150 vehicles. The transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in park system damage.

   Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, and inspect and replace any damaged transmission components as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed…

3. Seat belts

   NHTSA 26V159000 Reported March 17, 2026 561 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

   Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2026 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The seat belt anchor bolts at the second-row outer seating positions may be improperly secured.

   Remedy: Dealers will inspect the second-row outer seat belt lower anchor bolts and replace or repair them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 30, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer…

4. Motor (visibility)

   NHTSA 26V117000 Reported March 3, 2026 604,533 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

   Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer, Escape, Lincoln Aviator, and Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The windshield wiper motor may fail and prevent the windshield wipers from operating properly.

   Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the front wiper motors as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed April 2, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final…

5. Software (back over prevention)

   NHTSA 26V123000 Reported March 3, 2026 889,950 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

   Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2020-2024 Lincoln Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The image on the center display may flip or invert, resulting in an incorrectly displayed rearview image when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements…

   Remedy: Dealers will update the accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 23, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's…

6. Engine block heater (equipment)

   NHTSA 25V685000 Reported October 10, 2025 59,006 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

   Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater…

   Remedy: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater…

7. Software (back over prevention)

   NHTSA 25V442000 Reported June 27, 2025 200,237 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

   Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024…

   Remedy: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is…

8. Mid/rear assembly (seats)

   NHTSA 25V393000 Reported June 13, 2025 304,662 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

   Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The switch for the easy-entry second-row outer seats may bind or stick, resulting in the seats unlatching, folding, or sliding unexpectedly while driving.

   Remedy: Dealers will inspect the second-row seat switch, and replace the bezel around the switch as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at…

9. Software (back over prevention)

   NHTSA 25V159000 Reported March 14, 2025 49,399 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

   Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 23V-342. The video output may fail, preventing the rearview camera image from displaying.

   Remedy: Dealers will update the Image Processing Module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 25, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall…

10. Driveshaft (power train)

    NHTSA 25V166000 Reported March 14, 2025 4,247 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall numbers 23V-199 or 22V-255. The rear axle horizontal mounting bolt may fracture and cause the driveshaft to disconnect.

    Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 25, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for…

11. Seat belts

    NHTSA 25V093000 Reported February 14, 2025 240,510 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Explorer and Aviator vehicles. The seat belt buckle anchor bolts at one or more seating positions may be improperly secured. Additionally, vehicles may have an improperly secured seat belt retractor anchor bolt and/or seat belt anchor bolt at the second-row center seating…

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect seat belt buckle anchor bolts in all seating positions. Additionally, dealers will inspect the seat belt retractor anchor bolt and seat belt anchor bolt at the second-row center seating position,…

12. Labels (equipment)

    NHTSA 24V852000 Reported November 8, 2024 27,678 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard…

    Remedy: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.

13. Engine

    NHTSA 24V598000 Reported August 9, 2024 85,238 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles equipped with the Police Interceptor Utility Package. In the event of an engine failure, engine oil and fuel vapor may be released into the engine compartment and accumulate near ignition sources such as hot engine or exhaust components, possibly resulting in an…

    Remedy: Owners are advised to park and shut off the engine as promptly as possible upon hearing unexpected engine noises, or after experiencing an unexpected engine power reduction, or seeing smoke from the engine compartment.…

14. Camera (back over prevention)

    NHTSA 24V188000 Reported March 8, 2024 1,988 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer vehicles. Due to a poor electrical connection, the rearview camera may intermittently display a blank or distorted image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C19. This…

15. Driveshaft (power train)

    NHTSA 23V675000 Reported October 6, 2023 238,364 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles. The rear axle horizontal mounting bolt may fracture and cause the driveshaft to disconnect.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the subframe bushing and rear axle bolt. They will also inspect the rear axle cover for damage near the bolt hole location and replace with a new cover if any damage is found. Repairs will be…

16. Traction battery (electrical system)

    NHTSA 23V626000 Reported September 8, 2023 2,954 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Lincoln Aviator and Ford Explorer vehicles equipped with 3.0L PHEV engines. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.

    Remedy: Dealers will perform a Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) diagnostic test and replace the high voltage battery pack, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 8, 2024. Owners may…

17. Camera (back over prevention)

    NHTSA 23V342000 Reported May 12, 2023 442,973 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles equipped with a 360-degree camera. The video output may fail, preventing the rearview camera image from displaying.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the 360-degree camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 10, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S23.…

18. Display function (back over prevention)

    NHTSA 23V305000 Reported April 28, 2023 523 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with a 12.1-inch Integrated Computer Screen (ICS). When the Display On/Off Button is used to turn the display to "Off" prior to placing the vehicle in reverse, the backup camera rearview image will not appear on the display. As…

    Remedy: Dealers will update the ICS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C14.

19. Electrical (parking brake) and power train: control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

    NHTSA 23V199000 Reported March 24, 2023 674 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 2.3L RWD, 3.3L GAS, 3.3L FHEV, or 3.0L ST powertrain. The previous powertrain control module (PCM) update completed under recall 22V-255 did not include the automatic electronic parking brake feature when the vehicle is shifted to park, as…

    Remedy: Dealers will update the PCM software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 31, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S16.

20. Power train: control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

    NHTSA 23V069000 Reported February 10, 2023 3,674 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 2.3L engine and 10R60 automatic transmission. An unintentional powertrain control module (PCM) reset may occur while the vehicle is in motion and result in park system damage.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect the park system for damage and repair as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number…

21. Camera (back over prevention)

    NHTSA 23V022000 Reported January 23, 2023 382,759 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles equipped with a 360-degree camera. The video output may fail, preventing the rearview camera image from displaying.

    Remedy: Dealers will update the image processing module (IPMB) software, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed April 25, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed…

22. Software (back over prevention) and camera (back over prevention)

    NHTSA 21V735000 Reported September 22, 2021 228,297 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Corsair, and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with 360-degree cameras. The video output may fail, preventing the rearview camera image from displaying.

    Remedy: Dealers will update the Image Processing Module (IPMB) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 16, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for…

23. Suspension: rear

    NHTSA 21V154000 Reported March 10, 2021 49 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Lincoln Aviator and Ford Explorer vehicles. The rear lower control arm (RLCA) bolts that attach the rear lower control arms to the wheel knuckles may not have been heat-treated, which could cause them to break.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace both RLCA bolts, free of charge. The recall began on April 2, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S11.

24. Engine

    NHTSA 20V788000 Reported December 17, 2020 1,405 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The right hand motor mount fasteners may have been incorrectly tightened, and may loosen over time.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove and replace the right hand motor mount fasteners, free of charge. The recall began February 3, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's…

25. Storage (fuel system)

    NHTSA 20V730000 Reported November 24, 2020 17 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer vehicles equipped with 2.3L engines and 19 gallon fuel tanks. The fuel tank inlet check valve may not be fully welded to the fuel tank shell.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank shell, free of charge. The recall began December 8, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is…

26. Driveshaft (power train)

    NHTSA 20V693000 Reported November 10, 2020 10,905 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with a 2.0L or 3.3L engine and a 10 Speed Automatic Transmission with the All Wheel Drive package. The drive shaft may fracture along the weld seam.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the drive shaft label inspected and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at…

27. Camera (back over prevention)

    NHTSA 20V575000 Reported September 23, 2020 620,246 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Explorer, Mustang, Transit, Expedition, Escape, Ranger and Edge, and Lincoln Nautilus and Corsair vehicles. Due to a poor electrical connection, the rearview camera may intermittently display a blank or distorted image. As such, these vehicles…

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2020. Remedy became available on February 1, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on February…

28. Buckle assembly (seat belts)

    NHTSA 20V549000 Reported September 10, 2020 29 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with second row center seat belt buckles that may not be properly secured to the seat.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the second row center seat assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for…

29. Air bags: side/window and 2 other components

    NHTSA 20V497000 Reported August 21, 2020 488 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer and 2020 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The side air bag and/or seat back module attachments may not have been properly tightened in the front seat backs.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove front seat back panels from one or both front seats (VIN-specific) and verify that the fasteners have been properly tightened, free of charge. The recall began September…

30. Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (fuel system)

    NHTSA 19V859000 Reported December 4, 2019 3,857 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. Over time, the protective sleeve on the vapor fuel line may chafe through the plastic liquid fuel line and cause a fuel leak.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install a longer protective sleeve on the liquid fuel line, as necessary, free of charge. Ford issued owners and interim notification on January 29, 2020. Recall began March…

31. Electrical system: wiring

    NHTSA 19V687000 Reported September 30, 2019 10,655 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford Explorer vehicles equipped with 2.3L or 3.3L engines. The wiring harness may not have been properly secured and may contact the air conditioner compressor (A/C) pulley, potentially damaging the harness or the A/C belt.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install a tie strap to the wiring harness at the hand shock tower clip, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at…

32. Mid/rear assembly (seats) and recliner (seats)

    NHTSA 19V633000 Reported August 28, 2019 639,137 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also included are certain 2020 Ford Explorer…

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at…

33. Parking brake and 2 other components

    NHTSA 19V575000 Reported August 5, 2019 13,896 vehicles potentially affected Ford Motor Company

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The Manual Park Release (MPR) cover may not be installed. In addition, the vehicles may be in Factory Mode, which disables warning alerts and does not display the transmission gear selected. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the…

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, install a MPR cover. Dealers will verify the instrument cluster is not in Factory Mode and clear any fault codes, free of charge. The recall began…

1,227 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2020 Ford Explorer have filed 1,227 complaints with NHTSA; 36 describe a crash and 10 describe a fire. Reports cite 38 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 38,238 miles. Complaints peaked in 2025 with 318 filed that year.

Most-reported components

• Power train481
• Unknown or other207
• Electrical system182
• Engine115
• Service brakes80
• Visibility/wiper56
• Exterior lighting55
• Back over prevention40

What owners are reporting

“Drivers side low beam intermittently does not operate. Becoming more and more common. Now, passenger side lamp is doing the exact same thing, and both shut down while in motion at night. These lamps s”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 4, 2026 · Exterior lighting

“Both headrests in the third row have broken. Neither headrest will stay up in the locking position.”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 3, 2026 · Seats

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 2020 Ford Explorer (Explorer AWD, Explorer FFV AWD, Explorer HEV AWD, Explorer HEV RWD, …). Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Compare Ford Explorer model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Ford Explorer model year in NHTSA's database.

Checking a specific 2020 Ford Explorer

Other Ford models

• F-15037,961 complaints
• Escape27,430 complaints
• Fusion22,405 complaints
• Focus22,096 complaints
• Taurus18,159 complaints
• Windstar14,158 complaints
• Edge14,065 complaints
• Expedition9,359 complaints

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.