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3.6

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
35,581 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2013 Ford Explorer lights problems

lights problem

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2013 Ford Explorer Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #24

Aug 082022

Explorer

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The power steering failed on my 2013 Ford Explorer while driving which made steering extremely difficult, especially at slower speeds. I was very startled by the immediate loss of steering while traveling at a high rate of speed. I also had to be extremely cautious turning to ensure there was ample time to turn and not cause an accident. My turn signals also quite functioning properly. When turning on my turn signals they would only blink once unless I held down the turn signal which would then allow it to work which is difficult to do as it takes the strength of both hands to steer the wheel with the power steering not functioning. The vehicle is available for inspection and I have an appointment to take it to a Ford dealership next week. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or anyone else. It will be taken to a Ford dealership next week as that is the soonest they were able to see it. The two warning messages that went off at the time of power steering failure were Power Steering Failure and Service AdvanceTrac System.

- Samson, AL, USA

problem #23

Jul 152020

Explorer

  • miles
Water was leaking in somehow through the drivers side. I had windshield replaced as well as moonroof motor (because the moonroof stopped working after leak also). The water does not seem to get in anymore but Now my headlights randomly work. I have had the headlights replaced but it did not fix the problem. The mechanic has seen the problem but is stumped so now its a process of elimination I guess. When the headlights go out if I completly turn them off and back on again it will ussually fix it temporarily. Ive got a police warning because I got pulled over for no headlights but as the police were writing the ticket, the headlights randomly came back.There has been a lot of sensors going on the dash and ford has had to reset them.

- Maynard, MA, USA

problem #22

Dec 032012

Explorer

  • 500 miles
Headlights are way to dim for night driving

- Perkasie, PA, USA

problem #21

Jan 012020

Explorer

  • 80,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Lights and passenger door ajar stay on. Lights don't turn off when backing up or until driving forward at a certain speed. Locks unlock by themselves. Lights will randomly turn on when no one is by the car. Have 3 little kids need a car that should be reliable to lock the door to S and stay locked or to safely back up with visibility but can't bc the lights stay

- Leon, KS, USA

problem #20

Jan 172020

Explorer

  • 130,000 miles
Complained of faulty power steering error message coming on when starting vehicle for 1.5 years to Ford dealership with no exact response regarding the issue. They said they reset the system and it should work fine afterwards. The next day I still had the issue. I then complained again about it but it was in the shop for numerous issues and that was overlooked/ignored. My power steering has now gone out completely and the recalls for the power steering ended for Explorer manufactured after Feb. 2012 and mine was manufactured in Dec. 2012. I asked if the dealership was required to report issues when customers bring their vehicle in to the shop and they said no. They are only reqiured to report them when they repair it or do work to it, not just assess that there is an issue. Lesson learned, always report your issues here. My power steering could have gone out while driving but thank god it didn't. it went out as I was paying a bill and had turned my car off for less than 2 minutes. Therefore, the vehicle was stationary. It is incredibly frustrating that they want me to pay for something that is a known Ford issue and that my car is currently not able to be driven. Much less, I have complained about the issue and they could have prevented it by letting me know the power steering fault is common and to get it repaired sooner rather than later to prevent a wreck.

- Harriman, TN, USA

problem #19

Jan 012020

Explorer

  • 135,000 miles
Both driver and passenger door lock/latch mechanisms failed showing car door is ajar when door is actually shut. Driver door lock actuator failed around 30,000 miles and passenger lock actuator failed around 135000 miles. When driving at night, the interior lights of car cannot be turned off until speed reaches approximately 10 mph. This leads to unsafe driving conditions and limits driver visibility outside of car due to glare.

- Lubbock, TX, USA

problem #18

May 052015

Explorer

  • 25,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Door ajar notification remains on when all doors are closed and vehicle is in motion. Alert tone will sound when vehicle starts moving or comes to a stop. Auto door locks will not function or doors will not remain locked. Interior dome lights remain on until vehicle starts motion. The vehicle was serviced by Ford and sensors cleaned under warranty at 25K miles. Fix lasted about 4 months. Current mileage 67K.

- Midlothian, VA, USA

problem #17

Apr 152013

Explorer

  • 50,000 miles
The headlights are severely inadequate, if it is raining it is not safe to drive

- Perkasie, PA, USA

problem #16

Jul 072017

Explorer

  • 80,000 miles
Having a issue headlights going off. Mostly one bub at a time but not always the same bub or both buds go off but always turn back on once I place switch back in off position and turn them back on. After being pulled over by locat shierff is when I first noticed the issue for my headlight being out. Trouble had gotten worst of time. I spoke to a local state trooper and I was told that it is known issue with newer Ford headlights. I went dealership and I explained to them it seem like a electrical power issue. I was that the harness over time gets moisture in it and had to grease to keep it from happening. He said it will be over $1000 to get it fix with the symptoms I provided him. On long straight trip at a stead speed the light do not go out, but driving around town it happens now on a regular.

- Ocala, FL, USA

problem #15

Jul 182017

Explorer

  • 100,000 miles
Throttle position. Fuel peddle doesn't always accelerate when being pushed. As I pull out the car may accelerate or may not. Sometimes it suddenly lurches. Very scary when crossing through traffic. My mechanic said it's going to be me T-boned.

- Mcalister, NM, USA

problem #14

Jun 132012

Explorer

  • 200 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Headlights on this vehicle are the worst that I have ever driven. Had lights adjusted at the dealership and not much improvement. The road does not get very well illuminated. Even though the lights are irritating to oncoming traffic they don't do much to help the driver see the road. This is an ongoing problem since it was new.

- Milton, WI, USA

problem #13

Jul 012017

Explorer

  • 24,600 miles
Door ajar is on even when the door is close and alarm for this keeps going off also the inside front interior lights stay on.this in on going had it fix once and now its back again.with 24,000 miles and thousands with the same problem this should be a recall this happens when you shut vehicle off and when driving.

- Berlin, CT, USA

problem #12

Aug 252015

Explorer

  • miles
We had to replace the headlight pig tail twice as it melted to the bulb

- Cheswick, PA, USA

problem #11

Aug 082016

Explorer

  • 38,000 miles
The door sensor indicates the door is open when in reality it is closed. This causes a warning bell that does not cease and keeps the dome light illuminated. This condition also causes the alarm system to go off resulting at times in a police response. In order to alleviate the problem you must shut the door repeatedly, sometimes a dozen times or more. This also has run the battery down due to the dome lights and accessories staying on. Apart fromt he obvious frustration this problem is potentially dangerous. This is not a one time thing but a chronic and repeated problem that has no real resolution. I see other Ford users are experiencing similar problems with their Ford Explorer.

- Horton, MI, USA

problem #10

Aug 052016

Explorer

  • 55,000 miles
Turn signals malfunctioned constantly. Problem allegedly caused by faulty installation of both wiring harnesses at factory. Both were replaced. Second vehicle in our fleet with this problem. Vehicle started losing acceleration; problem traced to faulty throttle body. Second vehicle in our fleet with this problem.

- Jackson, WI, USA

problem #9

Mar 012016

Explorer

  • 30,000 miles
The driver side "door ajar" alarm is constantly on, even though the door is firmly closed and secure.the alarm keeps going off and the dome light is on while the vehicle is in motion for a dangerous period of time. This seems to be a common and dangerous complaint for similar vehicles in similar years.according to what I have read online and watched online there are a lot of like vehicles out there with this problem.

- Holland, MI, USA

problem #8

Dec 312012

Explorer

  • miles
Headlight illumination of roadways is severely inadequate. We have both observed this issue with this vehicle since it was purchased new in December 2012 (the primary driver is a 5'5" female, the secondary driver is 5'10" male). The headlights seem to aim too low and leave dark spots in the road, particularly when turning in either direction. And the problem is only exacerbated with higher speeds. Illumination is better on high beam, but one cannot leave high beams engaged during normal driving. These are the worst headlights I've ever seen on a vehicle in over 40 years of driving including cars that I've driven from the 50S, 60S, and 70S, let alone for a modern car.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #7

Nov 182013

Explorer

  • 23,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. While driving various speeds, the headlights failed. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 23,000.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #6

Apr 292014

Explorer

  • 60,848 miles
Headlight bulb and plastic connector have melted at the connection.

- South Portland, ME, USA

problem #5

Mar 032014

Explorer

  • miles
2013 Ford Explorer. Consumer writes in regards to headlights do not illuminate far enough in front of the vehicle and aim down into the road. The dealer informed the consumer, it was a design feature, and there was nothing to fix.

- Wantage, NJ, USA

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