Print this page

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
8 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
21 / 0
Average Mileage:
40,677 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 miscellaneous problems

miscellaneous problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2013 Ford Explorer:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2013 Ford Explorer Owner Comments (Page 4 of 16)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #242

Jan 012016

Explorer

  • 87,000 miles

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

My Ford Explorer has a distinct odor when I accelerate. I brought it into the Ford dealership, and they said there was nothing wrong. I have had a continual strong smell from the vehicle. It happens when I press the gas pedal, generally on an uphill incline.

- Woodland Park, CO, USA

problem #241

Nov 042019

Explorer

  • 100,000 miles
Natural gas smell on interior of vehicle especially when idling, gas smells like rotten eggs or sulfur. It causes me to get headaches and dizziness.

- North Branch, MI, USA

problem #240

Sep 012019

Explorer

  • miles
For the last two month, my vehicle have had a oil burning smells, I changed the oil, but the smell is still there. This is right after I turn on the heat.

- Salem, MA, USA

problem #239

Oct 292019

Explorer

  • 105,000 miles

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

Exhaust smell in the cabin when driving. Checked the door seals and other places where it could be coming from and found no breaks in them. That leaves the exhaust system could be leaking into the cabin

- Cibolo, TX, USA

problem #238

Oct 242019

Explorer

  • 100,000 miles
We have just become aware that exhaust gasses are leaking into the passenger compartment and apparently have been for some time, causing headaches, dizziness and eye irritation. We located a tsb from Ford (tsb 16-0166) relating to the issue and became aware that Ford had offered to fix the issue. Both the center for auto safety and the NHTSA investigated this issue resulting in Ford notifying owners of potentially affected vehicles offering to fix the issue for free. I never received a letter, and when I called the Ford customer service line I was told that my vehicle's VIN was not affected. With the leakage of the exhaust into the cabin I've earned the right to call bs. This is not the type of defect that will repair itself and presents a clear and present risk of serious injury or death, as evidenced by the multiple reports of crashes. This should never have been allowed to be swept under the rug and warrants a recall and inspection/repair of every vehicle in the category. Date below is the date that we took it in to the Ford dealership for diagnosis and repair, but the effects have been noticed for several weeks.

- Boonville, MO, USA

problem #237

Sep 162019

Explorer

  • 0 miles
Smell of smoke, and tapping noise prior to fire. Smoke came from near the center console between driver and passenger seat. Fire started. Made a complaint prior about smell of smoke and noise.

- Hollywood, SC, USA

problem #236

Sep 162019

Explorer

  • 164,194 miles

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

Tapping noise after turning car off. Burning smell but no visible smoke.

- Hollywood, SC, USA

problem #235

May 032019

Explorer

  • 114,000 miles
I was driving my 2013 Ford Explorer and began to feel as if I was about to pass out. I pulled over a few times but I kept feeling worse. I parked and called a friend to take me to emergency. Although I was shaking and felt faint, the doctors could not find a cause. Hospitals do not test for carbon monoxide levels unless requested - at the time it wouldn't have crossed my mind. The following day I drove my car and this physical reaction happened again. I then realized that it was something in my car that was causing this. I took my car to a Ford dealer and they found that I had carbon monoxide leaking into the cabin. I believe that there should be mandatory recalls for these cars, not customer satisfaction programs. Their letters state that 'these vehicles are safe', and clearly that is misleading and untrue.

- Altadena, CA, USA

problem #234

Sep 022019

Explorer

  • 102,650 miles
I own a Ford Explorer and it's been haveing problems..there is a wrench light turning on the panel..and it just stops running.engine completely shuts off..I have a 2 month old baby and I fear for our safety..my Explorer turned off in the middle of the expressway with trailers and fast cars almost hit me..I know alot of Explorer owners that are haveing the same problems..the dangerous matter is engine shuts off while running and the diagnostics cant find nothing wrong..this should be a recall for Explorer it really dangerous the engine just shutting off while running U can crash and get killed if U get hit while all cars are driving fast in expressways..its happened several times now..wrench light turns on and then engine turns off while running it happens more when U fill up the tank with gas..tends to happen..its scary..its happened several times first time was last year then once a month and now it's been doing it 5 to 6 times a day..that's Y I took it to get checked..plus it has recalls on it also..to top it off

- Alamo, TX, USA

problem #233

Aug 142019

Explorer

  • 103,000 miles
I have been smelling exhaust fumes in the cabin since purchasing the vehicle. This day I was getting a headache and felt like I was going to pass out. I pulled over shut off the engine and rolled down the windows before passing out. Woke up 30 mins later. Since then I have not driven the vehicle without the windows rolled down.

- West Lafayette, IN, USA

problem #232

Mar 062016

Explorer

  • 35 miles

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

I purchased this vehicle and it constantly floods inside the vehicle when it rains or I go through an automatic car wash. This has been over 3 years of me paying people to blow out sun roof. To no avail. I drive and water constantly pours from the ceiling console, seatbelt holes on either side of the car and from under the dashboard area. Almost 6 to 8 inches deep of water at times. I have to drive with towels on my lap and shower curtains on the floors. My insurance company is no help, neither is dealership of purchase.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #231

Jul 302019

Explorer

  • 100 miles
While driving the care begins to slow down even though I am hitting the accelerator and eventually comes to a complete stop where I have to pull off the side of the road and turn off the car and restart. Then I will start driving and it will happen again. In a 10 minute drive the other day it turned off 3 times. Haven't driven the car in over a week because I'm scared it will happen to me and cause an accident.

- Ottawa, IL, USA

problem #230

Jan 012017

Explorer

  • 110,000 miles
My blutooth pairing with iphone was compromised by someone other then me. It wouldnt let me listen to blu tooth on my phone. When it did let me listen the music that once sounded good now no matter what I did it sounded horrible. Another thing I noticed was the performance seemed to be greatly increased with poor mpg and then after awhile and still is this way there is a lack of performance and the motor has a completely weird sound since this started happening. I forgot to mention I had previosly had my phone connected thru the sync app and it had some nice features I was using until all this unexplainable things started happening. Once I noticed the volume on the radio was all the way up the next time I had entered my vehicle. And it seemed like in 2017 it would only happen when I was not far from my house and as time went on it seemed like they could change settings no matter where I was. I would program sync settings and before you know it sync is doing excatly what I had turned off. There was a couple other things I wrote down back when they happened that I need to find and then I can report back.

- Apple Valley, MN, USA

problem #229

May 072019

Explorer

  • miles
Pillars flying off car and power transfer unit not working

- Riverside, CA, USA

problem #228

Jul 082019

Explorer

  • miles
2013 Ford Explorer. Consumer writes requesting any available information regarding vehicle.

- Buffalo, NY, USA

problem #227

May 012013

Explorer

  • 90,000 miles
Two issues the power assist failed multiple times when drive at low speeds. The second is the front suspension failed in 2013 multiple complaints ignored by Ford and NHTSA. Dealer refused to fixed under warranty. This type of vehicle has recalls for these two issues all but the base models and Ford refused to repair my vehicle both issues cost over $1000 to repair.

- Conroe, TX, USA

problem #226

May 282019

Explorer

  • 93,906 miles
This dealing with the my sync (myford touch). The system will will cause the screen to go black, it also will cause the A/C & heater, navigation, and radio to stop working. This happens while the vehicle is moving. To restore the system you have to pull over and reboot the system by turning off the vehicle. I just recieved a customer satisfaction program alert for Ford on 5/25/2019. Dealer will not repair because they clam that the program has expired. But I can have the repair done for the cost $1200

- Shreveport, LA, USA

problem #225

Nov 202012

Explorer

  • miles
The vehicle been at the dealership many times because carbon monoxide fume inside the vehicle. This have cause many health problems to me and my wife (such as headaches, drowsiness etc.).

- Aguada, PR, USA

problem #224

May 112019

Explorer

  • 92,000 miles
I noticed the outside trim around the sides of the windshield appeared loose on the driver but mostly passenger side of my car. A few weeks later when I started driving over 10 mph down the road, I heard a noise like something beating against my windshield. I noticed the rubber seal around the windshield and between the trim and the windshield had come off and was flapping in the wind against my windshield and car. The body trim is now loose as well. I had a little water even leak into the car. It was very distracting and almost caused my wreck. I had to temporarily tape the rubber trim down as it keeps coming loose and gets worse as you drive (which you have no choice when you are not close to home or can't get your vehicle in for repairs until weeks later).

- Madison, MS, USA

problem #223

Mar 012019

Explorer

  • 90,000 miles
My vehicle was in a stationary position when the 'shift to park light illuminated'. this is a real accident waiting to happen since the vehicle could role.

- Jacksonville, NC, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?