Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2020 Ford Explorer submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 45 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 45, in the owner's own words
My Ford explorer has a 3rd row headrest stuck in a down position. So, the passengers head will not be supported in a whiplash situation. I have found many complaints on this issue but cant find what should be a very important safety recall.
With people in the backseat, the seats decided to fold out of nowhere from the previous recall where the seat released buttons on the second row get stuck. Even though it’s very clear that these buttons need to be replaced and I took it to a Ford dealership they said that they were fine even though the buttons literally are stuck in no matter what and ever so slightly touching them causes the seats to fold. The passengers in the second row were not injured, but very easily could’ve been.
Safety recall NHTSA 25V093, vehicle at dealership Cutter Ford, Aiea, Hawaii, for appointment to correct recall defect with the seat restraint bolts and the technician determined the center two rear seats failed the inspection and the bolts were defective. Cutter Ford invoice #XXX, dated January 15, 2026. Repair and correction not completed, stated back order the parts needed. On February 26, 2026, vehicle appointment at Cutter Ford for brake service and recall service, brakes completed, but informed parts for recall 25V093 on back order. On March 23, 2026, received notice from Ford Motors stating our vehicle required to be taken in for recall service for 25V093, seat restraint fasteners that are improperly secured may not effectively restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Immediately contacted Cutter Ford, and was informed that the parts are on back order, unknown date for correction of the recall defect. On March 23, 2026 contacted Ford Recall Assistance at [XXX] , case #XXX was informed parts on back order, nothing they can do at this time. On May 11, 2026, emailed Cutter Ford customer service requesting information on the back ordered recall parts and a date and time for repairs. We use our recalled vehicle daily to transport our grandchildren to and from school and to their other activities. The recall notice states that this recall defect can increase the risk of injury-the grandkids sit in car seats on the two defective seats, this is a very serious matter that is endangering our families lives and welfare. We do not have the financial or other means of securing another vehicle, and do not believe that the burden of Ford's defective manufacturing should in anyway be assigned to us. Requesting that our vehicle be immediately replaced or repaired according to laws and regulations and policies implemented to protect people from these bad practices that place vehicle owners and families in danger. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C.
On my 2020 Explorer ST, the plastic backing on the front seats is popping off and exposing the seats airbags. My dealer said ONE replacement backing would be $1400 to replace. In a facebook group I am in, multiple people have complained on the 2020 ST that theirs has done the same thing.
The 2nd row seat folding buttons have been malfunctioning for years and folding unexpectedly but Ford would simply say that it was user error causing it to stick. In June of 2025 I received a recall for the issue stating the buttons on the second row may bind or stick. The notice said the parts werent available and that I would be notified again by Ford when the parts came in to schedule a service appointment to complete the repairs free of charge. However, the notice was misleading because when the follow up notice came it stated "Following an inspection/replacement, dealers will ensure proper operation of the switch free of charge." When the dealer came to service the vehicle they inspected the buttons and said that they "looked fine" and offered to dust the buttons off. After they left, the seats continued to sporadically fold until finally one day I went to remove my daughter's car seat to a booster and the seat kept folding as I went back and forth to remove the old seat and install the new one. I was able to record a video of the seat folding repeatedly and reached back out to the dealership. The dealership came out did an inspection and took the parts from the vehicle. They claimed they would resubmit the issue to Ford to approve the parts under the recall and/or the manager was willing to pay out of pocket for them. Jordan Ford insisted removing the parts so that the seats wouldn't unexpectedly fold on my daughter. They didn't know if the issue was mechanical, electrical, or something else. It's now Jan/2026 and they are refusing to take my calls and to give me back my parts or even an estimate if I have to pay out of pocket instead of the wires being exposed without a cover. It's probably not a great idea to drive with the windows down or the sunroof. The condensation from humidity will and/or has gotten into the seats by now. There are other components like the seat warmer and air bag sensor near this. Safety Recall Notice 25S67 / NHTSA Recall 25V393
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the system then resumed normal functionality. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that an unknown sensor had failed. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The contact stated that recently the liftgate failed to function as intended. The contact used the key fob to open the liftgate, and the liftgate failed to function as intended. The contact turned off the vehicle and waited to restart the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact was able to open the liftgate after fifteen minutes. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The contact stated that one year ago, there was an abnormal sound coming from the powertrain. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where unknown sensors were replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the second-row driver's side seat independently shifted backwards. In addition, the contact stated that the contact's [XXX] child was in a car seat attached to the second-row driver's side seat. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V393000 (Seats). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer in April 2025. The vehicle was inspected, and the contact was informed that the parts were ordered. The contact made multiple calls to the dealer and inquired about the delivery status of the ordered parts. The contact was informed that the parts had not been delivered and were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that dealers were to perform the recall repair. The contact stated that no additional information was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
At 45,000 miles the third row driver side headrest broke and the seat will not fold and is a safety hazard for the seat since the head rest does not work as intended. The third row passenger side head rest broke while under bumper to bumper warranty. Given both have broken with minimal use and others having the same exact issue, the part is made inferior and causes a safety issue.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while loading her children into the vehicle, the driver’s, and passenger’s side rear second row seats collapsed and remained locked in the upright position. After a visual inspection, the contact observed that the “Easy Entry” switch was stuck. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V393000 (Seats); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 20,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to open the passenger’s side door, her son and husband’s hands were sliced and injured by the door. Neither the dealer nor an independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred by the manufacturer to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000.
1. Passenger rear middle seat folds up randomly and repeatedly when someone is sitting in it. It's triggered by pressing on the middle of the back of the seat. This is not related to the current recall, I've had that recall completed and the buttons passed inspection. Basically the seat is trying to eject the passenger repeatedly. Huge safety issue. Sheehy Ford of Ashland has documented this in their report when completing recall. 2.Sunshade has broke and sags down, creating zero visibility in the rear view mirror. Huge safety issue 3. Cupholders are falling through, plastic rivets broke. Cups fall through cupholder
While sitting in the 3rd row seat, my daughter felt the headrest smack the back of her head. When trying to put it back up, it will no longer stay in place. There are multiple reports of this exact thing happening. This is a known issue with these vehicles. I am now unable to allow anyone to ride in that seat, as the headrest will not stay up.
3rd row seats have a malfunctioning system causing the headrests to not lift back up after seat is down, seat goes down with an automatic button but then headrest on both sides do not lift up as they should. This poses a very serious risk to children in the back seat who are now leaned and pushed forward by this headrest which is folded down over the seat and will not go up. After a lot of research I have seen that this is a very common issue with this year of Explorers.
Driver side headrest does not properly lock in place. The headrest moves from the upright position to a forward angle position when jostled. While braking heavily in a car accident, my driver side headrest abruptly moved forward causing the headrest to slam into the back of my head.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered that the rear hatch had failed to open. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the latch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that during cold weather conditions, the front driver’s and passenger’s side door latches failed to unlock to allow the doors to be opened. In addition, the contact was using the rear passenger’s side door to exit the vehicle safely. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and both door latching cable assemblies were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer where it was diagnosed that front door latching cable assemblies needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
The headrests of both of the back seats first locked and would not release, then suddenly released and were never able to lock back in place again. Because of the headrest mechanism failures, we cannot allow anyone to sit in the rear seats because they are not safe. We need to be able to use those seats for our children. We had them inspected by our local Ford dealer and they confirmed that this is a known issue for this model, but that there has not been a recall yet. They could fix them, but unfortunately it would be a significant cost to fix both of them out of pocket when this really is a safety issue and should be a recall. There were no warning messages other than one day they simply would not lock in place properly.
There are problems with these items which are covered under a Ford recall. My vehicle is at Liccardi Ford dealer in Watchung NJ and I feel a tremendous resistance from the dealer to repair the recalled ordered repairs.
Various electrical issues GPS not working also drivers seat electrical
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer XLP. The contact stated that his wife received a minor cut from the front driver’s side interior door handle because the chrome wrap on the door handle had started to deteriorate. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the interior door handle chrome was peeling and had sharp edges. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 17,000.
Several years ago I reported to Elk Grove Fird that the middle right car seat would release and move forward when a personas seated in the chair. It wouldn’t happen otherwise and we seldom have a 3rd person in our car. They couldn’t duplicate the issue and did nothing. In May 2024, it took it in again. They replaced a seat release button and something else. In August, the unexpected seat release occur again. Another repair was done. The same problem happened again when I had my [XXX] granddaughter with me. On a 5 mile drive to Costco, it suddenly released about 10 times; each time propelling the seat forward and causing the seal belt around her neck. I stopped, placed my iPhone to catch what was occurring, as no body believed me. Within 5 minutes, as we returned home, I captured about 5 more releases. After one month of discussion with Ford, they said they would replace the entire seat and pay about $1,400 and I would pay $1,150. This is a safety issue that could cause serious injury or death to my grandchildren. I believe Ford doesn’t want to make safe a high-end car they know has a serious problem. I have video evidence of this defect. What can the NTSB do to help me? [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Multiple warnings lights from advanced drivers assistance 4x4 went accelerate and could not error code u0102 also rattling from right second row seat.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear hatch closed without driver input. The contact stated that the buttons were inoperable and failed to open the hatch as needed. While the hatch was closing, it pinned and violently struck the contact on the head. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on four occasions, who was unable to determine the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
The drivers side outside seat valance broke and needs to be replaced.
When drivers side seat automatically goes back it will eventually break off the seat control cover with the adjustment controls on the left side of seat.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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