2021 Ford Explorer Driver assistance Problems

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V123000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle failed to connect or communicate with the computer and module. The dealer informed the contact about a possible diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact the manufacturer was not responsible to cover the diagnostic test. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11752671

Incident

Jul 22, 2026

Recently my car has had a series lights come on including 4wd fault, pre-colliosion assist not available, service advance trac, hill start assist warning, and something with the brakes when in reverse. I took it to the dealer and they said it's something electrical that will need parts, and further investigation with removing the seats. That will be another day. Today, while driving with my son in the back, I was taking a u-turn on a busy street. The car acted like it switched into neutral (but didn't), and wouldn't accelerate, leaving me inching into traffic at 1 mph with cars going 40mph coming at me. Luckily I was not hit, but easily could have been. I drive almost 60 miles a day for work and this is a safety hazard not just for me, but my family too.

NHTSA ID

11752237

Incident

Jul 22, 2026

I am reporting a safety concern involving a delayed transmission gear engagement and delayed rearview camera activation. Intermittently, when shifting the vehicle from Park into Reverse or Drive, there is a noticeable delay before the transmission actually engages the selected gear. During this delay, the rearview camera also fails to activate immediately. Because there is no immediate indication that the requested gear has engaged, I have experienced situations where I believed the vehicle was in Reverse or Drive, but it remained in the previous state for several seconds. In some instances, the transmission engages unexpectedly after the delay, causing the vehicle to move in a direction different from what I anticipated. For example, after selecting Reverse, the vehicle may hesitate before moving, or after changing between Reverse and Drive, the delayed engagement can result in the vehicle moving in the previously engaged direction before finally shifting into the selected gear. This creates a significant safety hazard, particularly when parking, backing out of driveways, or maneuvering in areas with pedestrians or other vehicles. The delayed rearview camera activation further increases the risk because it prevents the driver from immediately seeing behind the vehicle while attempting to reverse. The issue occurs intermittently and without warning, making it difficult to predict. I am concerned that this condition could lead to a crash, property damage, or injury if the vehicle moves unexpectedly due to the delayed gear engagement. I request that NHTSA investigate this issue to determine whether it is related to a transmission, electronic shift control, or software defect affecting the safe operation of the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11750264

Incident

May 8, 2026

While driving at highway speeds, the vehicle displays a "Drive Train Malfunction" warning message and the traction control warning light illuminates. Shortly after the warning appears, the vehicle loses power and may enter a reduced-power mode or stall, creating a serious safety hazard in traffic. This has occurred while traveling on the highway, forcing sudden deceleration and creating the risk of being struck by other vehicles. The check engine light is illuminated, and diagnostic code P0A1E is present. The problem is intermittent and unpredictable, making it difficult to determine when the next failure will occur. The vehicle has been taken to Ford for diagnosis multiple times, and significant money has been spent attempting to repair the issue. Despite these efforts, the root cause has not been identified and the problem continues to occur. This defect affects the drivetrain system and impacts the safe operation of the vehicle. The sudden loss of power on the highway places the driver, passengers, and surrounding motorists at risk. Based on discussions with other owners, this appears to be a common issue affecting Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles and warrants investigation by NHTSA.

NHTSA ID

11742611

Incident

Mar 18, 2026

Everyday I get alerts saying the power train system, then I can’t use my cruise control, and many other alerts pop up

NHTSA ID

11727025

Incident

Nov 1, 2025

The parking collision sensors started to act up. Its been replaced 3 or 4 times in the last year over the same problem and no one has tried to tell me how to fix the issue besides keep getting it replaced. People are at risk of getting hit or hitting a object that could be in the way of me reversing.

NHTSA ID

11718657

Incident

Nov 28, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image was blank. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V159000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V393000 (Seats). The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

NHTSA ID

11680757

Incident

Aug 14, 2025

Mileage

90,000 mi

Recall Action Soon Issue Since 06-20-2025 Unrequested second-row seat movement Unrequested second-row seat movement Recall incomplete Recall service not available right now. We have a remedy but parts are not available right now. We will inform you when the service is available. Or, you can contact your dealer. Contact Dealer Issue Date 2025-06-13 Campaign 25S67/25V393 Description On your vehicle, it is possible that the easy entry seat fold switch on the second-row outboard seats may bind or stick if its surrounding trim bezel was installed incorrectly. If the button is stuck in the down position, the seat may unlatch, fold and or slide unexpectedly, potentially while driving. Safety Risk A seat that unexpectedly folds or slides while driving could increase the risk of injury, particularly in a crash. Remedy Ford Motor Company is working to provide parts for this repair. When the remedy becomes available, Ford Motor Company will notify you via mail to schedule a service appointment with your dealer for repairs to be completed free of charge.

NHTSA ID

11674796

Incident

Jun 20, 2025

my explorer has a 10 speed transmission, and its REALLY heavy on shifting like it is missing shifts or slipping, it will shoot up in rpms to the 7-8k mark and jerk forward, this will happen every few minutes when varying speed, driving through residential areas or normal trafficways not including the highway, however on the highway it has a tendency to feel as if it loses power and regains it, dropping rpms and shooting back up to 4-5k rpm, and dropping back down to around 2k. today i had the incident where the car jerked hard after a shift, gave me prompts on the dash about seeing the manual, and that drive modes are not available. this has happened in the past month before multiple times, however this time i lost all power to acceleration going down the road, ended up just coasting to a stop on a road that speed limit is 55 mph. this made me panic, because i could have possibly been rear ended, or in any other case could have been hit if my car would not have properly been able to accelerate. the car has had similar problems reported from previous owners and they have been taken into a dealership for repairs of which did not fix the problem or the problem is reoccurring. there are no warning lamps prior to the jerkiness of shifting and loss of acceleration because of it. it will jerk a handful of times and eventually give me the "see manual" prompt after the initial problem was noticed, i decided to look online for answers as to what was wrong and it seems like this is a reoccurring problem with vehicles similar to mine. Hopefully it hasnt caused and injuries, but it definitely has the possibility to from what i have experienced.

NHTSA ID

11673816

Incident

Jul 15, 2025

2021 Ford Explorer •Problem: Blind Spot Detection / Sensor Malfunction •Description to copLeft-side blind spot sensor fails intermittently. It shows no warning when vehicles are in the blind spot, creating a risk during lane changes. I found Ford TSB 23-2048 confirms the issue. Dealer quoted $1,200 but this is a known factory problem and safety issue.

NHTSA ID

11672511

Incident

Jun 4, 2025

As I am traveling on the freeway or expressway, when I have cruise control active and I am in the far right lane the vehicle suddenly changes to the speed of the frontage road dropping my speed from 65 or 70mph down to 40, even tho I am on the expressway. It almost caused me to be rear ended because of the sudden drop in speed.

NHTSA ID

11666166

Incident

Jun 4, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon shifting into reverse, the rearview camera failed to display an image. 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: 25V315000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 36,000.

NHTSA ID

11664320

Incident

Jun 2, 2025

Mileage

36,000 mi

2021 Ford Exploer the RPM SHOOTS UP AND DOES NOT GO DOWN. I HAVE TO PULL OVER AND SHUT VEHICLE OFF TO RESET.. This has been replaced in 2023 and I am having problems with same issue. VEHICLE WILL NOT PICK UP SPEED UPON Accelerating and when it finally picks up the transmission with jerk really hard. This happens 2x a week. At times I have to pull over because there is no speed when pressing on the gas and need to shut off my car to reset it. When pressing on the gas pedal it Will sped up and take off with light Touch from gas pedal .

NHTSA ID

11653073

Incident

Mar 1, 2025

All of the ADAS along with the brakes of my vehicle fail. The dealership failed to inform me of the recalls prior to purchase. The dealership in town shows all of the parts in stock in their parts department but claim not to have any parts available. When I called, I was given the runaround then sent to a voicemail. When I showed up to the dealership they stated they can only order certain amount of parts and I wasn’t on the list yet was told over the phone I was placed on the list on May 22 2024.

NHTSA ID

11603758

Incident

May 22, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, the back over prevention camera screen display was inoperable. The contact stated that a blue screen was displayed creating a visibility hazard for the driver. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V342000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 34,600.

NHTSA ID

11600913

Incident

Feb 1, 2024

Mileage

34,600 mi

Ford Explorer 2021 recall stems from a defective rear axle horizontal mounting bolt. Ford Motor Company has promised to cover the cost of replacing the subframe bushing and the rear axle bolt and repairing any resultant damage. The dealer, Payne Ford Weslaco, the Tech broke a tool to fix and Ford has failed to replace said tool.

NHTSA ID

11596539

Incident

Mar 21, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while attempting to shift into reverse, the contact became aware that the rear-view camera showed a blue screen. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 32,000.

NHTSA ID

11593738

Incident

Jun 11, 2024

Mileage

32,000 mi

On April 28, 2023, while driving our Forf Explore, we smelled gasoline from our vehicle. We immediately stopped at the next exit, and my husband looked under the vehicle and saw gas dripping from under the engine. We immediately went to the nearest Ford dealership where the vehicle had stayed for a week. We were advised that the leak was one of the metal fuel lines that rubbed onto the frame and caused the leak, also the engine light code was due to the small hole in the fuel line. Which we had taken to a Ford dealership previously due to the engine light on, but they cannot detect the problem. We have contacted Ford Headquarters via phone and mail for further assistance. And up to today, which is April 15, 2024 we have never received a response from Ford Headquarters. This was a very scary situation, which could’ve caused a vehicle fire.

NHTSA ID

11582850

Incident

Apr 28, 2023

The vehicle looses power occasionally. When the accelerator is pressed it can take a second or 2 to start moving again. It happens when turning, changing lanes or going straight. I could be pulling into traffic and it will stop moving, even if the gas pedal is pressed down all the way. It will happen in every drive mode and when the traction control is off. The only time it hasn't happened yet is when I turn off the AdvaneTrac stability control. I have to hold down the traction control button for 5 seconds every time I start the vehicle. The dealer said they couldn't find the problem. The associate said it's a common issue with the Explorer's. It is very dangerous.

NHTSA ID

11579092

Incident

Mar 20, 2024

While driving around 45 miles per hour the vehicle braked on its own without any vehicle in front and dropped to 5 miles per hour, the dash displayed Brake Assistance. While that happened a car behind me came close to rear-ended my car. At this time the vehicle is at the dealer, it was towed. This is the first time this happened, the vehicle showed no warning before the incident. The fact the vehicle behind came so close to rear-ending my car makes this a safety concern, if this happened at a higher rate of speed the consequences could have been more serious.

NHTSA ID

11577479

Incident

Mar 14, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V342000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the camera intermittently failed, causing a visibility hazard for the driver. The failure mileage was 60,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11571486

Incident

Oct 1, 2023

Mileage

60,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V342000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the back-over prevention camera intermittently failed to operate as needed while in use. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11570525

Incident

Jul 1, 2023

Mileage

30,000 mi

My complaint relates to: Manufacturer Recall Number: 23S23 NHTSA Recall Number: 23V342 INTERMITTENT EXPERIENCE OF A REAR CAMERA BLUE ON THE SYNC SCREEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PLACED IN REVERSE and notification that rear parking assistant is disabled. Per January 2024 I received a notification that a remedy is available (replacement of rear camera and software update of SYNC). The dealership was not able to perform the remedy as they told me that the Accessory Protocol Interface Module (APIM) showed error codes and could not be updated. I was told to replace the APIM on my own expenses of ~$1,800. I am not willing to pay for a hardware replacement as I strongly believe that the APIM was defected by two prior updates: 1. prior effort of Ford to solve blue screen issue via software update and 2. a subsequent botched Over-The-Air update to version 22251 which is know to having bugs and causing APIM issues according to various Internet forums: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] So I have a security relevant recall that won't be fixed unless I pay. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11569054

Incident

Jan 29, 2024

With the Ford Intelli-Cruise enabled in settings, the vehicle automatically adjust the speed while using the cruise control. The vehicle will randomly, quickly, accellerate to a extreme new speed limit it thinks it has detected. For instance, several times while travelling on I-81, with a 70mph speed limit, the vehicle will think the new speed limit is suddenly 85mph and quickly accelerate to that speed. I have attached a photo of the dash displaying that setting the car set by itself. On the flip side, once on I-81, it thought the speed limit was 35mph and quickly slammed on the brakes to slow to 35mph from 70mph. Both are quickly overridden by the driver tapping the brake and cancelling the cruise control. However, both could lead to hazards to other drivers potentially resulting in a wreck, especially the sudden slow to 35mph on the interestate. The dealership says "Yea, it happens and people complain". I have no idea why the speed changes, there are no road signs or other indications to even cause the system to re-evaluate its settings. Ford says Intelli-Cruise uses road signage and other ways to also determine speed (whatever that means). This is a safety issue that needs to be remedied by Ford. However, without NHTSA enforcement, they don't seem interested in resolution. (This website isn't allowing me to upload the .jpg file, upload button disappears when I click it)

NHTSA ID

11562894

Incident

Dec 22, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, the vehicle suddenly shifted into park, after which the vehicle went into LIMP mode. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle was unable to shift out of park and displayed the "Automatic Emergency Braking Unavailable" message. The traction control, start-to-stop, and hill start assist warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 30,500.

NHTSA ID

11560368

Incident

Dec 15, 2023

Mileage

30,500 mi