2021 Ford Explorer Visibility Problems

Recall 26S14 was anticipated to be fixed 2Q2026 (April/May/June). We're now 3 - 6 months overdue for repair. Ineffective communications and timeliness on repairs.

NHTSA ID

11766048

Incident

Sep 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V117000 (Visibility) and 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the parts to perform the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. While driving at various speeds, the transmission shifted into park, the vehicle entered LIMP mode, the engine revved abnormally, and there was a smoke odor inside the vehicle. The contact coasted to the side of the road, shifted into park, and waited before shifting back into drive. While refueling the vehicle with the engine turned off and the nozzle inside the fuel filler neck, the vehicle suddenly rolled forward, pulling the fuel pump away from the station. The contact stated that the vehicle continued to roll unless the parking brake was engaged. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were unavailable for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the issues and stated that parts were expected in the second quarter of 2027. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.

NHTSA ID

11764422

Incident

Mar 3, 2026

Mileage

64,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front windshield wipers were inoperable. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (Visibility). The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that a remedy was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.

NHTSA ID

11756526

Incident

Jul 12, 2026

Mileage

43,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his spouse was attempting to retract the moonroof shade, the shade failed to retract and sagged down, obstructing the driver's visibility of the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the moonroof shade roller clips needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact back to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

NHTSA ID

11753266

Incident

Nov 27, 2025

Mileage

61,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle unexpectedly rolled forward while the vehicle was in park(P). Due to the failure, the contact was forced to engage the parking brake to prevent the vehicle from rolling forward while in park(P). The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (Visibility) and 26V402000(Power Train); however, the parts to do the recall repair were not available. The dealer was notified of the recalls and confirmed that parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

NHTSA ID

11752986

Incident

Jun 1, 2024

Mileage

78,000 mi

Rear wiper motor stopped working completely. Fuses are good, wires are good, motor is good, it just doesn't work. Water pump works.

NHTSA ID

11751298

Incident

Jul 4, 2026

Panoramic sun roof sunshade detaches and sags; interfering with rear view visibility. Shade is in this state when shade and roof are closed. Sunshade cannot be opened as this causes Driver rear visibility to become more severe. Additionally when opened, The shade sags onto anyone sitting in the second row seats.

NHTSA ID

11746322

Incident

May 15, 2026

Moon roof sunshade is defective, when button is pressed to open the shade, it drops down blocking view out the rear window. This seems to be a know problem on ford explorers which is a major safety concern.

NHTSA ID

11739835

Incident

May 22, 2026

I am reporting a safety incident involving a 2021 Ford Explorer. While driving at normal speed, the hood unexpectedly flew open and struck the windshield, completely obstructing visibility and causing damage. I did not open the hood prior to driving, and there were no prior warnings or indications of failure. The incident suggests a possible hood latch or secondary safety latch malfunction. I am submitting this report due to a serious safety concern involving sudden loss of driver visibility.

NHTSA ID

11733749

Incident

Apr 24, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (VISIBILITY); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds in the rain, the windshield wipers intermittently failed to operate as needed. Additionally, the windshield wiper fluid system failed to spray washer fluid while activating the button, even though the windshield washer fluid bottle was full. The local dealer was contacted and stated that the part for the recall would not be available until August 2026. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11733312

Incident

Mar 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in heavy rain, the windshield wiper motor started to operate at an excessively high speed. The contact attempted to change the setting; however, the wipers continued to operate very quickly. The following day, the contact discovered a significant amount of spider cracks on the windshield, specifically where the wiper blades operated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (VISIBILITY); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 42,508.

NHTSA ID

11733012

Incident

Apr 8, 2026

Mileage

42,508 mi

The contact 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 26V117000 (Visibility); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH in inclement weather, the windshield wipers were activated, and the driver’s side windshield was not cleared, causing limited visibility. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

NHTSA ID

11731103

Incident

Apr 13, 2026

Mileage

45,000 mi

Sunshade has fallen off the tracks and the fabric is falling. This is a known issue amongst Ford Explorers with a sunroof; rear visibility is completely blocked. Ford requesting $1800 just to repair shade.

NHTSA ID

11729208

Incident

Jan 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (VISIBILITY); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed in the rain, the windshield wiper motor failed to function as intended and prevented the windshield wipers from operating properly. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ID

11726842

Incident

Mar 23, 2026

Mileage

90,000 mi

SUNROOF SHADE SAGS WHEN OPENING IT, IMPEEDING REARVIEW VISABILITY

NHTSA ID

11726292

Incident

Mar 6, 2026

Tiny specks in the windshield between laminate decreases visibility when in sunlight

NHTSA ID

11717941

Incident

Oct 5, 2021

The fabric from the moonroof has come loose on the sides and blocks rear visibility if open. This is apparently an issue with many vehicles.

NHTSA ID

11707537

Incident

Jun 14, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the liner of the panoramic sunroof was opened and was sagging, which obstructed the view of the rearview mirror. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,800.

NHTSA ID

11698494

Incident

Nov 9, 2025

Mileage

38,800 mi

The shade that covers the moonroof has fallen off the tracks (or something) and it's sagging down from the headliner. There wasn't a snapping or breaking sound, I just went to open it and it sagged instead of sliding back under the headliner like it should. The car is only 4 years old, we bought it new, and we hardly ever use this feature, so it hasn't received a lot of use. With the shade sagging down (it won't go back into place) it blocks the view of the rear window, which makes it a safety hazard. Apparently it's not covered by my warranty, and will be around $1,800 to fix. My car is at the dealership right now and they just told me it's not covered. This is very dangerous because it also blocks the view of my children in the back seat, and most of the rear window. I just googled how to fix it, and it seems like this is a known issue that many others are having. There was no warning lights or messages about this failure. It first happened on October 11, 2025. Note: It's still at the dealership, and I need to pick it up after work, so I don't have a photo to include. I apologize.

NHTSA ID

11694747

Incident

Oct 11, 2025

Sunroof shade loose / sagging when retracting. Issue is caused by a worn sunshade spring. When retracted, the sunroof shade fabric sags to the degree that it blocks / obscures the driver's view of the back window and activity to the rear of and/or behind the vehicle. An internet search shows that this in a known / common issue with Explorers.

NHTSA ID

11690003

Incident

Aug 19, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver’s door window independently rolled down. In addition, the contact stated that the failure had previously occurred with the front passenger’s and rear driver’s side windows. The contact stated that during the first failure the vehicle was repaired by the dealer and covered under warranty. After the second failure, the vehicle was repaired by an independent mechanic and the contact paid out-of-pocket. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,188.

NHTSA ID

11680960

Incident

Aug 9, 2025

Mileage

68,188 mi

While driving, the panoramic sunroof shade on my vehicle failed to retract properly, sagging down into the rear visibility area. The shade hangs low enough to completely block the view through the rearview mirror, significantly impairing my ability to monitor traffic behind me. This is a serious safety hazard, particularly when changing lanes, merging, or reversing. The issue also impacts rear passengers, as the drooping shade hangs down into the back seat area. This obstruction makes it difficult to check on passengers—especially children—while driving. There were no warnings before this failure occurred, and research shows that this problem is common among other owners, as documented in multiple online forums and complaint records. The shade appears to have a design flaw where the guide sliders or attachment points fail, causing it to sag into the driver’s line of sight. This failure should not happen on a safety-critical component affecting visibility. Given the frequency of reports and the direct impact on driver awareness, a recall or mandatory repair campaign should be issued to address this defect in all affected vehicles.

NHTSA ID

11679961

Incident

Aug 1, 2025

I was driving down the road and heard a loud pop and it sounded like a golf ball hit my door. I immediately looked in my rear view mirror and was unable to see anything. After merging to the shoulder of the road and stopping safely I turned around and noticed that the headliner from my sun roof had broken and fallen and was blocking all view from my mirror.

NHTSA ID

11679735

Incident

Aug 9, 2025

Automatic roll up sun shade for the sunroof sags and does not retract anymore, causing visibility issues as it droops down. Car is out of factory bumper to bumper warranty, currently 52k miles, and the aftermarket warranty does not cover the shade. Ford quoted over $2000 for fix, when this is a manufacturer's defect and many cars are affected.

NHTSA ID

11679464

Incident

Jun 2, 2025

My vehicle is equipped with a panoramic sunroof, furthermore the panoramic sunroof has a sliding screen to block out the sun when the owner prefers to block the sun. The issue is with the panoramic sunroof screen, this particular screen also slides on rails below the glass window from the panoramic sunroof. The sliders from the screen part seem to break and cause the screen to sag downward blocking the view from the rear view mirror. In which case it’s a safety hazard for the passengers and public due to limited visibility. Furthermore, it also blocks the view of monitoring the rear passengers in which in this case they are toddlers.

NHTSA ID

11678767

Incident

Mar 20, 2024