2021 Ford Explorer Visibility Problems

My 2021 Ford Explorer is subject to safety recall 26S14/NHTSA 26V117. Ford announced this recall in March 2026, but as of November 3, 2026, Ford still identifies the remedy as unavailable. Authorized dealers cannot inspect, repair, or close the recall. The unresolved recall prevents lawful use of the vehicle on a car-sharing platform and leaves me paying for a vehicle that cannot be used for its intended purpose. Ford previously projected earlier remedy dates, which have been delayed. I am requesting that NHTSA review whether Ford is administering this recall within a reasonable timeframe and require Ford to provide a firm remedy schedule.

NHTSA ID

11775533

Incident

Feb 24, 2026

Here's the updated submission, without the engine paragraph. **Form fields** - **VIN:** 1FM5K8GC7MGA77908 - **Incident date:** today's date - **Crash / fire / injury:** No - **Components:** Visibility (Windshield Wiper/Washer), Power Train (Automatic Transmission), Seats **Narrative** ``` I am filing because my 2021 Ford Explorer (VIN 1FM5K8GC7MGA77908) has three open safety recalls with no remedy available, and Ford has already missed its own remedy date on at least one. 1. NHTSA 26V117 / Ford 26S14 (filed Mar 3, 2026) – Front windshield wiper motor may become inoperative or operate intermittently, causing loss of visibility. Ford stated the remedy was anticipated in Q2 2026. As of November 2, 2026, the remedy is still listed as not available. 2. NHTSA 26V402 / Ford 26S48 (filed Jun 24, 2026) – Transmission may engage Park while the vehicle is moving, damaging the parking system so the vehicle could roll away while in Park. Ford's interim instruction is to always set the parking brake. The remedy is not anticipated until Q2 2027, leaving a roll-away risk unaddressed for roughly a year. 3. NHTSA 26V451 / Ford 26S52 (filed Jul 14, 2026) – Second-row easy-entry seat switch may stick, allowing the seat to tip or slide while driving. Remedy is listed as not yet available. I request that NHTSA require Ford to provide interim remedies or loaner vehicles for these open recalls and to commit to firm remedy dates. ENGINE: My vehicle has the 3.0L engine and was built in Chicago on January 16, 2021, before the June 7, 2021 start of the recall 24S55 (NHTSA 24V635) build range. I request that NHTSA confirm Ford's analysis supports excluding earlier 3.0L builds from the valve fracture population. ``` If you'd rather keep the engine question in, paste the short "ENGINE:" paragraph from my last message above the final request line. Save the confirmation number when you submit.

NHTSA ID

11775263

Incident

Mar 2, 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 local dealer was contacted. 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.

NHTSA ID

11773848

Incident

Oct 26, 2026

They have fixed zero recalls. I have no wipers at all. I’ve attempted to get a resolution multiple times with no care or concern nor resolution. This is ridiculous. A recall almost 8 months and people have zero wipers!!! And the engine recall. It’s going to blow up before it’s fixed!

NHTSA ID

11772061

Incident

Mar 20, 2026

Never really used sun roof , but accidentally hit button to open … then closed….. not realizing that the cover didn’t close it SAG down behind my head… blocking rear view completely. It was dark out and had to pull over and try to fix so I could see out my rear window

NHTSA ID

11771261

Incident

Apr 10, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving in rainy conditions, windshield visibility remained poor despite replacing the wiper blades multiple times. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (Visibility); however, the part required to perform the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time to provide the recall remedy. The failure mileage was 83,000.

NHTSA ID

11770870

Incident

Mar 3, 2026

Mileage

83,000 mi

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V117000 (Visibility), 26V402000 (Power Train), and 26V451000 (Seats); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available.

NHTSA ID

11769594

Incident

Mar 3, 2026

Since buying the vehicle the front windshield wipers will intermittently stop working during a rainstorm causing me to have pull over and either wait out the rain or getting out in the rain to wipe the windshield. Sometimes if I turn the vehicle off for a few minutes the windshield wipers will start working again. If I had not pulled over during these times I could have been in a severe accident. Yes the vehicle has been inspected and they said there was no remedy for it as of now. No warning lights have came on.

NHTSA ID

11768703

Incident

May 29, 2026

The fabric sunshade covering the panoramic roof sags or comes right off the track creating a visibility/safety issue in the rear window. The dealership is aware and has verified the defect.

NHTSA ID

11767898

Incident

Sep 19, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware of water in the front passenger's side footwell. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was diagnosed with a failed windshield power panel. The contact was informed that the windshield power panel needed to be replaced. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall associated with the failure. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 33,700.

NHTSA ID

11766989

Incident

Sep 20, 2026

Mileage

33,700 mi

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