2022 Ford Explorer Problems

RECALL COMPLIANCE & SAFETY DEFECT DESCRIPTION: The vehicle was transported via roadside assistance to a licensed manufacturer dealership due to severe engine overheating under an active manufacturer safety recall. Service personnel systematically modified intake paperwork to alter the true mechanical state upon arrival, removing safety recall and towing documentation. Intake files were falsified with the notation stating that the customer reported a bad battery, executed solely to evade mandatory factory safety recall tracking protocols and obscure dealer liability for subsequent failures. UNAUTHORIZED SHOP-FLOOR HAZARDS & MECHANICAL DAMAGE: Following custody transfer, shop technicians induced severe physical damage to the vehicle's twin-turbocharger assembly, resulting in a snapped turbo stud and a torn engine air filter. The vehicle was subsequently operated on public roads by shop personnel for 75 to 80 unauthorized miles under active engine overheating conditions without correcting thermal or safety recall failures, creating an immediate risk of catastrophic engine block structural cracking. The safety failures triggered 13 critical system fault codes across powertrain, electrical, and battery systems, which went entirely unaddressed while the shop attempted to compel payment under an altered repair estimate. CYBER SABOTAGE OF OUTBOUND SAFETY TELEMATICS: To actively obstruct diagnostic tracking and safety verification, shop staff executed a forced remote network reset of the vehicle's cellular modem. This reset deliberately severed user profile access and entirely deactivated the outbound telematics pipeline to systematically block the outbound transmission of the 13 powertrain and thermal fault messages to the user and manufacturer databases.

Powertrain System Fault will cause the vehicle to lose power possibly leaving the vehicle and passengers in danger if crossing traffic, pulling onto a road, etc.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in reverse, the rearview camera displayed a blank blue screen. The contact received notification of NTHSA Campaign Number: 26V123000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); which was associated with the failure. 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. The failure mileage was 6,000.

While driving, parking, or doing any function of the vehicle, the screen will intermittently switch from the cameras being used to the on board navigation and start routing the vehicle to random locations, or it may blank out completely. It has also frozen in place and will not display reverse cameras, show proximity sensors, or anything.

RECALL COMPLIANCE & SAFETY DEFECT DESCRIPTION: The vehicle was transported via roadside assistance to a licensed manufacturer dealership due to severe engine overheating under an active manufacturer safety recall. Service personnel systematically modified intake paperwork to alter the true mechanical state upon arrival, removing safety recall and towing documentation. Intake files were falsified with the notation stating that the customer reported a bad battery, executed solely to evade mandatory factory safety recall tracking protocols and obscure dealer liability for subsequent failures. UNAUTHORIZED SHOP-FLOOR HAZARDS & MECHANICAL DAMAGE: Following custody transfer, shop technicians induced severe physical damage to the vehicle's twin-turbocharger assembly, resulting in a snapped turbo stud and a torn engine air filter. The vehicle was subsequently operated on public roads by shop personnel for 75 to 80 unauthorized miles under active engine overheating conditions without correcting thermal or safety recall failures, creating an immediate risk of catastrophic engine block structural cracking. The safety failures triggered 13 critical system fault codes across powertrain, electrical, and battery systems, which went entirely unaddressed while the shop attempted to compel payment under an altered repair estimate. CYBER SABOTAGE OF OUTBOUND SAFETY TELEMATICS: To actively obstruct diagnostic tracking and safety verification, shop staff executed a forced remote network reset of the vehicle's cellular modem. This reset deliberately severed user profile access and entirely deactivated the outbound telematics pipeline to systematically block the outbound transmission of the 13 powertrain and thermal fault messages to the user and manufacturer databases.

While driving, parking, or doing any function of the vehicle, the screen will intermittently switch from the cameras being used to the on board navigation and start routing the vehicle to random locations, or it may blank out completely. It has also frozen in place and will not display reverse cameras, show proximity sensors, or anything.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle before the engine seized. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle restarted after several attempts and was driven to the residence. The contact's minor grandchild was an occupant in the vehicle when the failure occurred. The contact stated that the temperature was extremely hot outside when the failure occurred. The failure was a persistent failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

This recall - NHTSA Recall Number25V455 has been issued since over a year ago. Why is there not a fix for this issue yet? This needs to be elevated. Vehicle is driving very rough and could be due to this issue.

RECALL COMPLIANCE & SAFETY DEFECT DESCRIPTION: The vehicle was transported via roadside assistance to a licensed manufacturer dealership due to severe engine overheating under an active manufacturer safety recall. Service personnel systematically modified intake paperwork to alter the true mechanical state upon arrival, removing safety recall and towing documentation. Intake files were falsified with the notation stating that the customer reported a bad battery, executed solely to evade mandatory factory safety recall tracking protocols and obscure dealer liability for subsequent failures. UNAUTHORIZED SHOP-FLOOR HAZARDS & MECHANICAL DAMAGE: Following custody transfer, shop technicians induced severe physical damage to the vehicle's twin-turbocharger assembly, resulting in a snapped turbo stud and a torn engine air filter. The vehicle was subsequently operated on public roads by shop personnel for 75 to 80 unauthorized miles under active engine overheating conditions without correcting thermal or safety recall failures, creating an immediate risk of catastrophic engine block structural cracking. The safety failures triggered 13 critical system fault codes across powertrain, electrical, and battery systems, which went entirely unaddressed while the shop attempted to compel payment under an altered repair estimate. CYBER SABOTAGE OF OUTBOUND SAFETY TELEMATICS: To actively obstruct diagnostic tracking and safety verification, shop staff executed a forced remote network reset of the vehicle's cellular modem. This reset deliberately severed user profile access and entirely deactivated the outbound telematics pipeline to systematically block the outbound transmission of the 13 powertrain and thermal fault messages to the user and manufacturer databases.

Exhaust manifold turbo charged cracked while driving. Exposing everyone in the vehicle to raw exhaust inside the vehicle every time it is driven. The replacement part is back ordered until September 16th from the dealership. I was told this is an extremely common issue with ford explorers. I don’t understand how this part is not recalled. It has slowly gotten worse and worse. No warning lamps came on. You can hear the engine or manifold rattling/ticking while the vehicle is running. The vehicle is available for inspection. I brought the vehicle to a repair shop called MIDAS. Where I was told exactly what was wrong with it. The problem is reproduced every single time the vehicle is on. The replacement part is also not covered under fords “emissions warranty”. Even though it is part of the emissions.

Known defect among Explorer owners. The shade for the sunroof runs along tracks. That track is Known to fail causing the sunshade to fall down and blocks visibility out the rear windshield and inability to use the rear view mirror effectively. My vehicle was unsafe to drive until going to the dealership. They checked it and left it hanging down until I requested for it to be amended before driving home. They noted this is a known issue to Ford. They said the only way to fix it was to install a brand new system & there was no minor fix to components.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front windshield wiper was operating intermittently. The contact received notification of NTHSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (Visibility); and associated the failure with the recall. 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 not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2022 FORD EXPLORER. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact state that while his daughter was at a stop sign and depressing the accelerator pedal to drive, the vehicle stalled. The contact was concerned that control of the vehicle was lost and could result in a accident. In addition, the contact stated that when depressing the brake pedal there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The failure would occur on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed but the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure milage was 30,000.

Every component of the braking system signaled a fault & associated alerts simultaneously. Nearly a complete brake failure occurred (almost caused me to run into an intersection at a red light). Brakes maintained very little pressure even with pumping them, approx every 5th time I stopped pressure was regained. Quadrupled the braking distance. ABS, parking brake, etc - all failed. Managed to get the car to dealer service (hazard lights & slow driving). Car still at dealer service garage. Brake fluid levels are fine, no apparent leaks. Service intake tech replicated the issue but the mechanics could not. I refused to take the the car back without further work.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the sunroof sunshade detached from the inner roof and sagged downward, creating a visibility hazard. The contact stated that the rearview mirror view was obstructed due to the failure. The contact stated that the failure was caused by faulty clips securing the sunshade. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and a local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.

The panoramic sunroof sunshade in my 2022 Ford Explorer failed and now sags downward. The shade hangs low enough to partially block the rear window and interferes with visibility through the rearview mirror. After researching the issue, I found many other owners reporting the same failure with the sunroof sunshade mechanism or clips. This appears to be a common defect. The reduced rear visibility while driving creates a safety hazard when checking traffic behind the vehicle.

Driving home from work at intersection of XXX and [XXX] after stopping at signal light heard loud knocking sound. Stop check tires and could find anything wrong visually. Drove off and vehicle making clunking noise from rear. Drove home parked vehicle. Called warranty agency Fidelity and had vehicle towed to Planet Ford I-45. XXX Fidelity denied claim state the rear differential mounting bushing failure caused by workmanship performed in previous recall repair 23S55/22S27. 5/1/26 Planet Ford submit claim to SSSC 5/8 SSSC claim denied. 5/12/26 Called Ford Customer Care - Case# XXX as of 6/12/ 26 pursuant to 49 USC Chapter 301 the persistent recall issue has not been repaired. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

With less than 33,000 miles, started to experience noise, like something was loose coming from the right rear when going over bumps. This is intermittent. Took to mechanic and there is leaking coming from the shocks. same issue as stated in NHTSA complaint ID11544167. There is also a General Accounting Bulletins acknowledging this issue.

The rack and pinion system needs to be replaced as a result of "normal wear and tear"

While traveling on I-26 east near North Carolina MM 51 in the left lane, the vehicle suddenly pulled uncontrollably to the left resulting in a sideswipe of the guardrail. The vehicle then swerved to the right stopping near the center of the interstate. My wife was able to move the vehicle to the right shoulder under its own power. The right front tire/wheel was laying almost flat attached to the vehicle only by the brake line. The entire wheel assembly was detached from the steering/suspension system. The vehicle was towed to a local collision center and inspected by my insurance adjuster. The vehicle was determined a total loss. There were no injuries or other vehicles involved. The NC Highway Patrol responded but did not complete an accident report.

The driver's side impact airbag burst open when it deployed. This deposited unreacted airbag propellant on my skin, causing a severe chemical burn. The airbag is with the vehicle and currently in the yard of a local body shop, but which will soon turned over to my insurance company. To my knowledge, no investigation has yet been conducted regarding this equipment failure. There were no warning lamp or lights lit which would indicate that there was an issue with the associated Supplement Restraint Systems. I was the driver in a collision where the side impact airbags were deployed. I was wearing my seat belt. There was no intrusion of any foreign object into the cabin of the vehicle. I was not hit on the driver's side of the vehicle. When the side impact airbag deployed it tore open the left side of the t-shirt I was wearing and deposited unreacted airbag propellants on my skin. The unreacted airbag chemicals left me with a what looked to be a minor injury but which soon developed into a very painful chemical burn the size of my fist. Over the course of the next several days, this painful burn proceeded to eat through my skin.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front passenger's side airbag was bulging outwards. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,231.

After multiple attempts to fold the third-row power seat in my 2022 Ford Explorer, the seat mechanism failed completely. The seat will no longer lock securely in either the upright or folded position. The seat frame appears to have failed and the seat constantly springs back and will not stay in place. The seat was being operated normally using the factory power folding function when the failure occurred. There was no unusual load or misuse of the seat prior to the failure. The issue was inspected and diagnosed by a Ford dealership, which confirmed that the third-row seat frame had failed and would require replacement of the seat frame assembly. The dealership quoted approximately $3,622 to repair the issue. Because the seat will not lock securely in the upright or folded position, this may present a safety concern for passengers using the third-row seating area. No warning lights or messages were displayed prior to the failure.

Not sure exactly what caused it to fail, but the heated seat when turned on barely gets warm then shuts off with the red lights on button still lit up. I can turn it completely off and back on and seast have immediately get really warm like they are supposed to. But again, only lasts 10mins. Not sure if electrical or not. Just purchased vehicle less than a month ago through Dealership. I have read many people have this same problem with the ST. Other models do not do this. I will.contact dealership on Monday 10/20 since I have 4,600 miles on warranty left.

On XXX, in the parking lot of O'Reilly Auto Parts (store #2460, telephone number: [XXX]) [XXX], between 12:10 pm and 12:45 pm, my [XXX] daughter was seated in the rear driver's side seat of my parked 2022 Ford Explorer when the unbuckled seat belt unexpectedly became twisted around her body and would not release through normal operation. She was unable to free herself and the belt continued to tighten as we attempted to untangle her. She experienced difficulty hearing, breathing, lost sensation in her arms and nearly lost consciousness. Multiple adults attempted to release the seat belt using the buckle and by manipulating the belt mechanism, but the belt would not release. Because of the immediate risk to her safety, the seat belt had to be cut in order to free her. The failed component was the rear center seat belt assembly. The damaged seat belt is available for inspection upon request. This malfunction placed my daughter at risk of serious injury due to restricted breathing and the inability to exit the restraint. The vehicle could not be returned to normal operation because the seat belt had to be cut to release her. At the time of the incident, there were no warning lights, messages, or other indications that there was a problem with the seat belt system. UNKNOWN whether there were any prior symptoms before the failure. The incident was witnessed by individuals who assisted in freeing my daughter. Two O Reilly employees and my [XXX] daughter who was a passenger. They assisted during the emergency and can verify what occurred. The manufacturer and local dealership have been notified, and a customer service case has been opened. At the time of this report, the manufacturer has not inspected the vehicle or confirmed the cause of the failure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Seat warning module failed. When unbuckling seatbelt car does not recognize you unbuckled, therefore the airbag system does not recognize which seats are occupied. This would also cause a safety concern as you do not have to buckle the seatbelt with no warning or alert there is an issue. Car has been at Ford dealer for service for a month with them failing to find any other vehicle that they can replicate the problem. This is one Ford dealer, but it should be something that is investigated as it might be easily overlooked. Car has been in the dealership for the last month with no answers from Ford or resolution to the safety issue, following Federal regulations the dealer will not release the car back to us as it has a safety system malfunctioning.

Head lamp warning alerted (refers driver to drivers manual, only to say see a dealer) but no issues, both lamps were working. Took vehicle to Ford service center and they could not find a problem, we figured this could be an electronic issue with the warning, but Head lamp warning became more frequent again no issues. Then while driving in the dark with headlights on the automatic function, head lamps would cycle rapidly between bright and normal when approaching another vehicle…Even turning them to manual it continued to cycle Researched the issue and apparently it’s a known issue with Ford. The Automatic headlamp module can get wet and short out… this is a 1200.00 repair… the headlamp is now out, and even if not on the automatic feature it still blinks when approaching oncoming traffic… These lights are bright an when approaching on coming traffic with bright lights flashing in your eyes that becomes a safety issue… Yes, it is going in for repair however if it’s a known issue with Ford shouldn't it be a recall?

My front passenger get side lighting component started blinking about 6 months ago. Now it’s completely out. I went to get a new bulb and they told me I need to buy the entire lighting unit it’s $2800 at the dealership. I joined a Ford group on Facebook and hundreds of people are having the same issue. Some models newer than mine, but most from 2020 - 205 models. I reached out to Ford they won’t cover the issue.

While traveling on I-26 east near North Carolina MM 51 in the left lane, the vehicle suddenly pulled uncontrollably to the left resulting in a sideswipe of the guardrail. The vehicle then swerved to the right stopping near the center of the interstate. My wife was able to move the vehicle to the right shoulder under its own power. The right front tire/wheel was laying almost flat attached to the vehicle only by the brake line. The entire wheel assembly was detached from the steering/suspension system. The vehicle was towed to a local collision center and inspected by my insurance adjuster. The vehicle was determined a total loss. There were no injuries or other vehicles involved. The NC Highway Patrol responded but did not complete an accident report.

No accident, I noticed strap fraying when inspecting the car seat. The lower car seat straps have fraying on them, rendering the car seat unsafe and unusable. My child will not be safe if a car crash would occur, she could potentially be released from the seat. It was reported to evenflo with pictures. They are claiming it is our fault and my 3 year old did it with something sharp. You cannot see the back of the straps as they enter the car seat. We do have photos of the proof. We also know there is an ongoing investigation into evenflo for this very reason.

Tire: 275/45/r21 110w all season Reported to authorized dealer (ford dealership) back in November 2024. Authorized representative from Pirelli came out this month to dealership regarding issue. No concern for safety whatsoever. Rep. Only offered maybe 25% that’s with purchasing new set of tires and sending my current tires back. Tires are falling apart in chunks.

Pirelli Scorpion All season tires 275/45 R21. Tire completely "blew out" while driving 30 mph on a main road. There was no obvious hissing sound commonly when running over an object. There was an explosive sound and within seconds had a complete flat. The vehicle did get damaged on the inside tire well along with bumper damage/Crack.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the reverse mode did not function as needed. The contact stated that when the gear shifter was shifted to reverse mode, the vehicle rolled either forward or backwards and then hesitated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, however the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.