2026 Ford Explorer

Moonroof had a seal leak. Ford replaced entire moonroof assembly. 3 weeks later the moonroof spontaneously shattered while driving down 40 MPH road, no trees, no rocks, etc. Fortunately, the inner cloth canopy was closed or shattered glass would have fallen down and hit driver and passengers.

NHTSA ID

11756149

Incident

Aug 7, 2026

The driver's memory seat has a serious malfunction. Whenever I enter the vehicle or switch between memory presets, the driver's seat unexpectedly reclines completely backward. This also crushes anyone sitting in the rear driver's-side seat, making it essentially unusable until we can return the driver's seat to its upright position. Even more concerning, the seat can begin reclining while I am driving, creating an obvious safety hazard. I recently learned that Ford has issued a recall for this exact issue. However, my vehicle was somehow excluded from the recall despite exhibiting the very same defect. My local dealership acknowledged that my car does show the problem listed on the recall and attempted to repair it by replacing the seat back and seat motor. Unfortunately, the replacement parts Ford supplied had the exact same malfunction. The dealership now must order another set of parts and hope they function properly. What concerns me most is the safety aspect. I am continuing to drive a brand-new vehicle with a known defect that may cause the driver's seat to unexpectedly recline while the vehicle is in motion. That is not simply an inconvenience—it is a legitimate safety concern for me, my family, and others on the road.

NHTSA ID

11755498

Incident

Aug 7, 2026

Put vehicle in drive to pull out of driveway started moving when all of a sudden the explorer started rolling in reverse and the the D on the transmission knob blinked green the E brake did not work I ended up in my garage door and in the back of an ambulance for neck pain and whiplash.

NHTSA ID

11754880

Incident

Aug 4, 2026

While driving my 2026 Ford Explorer on the highway, the panoramic roof glass made an abnormally loud noise and completely shattered without any impact from an object or other vehicle. No other cars were nearby. The protective shade remained in place and no glass entered the cabin. This appears to be a spontaneous failure of the tempered glass. I have already located a nearly identical NHTSA complaint on another 2026 Ford Explorer (Campaign 11734759). The vehicle is currently undrivable in normal conditions and is being repaired through insurance. I am concerned this is a known defect with the panoramic roof glass on 2026 Explorers.

NHTSA ID

11752943

Incident

Jul 24, 2026

NHTSA Vehicle Safety Complaint Narrative I am submitting this complaint to report a serious safety incident involving the rear seat belt of a Ford rental vehicle obtained from Budget Rent A Car. My [XXX] grandson was properly restrained in a weight-appropriate booster seat and secured with the vehicle’s rear lap and shoulder seat belt in accordance with child passenger safety recommendations. There had been no collision, sudden stop, or other event that would normally activate the seat belt locking mechanism. While seated in the vehicle, the seat belt became tightly wrapped around my grandson’s waist and locked in a manner that prevented it from being loosened or released. Multiple adults attempted to free him by following the normal procedures for releasing and loosening the seat belt, but all attempts were unsuccessful. An off-duty Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) stopped to assist. After repeated unsuccessful attempts to release the seat belt, the EMT determined that the only safe way to free my grandson was to cut the seat belt. The child could not be removed from the vehicle until the seat belt was cut. This incident caused significant concern because a properly functioning seat belt should not trap an occupant in a manner that prevents emergency release. My grandson had been properly restrained in a weight-appropriate booster seat and was using the seat belt as intended. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate whether this incident represents a defect in the seat belt restraint system and determine whether similar incidents have been reported involving this vehicle or seat belt design. If appropriate, I request that this information be shared with the manufacturer so that corrective action can be taken if a safety defect exists. My goal in submitting this complaint is to help prevent another child or other vehicle occupant from becoming trapped in a seat belt and requiring emergency intervention for release. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(

NHTSA ID

11752314

Incident

Jul 14, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Ford Explorer. While the contact's wife was driving 60 MPH, the instrument cluster independently turned off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a software malfunction. The contact was informed that the unknown software needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. In addition, the contact stated that only the fuel gauge and the speed odometer operated as needed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with an unknown software malfunction. The contact was informed that the software needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was informed that the software update was completed, and the system was rebooted. The contact was not satisfied with the repair. The contact researched and inquired about the APIM board being replaced to prevent the failure from reoccurring. The contact was informed that the manufacturer did not approve of the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.

NHTSA ID

11751585

Incident

Jul 11, 2026

Mileage

1,000 mi

The contact owns a 2026 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH in the rain, the front windshield wipers suddenly stopped operating. The front power windows failed to operate properly and failed to go up or down. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,600.

NHTSA ID

11750000

Incident

Apr 10, 2026

Mileage

4,600 mi

Purchased brand new vehicle two months ago, only has 2000 miles on it. We took it on vacation 14hours from home. Made it to our destination and started getting “vehicle communication errors” on the screen. Jumped the vehicle, notifications went away. We scheduled an appointment with a local ford dealer who told us to bring it in. On the way to the dealership and while driving on the road, the vehicle screen listed the same “vehicle communication error” indicator and every single vehicle service light was on. We lost all electrical power. No blinkers, no miles per hour indicator, no lights etc, but we were able to continue driving to the service dealership. Drove an additional 15 miles with absolutely no electrical power and did not want to stop as we were afraid the car was not going to turn back on, on the side of the road per previous experience.

NHTSA ID

11749586

Incident

Jul 4, 2026

Some 2024-2026 Explorer vehicles built on or before 27-Feb-2026 and equipped with the panoramic glass roof may exhibit an uneven gap at the front edge of the roof opening panel shield when fully closed. The gap is an appearance issue only, but may allow outside light to pass through the opening. A new gap hider seal has been released to correct this condition (service part number SB5Z-7851884-A). Adjustment or replacement of the glass, shade or headliner assembly is not necessary. The new seal is installed directly onto the existing vertical flange that is present and visible at the front of the opening when the shade is opened. Once installed, the front edge of the shade will press against the new seal when fully closed. To install, center the seal in the opening with the flexible material facing the power shade and press the seal u-channel over the vertical flange. Explorer vehicles built on or after 27-Feb-2026 have the seal already installed and can be referenced if necessary. Once the seal is installed, perform the shield/shade initialization procedure in Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 501-05 > Gen

Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine, 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine, and 2020-2023 Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with a 3.0L EcoBoost hybrid engine may exhibit an illuminated powertrain malfunction (wrench) indicator with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0A1E stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). The vehicle may be unable to enter electric-only drive modes as expected during normal drive cycles. This may be due to the belt integrated starter generator (BISG). For vehicles with this condition, follow the necessary Pinpoint Test in Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-06 for DTC P0A1E and repair the vehicle as directed. Note that previous replacement of the BISG does not negate the need for subsequent BISG replacements if directed to do so by the appropriate Pinpoint Test diagnostics. Engineering is investigating this BISG quality concern. Monitor PTS for updates regarding this investigation.

Some 2021-2026 Ford/Lincoln vehicles may exhibit various symptoms including but not limited to the auto start/stop system not operating as intended with a "Check Charging System" message in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) while the charging system is operating properly with no charging related diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) stored. This may be due to someone using an aftermarket programmer to change the body control module (BCM) configuration to disable the auto start/stop system or perform other unsupported programming modifications. To correct this condition on F-150 and Bronco vehicles, download and run the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS) application titled "BCM-Charging System Configuration Correction". Running this application will determine if the BCM configuration was modified by the customer and if so, provide the option to return the configuration back to factory settings. For other vehicle models exhibiting concerns related to unsupported aftermarket BCM programming, submit a Technical Support Request (TSR) requesting support to revert the BCM configuration

Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0300 and/or P0316 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM) (with no other relevant DTCs present) during a cold start after a 3 to 8 hours cold soak. This may be due to the machining surface of the intake ports in the cylinder head.

This bulletin supersedes 26-2150. Reason for update: To remove the M6 nut from the part list and remove the Steps to install the M6 nut from the Service Procedure. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit all of the following conditions: * "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" message displayed in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) * Reduced steering assist * Diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) U3008:1B and/or U3009:1B stored in the power steering control module (PSCM) This may be due to the PSCM ground connections.

Some 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator/Police Interceptor Utility non-hybrid vehicles built on 06-Feb-2025 and through 13-Dec-2025 may exhibit various drivability symptoms including a rough idle or hesitation shortly after refueling. These symptoms may also be accompanied by liquid fuel in the fuel vapor lines and fuel vapor canister as well as an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P0133, P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P0305, and/or P0306 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). This condition may be due to an intermittently sticking fuel level vent valve on the fuel tank allowing fuel to enter the evaporative emissions system lines and evaporative emissions canister during refueling. If the customer states that the drivability symptoms occurred after recently filling the vehicle, replace the fuel tank (9002) and evaporative emissions canister (9D653). Refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 310-01 to replace the fuel tank. Refer to WSM, Section 303-13 to replace the evaporative emission canister. For claiming use causal part 9002 and labor operations 90