2020 Ford Explorer drivetrain & axles problems

492 complaints about drivetrain & axles have been filed for the 2020 Ford Explorer, which is 28% of all its NHTSA complaints. It is the most reported problem area for this model year.

Complaints: 492 28% of this year's complaints
Typical mileage: 42,000 miles 180 complaints with mileage
Crashes and fires: 8 and 0
Injuries and deaths: 2 and 0

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

When drivetrain & axles problems show up

Based on 180 complaints that include mileage. 59% were reported before 60,000 miles. The amber marker shows the median: half of these complaints happened before that mileage.

View the numbers

Mileage	Complaints
0k to 20k miles	71
20k to 40k miles	16
40k to 60k miles	20
60k to 80k miles	32
80k to 100k miles	16
100k to 120k miles	17
120k to 140k miles	4
140k to 160k miles	2
160k to 180k miles	0
180k to 200k miles	2
200k+ miles	0

What the data shows

Of the 180 drivetrain & axles complaints that report mileage, the median is about 42,000 miles, and 59% were reported before 60,000 miles.

These complaints mention 8 crashes, 2 injuries.

What owners wrote

On December 26, at approximately 7:08 p.m., I was driving on the Belt Parkway during a snowstorm. I was traveling in the middle lane and began to safely change lanes to the right. During the lane change, the vehicle’s four-wheel-drive system suddenly displayed an error and appeared to malfunction. Immediately after this occurred, I lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle veered to the right, struck the median, and flipped over twice before coming to rest on its side.

December 2025 CrashInjury

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the vehicle was jerking. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and the contact was informed that the vehicle warranty had expired. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

Reported at 65,000 miles, February 2023

Drivetrain & axles problems in other years

Drivetrain & axles problems across all Ford models