2021 Ford Explorer problems
The 2021 Ford Explorer has 604 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (21%) concerns drivetrain & axles. Next are engine (10%) and wipers, windshield & visibility (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 604 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Drivetrain & axles 21% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 24 and 7
- Injuries and deaths
- 23 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 45,000 miles 134 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 28 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 30 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 29 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 26 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 15 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 5 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 0 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 134 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 45,000 miles. For drivetrain & axles specifically, the median reported mileage is about 48,000 miles (30 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 24 complaints mention a crash; 7 complaints mention a fire; 23 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2021 ranks 18th most-complained-about out of 36 model years of the Ford Explorer with enough data (604 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 26 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that he was driving approximately at 55 MPH when a deer jumped out in front of his vehicle. As a result, the contact crashed into the deer and the air bags did deploy, however when it did it was very aggressive. The contact stated that he and his wife were both sustained multiple injuries caused by the airbags. The contact stated the passenger suffered injuries to both her eyes causing blindness and isn't certain if it would be permeant.
The vehicle was involved in a rear-end collision. When the collision occurred, both front seats dropped into a fully reclined position and locked fully reclined.
The contact leases a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his wife was driving at 25 MPH with Co-pilot 360 assist mode and the evasive steering assist engaged, she lost control of the steering wheel. The contact stated that his wife could not feel the connection between the steering wheel and the front tires of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle made a sharp right turn and crashed into a telephone pole. There were no warning lights illuminated. The air bags deployed.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after she had parked her vehicle and retrieved items out of the liftgate compartment; the vehicle began to roll back independently towards her. A witness alerted her that the vehicle was rolling towards her; the contact moved out of the way. She then opened her driver-side door as the vehicle proceeded to roll back; the contact was pinned in between the concrete post and the driver-side door as the vehicle eventually stopped.
The contact’s daughter owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his daughter was reversing, the rear-view camera image was blue and black. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.