2013 Ford Explorer Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 163about this part
- Share
- 7%of 2,237 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 57,060miles
- Trend
- RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 163 complaints about the electrical system of the 2013 Ford Explorer, 7% of the 2,237 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 57,060 miles. 2 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I started my car after work (this is after a 12 hr sit time) and seen I had a fault on my dashboard, power steering assist and service advance faults. So in short, I do not have power steering, nor do I have my 4wd, and for some reason my turn signal does not work for steady on. The turn signal works for lane changes but not for steady on turning.”
NHTSA complaint #11394597, filed 2021-02, 189,000 miles“I have a check engine light on was told it was the fuel lid.it now chugs and seems like transmission . When it rains water gets in car. Which goes into our electricity system. Our usb doesnt work all the time. My controls for sun roof does not work the screen is stuck open. I am on medicein that I can not be exposed to light. Gas problem started right after oil change”
NHTSA complaint #11363557, filed 2020-10, 113,000 miles“Received warning light when I started my car which would stay on while driving which was diagnosed as an electrical problem. It was caused by battery acid leaking which required that I pay out of pocket to have the battery harness replaced. I was told by the dealership that the problem could have caused the engine to shut down completely as the electrical system would have gone out completely, in time.”
NHTSA complaint #11091739, filed 2018-05, 46,755 miles“While driving, my car's power steering and advance service trac will go out and I will have to drive without power steering until I can park and restart the vehicle. This has left me very at risk for an accident when driving due to the sudden jerk of the wheel when cornering or just going straight even.”
NHTSA complaint #11029939, filed 2017-09, 96,000 miles“When shifting to park, the vehicle will not register that car is in park. I.e. The p will not light up and if you turn car off it will beep telling you to shift to park. In my 2001 Explorer it would get stuck shifting to park as well. Seems to be a vehicle issue because both vehicles have different shifting mechanisms. Happened 6 months after I purchased it in 2015 and till does it to this day.”
NHTSA complaint #10981226, filed 2017-04, 35,000 milesRelated service bulletins
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- 10163573Jul 2, 2019Some 2009-2017 Expedition/Navigator, 2009-2014 F-150/Mustang, 2008-2009 Sable, 2008-2019 Taurus/Flex/MKT, 2013-2019 Police Interceptor Sedan/Utility, and 2011-2019 Explorer…
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- 10127405Nov 2, 2017Some vehicles may exhibit a no start condition with an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) and a DTC P161A after PCM replacement. This may be due to the parameter reset…
- 10078990May 13, 2016Siri eyes free functional issues using bluetooth and apple ios 9.2 and 9.2.1
- 10183767Apr 20, 2016Some 2012-2016 vehicles equipped with a touchscreen navigation system and the language set to Arabic may exhibit a blank screen. This may be the result of the ribbon cables not…
Electrical system: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 9 | 21% |
| 2025 | 23 | 22% |
| 2024 | 2 | 10% |
| 2023 | 14 | 13% |
| 2022 | 39 | 14% |
| 2021 | 48 | 11% |
| 2020 | 188 | 15% |
| 2019 | 20 | 7% |
| 2018 | 58 | 8% |
| 2017 | 94 | 6% |
| 2016 | 129 | 5% |
| 2015 | 93 | 5% |
| 2014 | 100 | 6% |
| 2013 | 163 | 7% |
| 2012 | 64 | 8% |
| 2011 | 95 | 8% |
| 2010 | 12 | 10% |
| 2009 | 2 | 6% |
| 2008 | 38 | 26% |
| 2007 | 25 | 12% |
| 2006 | 39 | 6% |
| 2005 | 36 | 7% |
| 2004 | 55 | 4% |
| 2003 | 54 | 5% |
| 2002 | 148 | 4% |
| 2001 | 29 | 8% |
| 2000 | 78 | 8% |
| 1999 | 92 | 7% |
| 1998 | 114 | 6% |
| 1997 | 80 | 5% |
| 1996 | 47 | 3% |
| 1995 | 55 | 7% |
| 1994 | 75 | 6% |
| 1993 | 45 | 5% |
| 1992 | 45 | 7% |
| 1991 | 52 | 9% |
Other parts of the 2013 Ford Explorer
836 complaintsBody and structure
439 complaintsOther or unknown
351 complaintsEngine
225 complaintsFuel system
153 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
119 complaintsSuspension
79 complaintsEngine cooling
67 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
63 complaintsElectronic stability control
45 complaintsBrakes
40 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
38 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2013 Ford Explorer
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology