2026 Ford Explorer Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 9about this part
- Share
- 21%of 42 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 1,000miles
- Trend
- Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.
NHTSA recorded 9 complaints about the electrical system of the 2026 Ford Explorer, 21% of the 42 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 1,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I had my car in drive in a parking spot. I was ready to go, put the car in drive, DID NOT MOVE but needed to put it in park fast to assist to a child in the back seat. I put it in park pretty fast. Took my seatbelt off and assisted child. It must have not engaged. Car rolled into my office metal mailbox. I 100% put it in park. I took my seatbelt off after so I seen it. It was fast with the gear shift though. Should this have been an issue? I feel like if it was any other car you with a manual gear shifter , not electrical, it’s fine. …”
NHTSA complaint #11759587, filed 2026-08“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #11749586, filed 2026-07“I am reporting a potential safety defect involving the upper steering column shroud and the driver-facing Driver Status Monitor Camera on my 2026 Ford Explorer equipped with BlueCruise. The upper steering column shroud became extremely loose and will not remain securely attached. The driver-facing camera is mounted in this area. Ford states that BlueCruise uses the driver-facing camera to monitor the driver’s eyes and head position during hands-free operation. I personally observed the shroud and camera assembly loose while BlueCruise remained active. …”
NHTSA complaint #11759096, filed 2026-08“At approximately 1,700 miles, my brand-new 2026 Ford Explorer ST (3.0L EcoBoost) suffered a sudden, catastrophic engine failure while driving, causing an immediate and dangerous loss of motive power. Prior to the failure, the engine experienced severe misfires. Following manufacturer Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) guidance regarding EcoBoost engine misfires, a step-colder spark plug heat range (NGK LTR7IX-11) was utilized to remedy pre-ignition. …”
NHTSA complaint #11737580, filed 2026-05“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #11751585, filed 2026-07, 1,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 11038624Oct 16, 2026Some 2024-2026 Nautilus and 2025-2027 Explorer/Aviator vehicles equipped with power folding mirrors may exhibit concerns with the auto folding mirror functionality not matching…
- 11038437Oct 6, 2026Some 2024-2026 Nautilus and 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator/Expedition/Navigator vehicles may experience Android Auto connection or general Bluetooth pairing concerns for both Android…
- 11036601Aug 27, 2026Some 2025-2026 Aviator/Explorer/Expedition/F-150/Mustang Mach-E/Nautilus/Navigator vehicles may exhibit the hands-free BlueCruise feature intermittently/consistently unavailable…
- 11036517Aug 27, 2026Quality improvements include: -Rear Gate latch calibration update to permit unlatching via the release button when the system has lost position memory and is stuck in a…
- 11036525Aug 25, 2026Some of the following vehicles: * 2025-2026 Expedition/Navigator built on or after 02-Feb-2025 * 2025-2026 F-Super Duty built on or after 02-Feb-2025 * 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator…
- 11036224Aug 10, 2026Quality improvements include: -Android system update
- 11036107Aug 5, 2026Some 2025-2026 Aviator/Explorer/Expedition/F-150/Mustang Mach-E/Navigator vehicles may exhibit the hands-free BlueCruise feature intermittently/consistently unavailable when…
- 11035581Aug 4, 2026Some 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…
- 11035556Aug 3, 2026Some 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…
- 11035269Jul 23, 2026Some 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"…
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 2026 Ford Explorer
11 complaintsSeats
7 complaintsEngine
6 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
6 complaintsForward collision avoidance
4 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsLane departure
3 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
3 complaintsBrakes
2 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2026 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