2026 Ford Explorer Other or unknown Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 26%of 42 total for the year
- Median mileage
- —not reported
- Trend
- Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the other or unknown of the 2026 Ford Explorer, 26% of the 42 complaints for this model year. 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.
“Hello, I am contacting Ford regarding a serious concern with my newly purchased 2026 Ford Explorer ST. Within days of purchase, we discovered water leaking from the moonroof area into the interior of the vehicle, including water coming through the seatbelt pillar area , wetting the roof as well, during rain and vehicle washes. …”
NHTSA complaint #11738409, filed 2026-05“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 complaint #11754880, filed 2026-08“On several occasions when trying to drive from a stopped position I press the gas and the car will move slowly but not shift into gear and then after turning off it struggles to restart. The check engine light is solid but goes away by the next day. This has happened after sitting idling in a parking lot most often but recently it happened 2 times as I was turning left onto a street where I luckily was able to slow roll to the side and not get hit. …”
NHTSA complaint #11762692, filed 2026-09“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“We were driving our new 2026 Ford Explorer on the highway around 7:45 am on 8/15/26 when suddenly we heard what sounded like an explosion. Fortunately, my husband did not wreck, roll the car or stop on the highway like I would have given the pure terror I felt. He pulled over, and we looked around and confirmed the sunroof was completely shattered. Fortunately, the shade was closed, or our daughter and dog would have been covered in glass. No object impact, collision, extreme temperature, or weather event was observed before the sunroof shattered. …”
NHTSA complaint #11757224, filed 2026-08Related service bulletins
- 11038695Oct 24, 20262025-2027 Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility non-hybrid vehicles built on or after 05-Mar-2025 and 2025-2027 Aviator vehicles built on or after 24-Apr-2025 are no longer…
- 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…
- 11038440Oct 8, 2026Some 2020-2026 Aviator/Explorer/F-150/Bronco/Ranger vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or 3.0L (non-diesel) engine may need the front engine cover removed and reinstalled for various…
- 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…
- 11037425Sep 18, 2026Some 2026 Explorer vehicles may exhibit wind noise and/or water intrusion from the panoramic roof panel glass seal. Inspection may find that the seal is rolled or separated from…
- 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…
- 11036530Aug 22, 2026For Various Ford and Lincoln vehicles, if diagnostics lead to the replacement of the front seat cushion cover J-clips, lower-level service parts are now available. Use service…
- 11036224Aug 10, 2026Quality improvements include: -Android system update
Other or unknown: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 11 | 26% |
| 2025 | 19 | 18% |
| 2024 | 4 | 19% |
| 2023 | 28 | 25% |
| 2022 | 58 | 21% |
| 2021 | 90 | 20% |
| 2020 | 214 | 17% |
| 2019 | 48 | 16% |
| 2018 | 168 | 23% |
| 2017 | 374 | 22% |
| 2016 | 435 | 18% |
| 2015 | 407 | 22% |
| 2014 | 343 | 20% |
| 2013 | 351 | 16% |
| 2012 | 108 | 13% |
| 2011 | 118 | 10% |
| 2010 | 9 | 8% |
| 2009 | 6 | 18% |
| 2008 | 12 | 8% |
| 2007 | 5 | 2% |
| 2006 | 24 | 4% |
| 2005 | 16 | 3% |
| 2004 | 37 | 3% |
| 2003 | 48 | 4% |
| 2002 | 44 | 1% |
| 2001 | 12 | 3% |
| 2000 | 27 | 3% |
| 1999 | 27 | 2% |
| 1998 | 43 | 2% |
| 1997 | 40 | 2% |
| 1996 | 33 | 2% |
| 1995 | 16 | 2% |
| 1994 | 16 | 1% |
| 1993 | 11 | 1% |
| 1992 | 5 | 1% |
| 1991 | 16 | 3% |
| 1990 | 1 | 8% |
Other parts of the 2026 Ford Explorer
9 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 29, 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