2010 Ford Explorer — Known Issues & Recalls

Your car's dashboard lights are flickering on and off while driving—including the ABS, brake system, engine, and airbag warning lights—and your radio shuts off at the same time. You're also experiencing random loss of power and acceleration at all speeds, with the transmission sometimes failing to catch gears. Your transmission has already been replaced, and a mechanic determined that your car's engine control computer (PCM) is burnt out and cannot be repaired; Ford currently has no replacement units in stock.

Your vehicle accelerates on its own while driving on the highway, and you notice a warning light blinking at high speeds. When you come to a complete stop and try to drive away, the engine revs high but the truck moves slowly, then suddenly jerks into gear. The transmission may also jump in and out of gear during takeoff, which feels unsafe.

Your transmission and powertrain are experiencing problems, and you've been told you may need a full transmission replacement. You've noticed your vehicle tends to jump into gear and idle at high RPMs, though the transmission fluid level and condition are normal. You're concerned because transmission recalls appear for your vehicle model year online, but your specific vehicle's recall status shows as clear on the NHTSA website, creating conflicting information about whether a transmission replacement would be covered. The fix will likely involve a transmission rebuild or replacement, possibly covered under recall if your vehicle qualifies.

Your key got stuck in the ignition while your car was in Park. You had to manually push a pin on the shifter to remove the key, and you noticed the gear could be shifted out of Park even without the key in the ignition. The dealer said the shifter needed replacement, but after an independent mechanic repaired it, the same problem happened again. Fixing this will likely involve replacing the shifter assembly and any worn internal components that control the key lock mechanism.

During a routine oil change at a Ford dealership, you were told your rear differential is leaking and needs to be replaced. Your vehicle is currently waiting for this repair to be completed. The leak was discovered at 38,200 miles.

You purchased a 2010 Ford Explorer and discovered the odometer mileage didn't match the vehicle's title. At the time of purchase, the odometer showed 135,902 miles, but the title showed 224,283 miles according to the Carfax report — a difference of about 88,000 miles. This suggests the odometer may have been tampered with or rolled back before the private sale. Addressing this issue will likely require documenting the discrepancy with the seller and potentially consulting with a lawyer or your state's consumer protection agency.

You discovered that your vehicle's odometer may have been tampered with or rolled back before purchase. When you bought the 2010 Ford Explorer from a dealer, the odometer showed about 150,000 miles, but Ford's maintenance app shows the title listed approximately 243,000 miles. This suggests the mileage was misrepresented at the time of sale. You may want to contact the dealer and Ford to verify the vehicle's true mileage history and discuss your options.

Your engine runs for about 25 minutes, then shuts off completely while you're driving. After sitting for about an hour, it starts again but then dies the same way. This pattern repeats consistently.

Your engine is leaking oil from both valve cover gaskets, with oil accumulating on the crossmember underneath. The leak started slowly but Ford identified the faulty gaskets as the source and noted this could be a fire hazard. This issue appeared at 120,000 miles on your odometer.

When you brake, the car sometimes feels like the brakes aren't working properly and the vehicle doesn't stop as expected. This has happened three times, and on the third occurrence, you were hit by oncoming traffic and the car was totaled. The problem may involve either the braking system or fuel/propulsion system not responding correctly when braking.

Your car's moonroof failed to close properly, allowing water to drain onto the engine control computers (PCM and ECM), causing them to short circuit. While driving at 45 mph, warning messages appeared with an alarm and your engine shut off without warning; it restarted but the problem happened again. The repair requires replacing both the PCM and ECM computers, which your dealer says are no longer available.

Your air bag warning light stays on even though you've checked the wiring, cleared the sensor area, and verified all fuses are good. The driver's door panel has been replaced previously, and the air bag system may have been deployed or has an internal defect that's triggering the warning light. Fixing this will likely require a diagnostic scan of the air bag control module and possibly replacement of air bag components or sensors.

Your brake pedal went all the way to the floor when you tried to stop at 20 mph, and you lost control of your vehicle and hit a guard rail. The crash caused no injuries, but your car had to be towed away. The exact cause of the brake failure wasn't determined, and neither the dealer nor Ford was notified about it.

While driving on the highway at 60 mph, your Explorer suddenly lost power and felt like it was out of gear, causing you to nearly crash. The vehicle then jerked hard and the engine revved into the red line. The dealership confirmed the transmission has multiple pressure code errors (P0798 and P0980) and needs to be replaced, though Ford has not issued a recall for your vehicle despite this being a known problem.

While you were almost completely stopped with your foot on the brake, your 2010 Ford Explorer suddenly accelerated forward at high speed with an extremely loud engine sound, causing a crash. Your vehicle hit a parked Yukon truck, which then struck another parked truck at a gas pump. You had to press hard on the brakes, but they didn't respond adequately to stop the vehicle. This incident resulted in your daughter hitting her head after unbuckling her seatbelt. The issue may involve unintended acceleration, brake system failure, or engine control problems that need immediate inspection.

Your car's wheel hub may have developed a problem that could affect suspension performance and safety. This issue involves the part that connects your wheel to the suspension system. The repair will likely require inspection and replacement of the wheel hub assembly.

Your car's RSC (Roll Stability Control) alarm and ABS (Anti-Lock Brakes) alarm keep triggering repeatedly. You've noticed many other owners reporting the same issue. This likely requires diagnostic testing to identify the underlying electrical or sensor fault causing both systems to malfunction.

Your engine shut off while driving on the highway at 65 mph, and the wrench warning light appeared on your dashboard. You were able to safely pull over, and the engine started again on the second attempt. While the car is running fine now, this appears to be a recurring issue that you believe Ford should address proactively. The problem may require Ford to diagnose the fuel system or engine control module to prevent future shutdowns.

Your Service RSC light and wrench light come on together while driving, and your vehicle enters limp mode (reduced power mode). Even after replacing the transmission control module and ignition coils on the left side, the problem persists, with diagnostic codes U0101 and U1900 appearing. This likely indicates a communication or electrical issue between vehicle systems that needs deeper diagnostic work.

Your back hatch window intermittently opens on its own without you using the remote control. Even after replacing the actuator, the problem persists, which could leave your vehicle vulnerable to theft. The issue may involve the latch mechanism, wiring, or control module that needs further diagnosis.