2013 Ford Explorer Lights Problems
18 owner-reported lights complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Owner Complaints (18)
FAILURE BREAK SYSTEMS, FAILURE BREAK SYSTEMS
Water was leaking in somehow through the drivers side. I had windshield replaced as well as moonroof motor (because the moonroof stopped working after leak also) . The water does not seem to get in anymore but Now my headlights randomly work. I have had the headlights replaced but it did not fix the problem. The mechanic has seen the problem but is stumped so now its a process of elimination I guess. When the headlights go out if I completly turn them off and back on again it will ussually fix it temporarily. Ive got a police warning because I got pulled over for no headlights but as the police were writing the ticket, the headlights randomly came back .There has been a lot of sensors going on the dash and ford has had to reset them.
HEADLIGHTS ARE WAY TO DIM FOR NIGHT DRIVING
DOOR AJAR NOTIFICATION REMAINS ON WHEN ALL DOORS ARE CLOSED AND VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. ALERT TONE WILL SOUND WHEN VEHICLE STARTS MOVING OR COMES TO A STOP. AUTO DOOR LOCKS WILL NOT FUNCTION OR DOORS WILL NOT REMAIN LOCKED. INTERIOR DOME LIGHTS REMAIN ON UNTIL VEHICLE STARTS MOTION. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY FORD AND SENSORS CLEANED UNDER WARRANTY AT 25K MILES. FIX LASTED ABOUT 4 MONTHS. CURRENT MILEAGE 67K.
THE HEADLIGHTS ARE SEVERELY INADEQUATE ,IF IT IS RAINING IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE
THROTTLE POSITION. FUEL PEDDLE DOESN'T ALWAYS ACCELERATE WHEN BEING PUSHED. AS I PULL OUT THE CAR MAY ACCELERATE OR MAY NOT. SOMETIMES IT SUDDENLY LURCHES. VERY SCARY WHEN CROSSING THROUGH TRAFFIC. MY MECHANIC SAID IT'S GOING TO BE ME T-BONED.
HEADLIGHTS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE THE WORST THAT I HAVE EVER DRIVEN. HAD LIGHTS ADJUSTED AT THE DEALERSHIP AND NOT MUCH IMPROVEMENT. THE ROAD DOES NOT GET VERY WELL ILLUMINATED. EVEN THOUGH THE LIGHTS ARE IRRITATING TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC THEY DON'T DO MUCH TO HELP THE DRIVER SEE THE ROAD. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE IT WAS NEW.
WE HAD TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT PIG TAIL TWICE AS IT MELTED TO THE BULB
THE DOOR SENSOR INDICATES THE DOOR IS OPEN WHEN IN REALITY IT IS CLOSED. THIS CAUSES A WARNING BELL THAT DOES NOT CEASE AND KEEPS THE DOME LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THIS CONDITION ALSO CAUSES THE ALARM SYSTEM TO GO OFF RESULTING AT TIMES IN A POLICE RESPONSE. IN ORDER TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM YOU MUST SHUT THE DOOR REPEATEDLY, SOMETIMES A DOZEN TIMES OR MORE. THIS ALSO HAS RUN THE BATTERY DOWN DUE TO THE DOME LIGHTS AND ACCESSORIES STAYING ON. APART FROMT HE OBVIOUS FRUSTRATION THIS PROBLEM IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. THIS IS NOT A ONE TIME THING BUT A CHRONIC AND REPEATED PROBLEM THAT HAS NO REAL RESOLUTION. I SEE OTHER FORD USERS ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THEIR FORD EXPLORERS.
TURN SIGNALS MALFUNCTIONED CONSTANTLY. PROBLEM ALLEGEDLY CAUSED BY FAULTY INSTALLATION OF BOTH WIRING HARNESSES AT FACTORY. BOTH WERE REPLACED. SECOND VEHICLE IN OUR FLEET WITH THIS PROBLEM. VEHICLE STARTED LOSING ACCELERATION; PROBLEM TRACED TO FAULTY THROTTLE BODY. SECOND VEHICLE IN OUR FLEET WITH THIS PROBLEM.
HEADLIGHT ILLUMINATION OF ROADWAYS IS SEVERELY INADEQUATE. WE HAVE BOTH OBSERVED THIS ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED NEW IN DECEMBER 2012 (THE PRIMARY DRIVER IS A 5'5" FEMALE, THE SECONDARY DRIVER IS 5'10" MALE). THE HEADLIGHTS SEEM TO AIM TOO LOW AND LEAVE DARK SPOTS IN THE ROAD, PARTICULARLY WHEN TURNING IN EITHER DIRECTION. AND THE PROBLEM IS ONLY EXACERBATED WITH HIGHER SPEEDS. ILLUMINATION IS BETTER ON HIGH BEAM, BUT ONE CANNOT LEAVE HIGH BEAMS ENGAGED DURING NORMAL DRIVING. THESE ARE THE WORST HEADLIGHTS I'VE EVER SEEN ON A VEHICLE IN OVER 40 YEARS OF DRIVING INCLUDING CARS THAT I'VE DRIVEN FROM THE 50S, 60S, AND 70S, LET ALONE FOR A MODERN CAR.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000.
HEADLIGHT BULB AND PLASTIC CONNECTOR HAVE MELTED AT THE CONNECTION.
2013 FORD EXPLORER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO HEADLIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE FAR ENOUGH IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE AND AIM DOWN INTO THE ROAD. *SMD THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, IT WAS A DESIGN FEATURE, AND THERE WAS NOTHING TO FIX. *JB
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEAD LIGHTS WERE NOT ADEQUATELY DESIGNED. WHEN DRIVING WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ILLUMINATED, THE CONTACT WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE ANY OBJECTS THROUGH THE TOP PORTION OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBLE SAFETY HAZARD OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,300.
VEHICLE PURCHASED LATE NOVEMBER 2012,LATE DECEMBER 2012 AUTO HIGHBEAMS STARTED WORKING ERRATICALLY OR NOT AT ALL, OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WHEN THIS ISSUE STARTED WAS ABOUT 50DEGREES, FORD CLAIMS THAT ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL DECREASE THIS OPERATION, SUCH AS FOG, DIRTY WINDSHIELD, SNOW OR OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS TO THE CAMERA THAT OPERATES THE SYSTEM. UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT WINDSHIELD CLEAR NO OBSTRUCTIONS, YOU CAN SEE ON COMING TRAFFIC 3/4 TO A MILE AWAY OR FURTHER, LITES FAIL TO DIM OR GO BACK TO HIGHBEAM MODE AUTOMATICALLY. FORD NOW CLAIMS AFTER INSTALLING A NEW CAMERA THAT THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMP IS TO COLD FOR THE SYSTEM TO WORK, YET WHEN A FORD MECHANIC TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AT FORDS REQUEST HE FOUND THE SYSTEM, DIDN'T OPERATE, WOULD WORK FOR 2 OR 3 TIMES AS SUPPOSED TO, THAT THEN QUIT WORKING THIS WAS AT 20 DEGREE OUTSIDE TEMP. IN DRIVING THE CAR 20 TO 30 MILES THE SYSTEM WOULD OPERATE AND THE STOP WORKING AT WILL. FORD CANNOT FURNISH OR CLAIMS THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OPERATING TEMP RANGE OF THE SYSTEM IS. AT NO TIME DURING THESE FAILURES WAS THERE ANY OBSTRUCTIONS TO THE CAMERA, WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND VISIBILITY WAS EXCELLENT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP 3-4 TIMES AND STILL NOT FIXED, THE SUGGESTION FROM FORD IS THAT I WAIT FOR THE WEATHER TO WARM UP AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. NOTHING IN THE LITERATURE STATES ANYTHING ABOUT TEMPERATURE, ONLY ADVERSE CONDITIONS OR CAMERA OBSTRUCTION . I CAN NOT BELIEVE I AM THE ONLY PERSON IN NORTH AMERICA THAT HAS THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE OPTION, I HAVE SPOKEN TO OTHER OWNERS WITH VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THIS OPTION, AND THEY HAD NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS. TO THIS DATE I DO NOT BELIEVE TEMP IS THE PROBLEM AS IT HAS WORKED IN TEMPERATURES BELOW ZERO AT WILL. ANY INFORMATION OR ASSISTANCE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. *TR
HEADLIGHTS DO NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT LIGHTING OF THE ROAD. IT FEELS LIKE SOMEONE HAS PAINTED BLACK PAINT ON 1/2 OF THE WINDSHIELD. ON A TWO LANE UNLIT ROAD THE CAR IS UNSAFE. THE LIGHTS LIGHT UP ONLY HALF WAY UP A STREET OR STOP SIGN AND LESS THAN THAT IF GOING DOWNHILL. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE DEALERSHIP 1 TIME AND THE LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE DROVE ONE AND HAD TO STOP OVERNIGHT BECAUSE IT WAS SO BAD. THIS CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT ON A TWO LANE UNLIT ROAD. *TR
HEADLIGHTS DO NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT LIGHTING OF THE ROAD. IT FEELS LIKE SOMEONE HAS PAINTED BLACK PAINT ON 1/2 OF THE WINDSHIELD. ON A TWO LANE UNLIT ROAD THE CAR IS UNSAFE. THE LIGHTS LIGHT UP ONLY HALF WAY UP A STREET OR STOP SIGN AND LESS THAN THAT IF GOING DOWNHILL. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES AND THE LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. IN THE REPORT FROM THE DEALERSHIP TO FORD IT IS STATED AS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE DEALERSHIP SWITCHED THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY FROM ONE EXPLORER TO ANOTHER WITH THE SAME RESULT. FORD MOTOR COMPANY SAYS IT IS A "CHARACTER OF THE CAR" THIS CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AT NIGHT ON A TWO LANE UNLIT ROAD. *TR