Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
2024 Ford Explorer — Known Issues & Recalls
Complaints from Jan 2025 to Dec 2024
The most reported issue is visibility/wiper problems (2 complaints). 1 involved fire.
Open Safety Recalls (8)
NHTSA Campaign: 24V685000
Component: HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024 Ford Explorer vehicles equipped with 3.3L Hybrid engines. The 12-Volt battery cable may chafe against the Belt-integrated Starter Generat (BiSG) and short circuit.
Risk: A short circuit increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will install a tie strap between the battery cable and high voltage cable, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 8, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S61.
NHTSA Campaign: 24V852000
Component: EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.
NHTSA Campaign: 25V393000
Component: SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The switch for the easy-entry second-row outer seats may bind or stick, resulting in the seats unlatching, folding, or sliding unexpectedly while driving.
Risk: A seat that moves unexpectedly may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the second-row seat switch, and replace the bezel around the switch as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S67.
NHTSA Campaign: 25V442000
Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.
Risk: A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.
NHTSA Campaign: 25V687000
Component: TRAILER HITCHES
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Explorer and 2024-2026 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The trailer hitch assembly bolts may be loose.
Risk: While towing a trailer, loose trailer hitch bolts can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, or cause the trailer to detach. Either of these conditions can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and tighten the trailer hitch bolts, or replace them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 29, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA3. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.
NHTSA Campaign: 26V012000
Component: EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Focus, 2019 Explorer, and 2024 Explorer vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed February 13, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in April 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026. This recall expands previous recall number 25V685.
NHTSA Campaign: 26V123000
Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2020-2024 Lincoln Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The image on the center display may flip or invert, resulting in an incorrectly displayed rearview image when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk: An incorrectly displayed rearview image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: The remedy is currently under development. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed April 17, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated second quarter of 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C11. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 5, 2026.
NHTSA Campaign: 26V159000
Component: SEAT BELTS
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2026 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The seat belt anchor bolts at the second-row outer seating positions may be improperly secured.
Risk: A loose seat belt buckle may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the second-row outer seat belt lower anchor bolts and replace or repair them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 30, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C18. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 19, 2026.
Owner-Reported Issues (14 of 14)
Unknown Or Other →2 issues
Your vehicle caught fire in the wheel well area while parked at a scene, causing major damage to the engine compartment. The fire started without warning and produced smoke and visible flames. The exact cause needs to be diagnosed, but this indicates a serious electrical, fuel system, or brake component failure.
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Your tires are rubbing against the inner fender liners and wearing through them, creating large holes that expose wiring and other components to the wheel well. This issue has been reported on multiple 2024 Ford Explorers. The fix would likely involve repositioning or replacing the fender liners, and possibly adjusting wheel alignment or suspension components.
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Visibility/wiper →2 issues
Your windshield has a blurry spot or area on the driver's side that affects your visibility through the glass. This could make it harder to see the road clearly while driving. The windshield may need to be replaced or the affected area may require professional glass repair.
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Your windshield has a visible distortion in the front right area that makes it difficult to see clearly—at night it affects how your headlights appear, and during the day it has caused you to nearly miss vehicles and given you migraines while driving. The dealership reported this to Ford in August, but the manufacturer has denied coverage claiming it's "orange peel" (a paint defect), even though your vehicle has no paint damage and hasn't been through repairs or car washes. Multiple dealership staff have confirmed they can see the distortion. The fix would likely involve replacing the windshield.
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Steering,suspension →2 issues
Your 2024 Ford Explorer is making clunking and rattling noises near the wheels when driving at 30-40 MPH in cold weather. The dealer diagnosed that your front struts are worn and need replacement, and recommended you not drive the vehicle until they're fixed. The repair involves replacing the front struts, though your dealer may need to order parts.
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Your Ford Explorer is making rattling and clunking noises from the front end, especially when driving under 35 mph. The dealer diagnosed this as worn struts and says both the shocks and struts need to be replaced. While the dealer says it's safe to drive, they recommend avoiding potholes until the parts arrive and the repair can be completed, which should take 4-5 hours.
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Electrical System,seats,engine →1 issue
Your driver's seat memory isn't working properly and the seat moves on its own — sometimes sliding all the way forward toward the dashboard or all the way back while you're sitting in it, even while driving. This has happened multiple times and created a safety risk that nearly caused you to lose control of the vehicle. Additionally, your car has experienced multiple electrical issues including dashboard warning codes appearing together, the engine entering limp mode, and difficulty turning the car on and off. The dealership has attempted to diagnose and repair these issues four times without a permanent fix.
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Air Bags →1 issue
While driving 65 mph, you hit a deer head-on with your 2024 Ford Explorer, but your airbags did not deploy despite the impact. No warning light appeared on your dashboard, and the vehicle stopped safely with no injuries reported. The airbag system may need inspection to determine why it failed to activate during a collision-level impact.
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Lane Departure →1 issue
Your Lane Keep Assist system malfunctioned on multiple occasions, causing your vehicle to veer out of its lane without your input. At highway speeds (65-70 MPH), you were able to regain control, but at lower speeds (40-45 MPH), the system steered your vehicle into a barrier wall, causing a side-swipe collision. Your dealer was unable to identify or fix the problem.
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Latches/locks/linkages →1 issue
While driving at 15-20 mph, your hood suddenly came open, flew up, and hit the windshield hard enough to shatter it. Glass sprayed into the vehicle, though no one was injured. This happened because the hood latch failed to keep the hood secured while driving.
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Suspension →1 issue
While inspecting your parked 2024 Ford Explorer, you noticed both the driver's side and passenger's side front struts had failed. A dealer confirmed that both front struts need to be replaced. This happened at just over 11,100 miles, which is unusually early for strut failure. The repair will involve removing and installing new front struts on both sides of your vehicle.
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Power Train →1 issue
Your Explorer is jerking hard and losing power when you're driving or passing other vehicles, even though you're in normal drive mode. This started after just 5,500 miles, and the dealership is ordering a part to fix it—they mentioned you might need a new transmission if that doesn't work.
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Unknown Or Other,back Over Prevention,forward Collision Avoidance →1 issue
Your 2024 Explorer's 360 camera system is not fully functional—the front camera doesn't work even though it's supposed to be included in your trim package, and you keep getting a warning to "Check forward camera lens for cleanliness" even though the lens is clean. Additionally, your reverse automatic braking system isn't working either. The dealer says Ford hasn't provided information about this issue, suggesting it may be related to a recall affecting earlier model years. Getting both camera and reverse braking systems diagnosed and repaired by a Ford dealer will likely be necessary.
Parts you may need:
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Seats →1 issue
Your third-row headrest is stuck in the upright position and won't fold down. Based on online reports, this appears to be a widespread issue affecting 2020 and newer Ford Explorers. The fix may involve replacing the headrest assembly or repairing the locking mechanism that controls its movement.
Parts you may need:
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Other Ford Explorer years: