2023 Ford Explorer

The light for the right hand mirror blind spot warning came loose within the mirror housing. The light still works and activates when a vehicle is in the blind spot, but the light has fallen to the bottom of the mirror housing and is barely visible (a yellow glow at night).

Faint popping and knocking sound coming from front suspension, LOUD clunk coming from rear suspension when going over bumps. Both seem to cause vehicle to be floaty while driving. Also headlights sometime flicker while driving with switch in auto position and sometimes will not shut off after exiting vehicle ( have to turn switch to off position and then back to auto to resolve ) Vehicle has approximately 21k miles on it but off warranty due to time. Will be bringing into local repair shop soon.

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving from Pennsylvania to Ohio through the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the adaptive cruise control system was not functioning. The "Adaptive Cruise Control Is Not Available" warning message was displayed on the instrument panel. No warning lights illuminated. A dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that adaptive cruise control was inoperable on certain highways. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.

Vehicle: 2023 Ford Explorer ST VIN: [XXX] I am reporting ongoing safety-related powertrain and drivability defects that continue despite numerous repair attempts, including complete engine and transmission replacement. Since approximately June 2025, my vehicle has experienced delayed acceleration, hesitation, erratic RPM behavior, harsh shifting, loss of power, and intermittent warning lights. The vehicle has also stalled, jerked during acceleration, and exhibited transmission shuddering and lurching. The problems have been repeatedly reproduced, documented, inspected, and repaired by Kendall Ford of Anchorage, Alaska, the sole servicing Ford dealership involved. Repairs have included replacement of fuel injectors, cylinder heads, a complete engine assembly, and a complete transmission assembly. Despite these repairs, the safety concerns remain. Current symptoms include: • 1-4 second delay in throttle response. • Vehicle may fail to accelerate below approximately 30 mph. • Engine RPM rises significantly without proportional vehicle acceleration. • Erratic shifting, surging, and harsh jolts. • Intermittent check engine lights, FordPass alerts, and electrical warnings. These conditions create a significant safety risk because the vehicle may fail to accelerate when entering the highway, merging into traffic, crossing traffic, making left turns, or avoiding hazards. The delayed throttle response and sudden acceleration after the delay increase the risk of a crash. Attached service records document stalling, misfires, loss of propulsion concerns, and repeated powertrain failures requiring replacement of both the engine and transmission, yet the drivability concerns continue. I believe this may involve a defect in the powertrain, transmission controls, engine management system, electronic throttle control system, or related vehicle control modules. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate these recurring safety-related defects. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owned a 2023 Ford Explorer. When the contact’s husband activated the air conditioning system after the vehicle had been parked for several hours, a fire started underneath the console inside the vehicle. The driver pulled over to the side of the road, where onlookers assisted with extinguishing the fire with a fire extinguisher. The contact’s husband received burns on his fingers. Medical attention was not needed. The Fire Department was not contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be inspected; however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The contact was provided with photos of the vehicle and became aware that the wiring was burned. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

Premature leaking and failure on rear shocks absorbers. Premature failure could lead to handling issues and interference with driver assist handling, action control etc. Some say this is a know issue but not one that has prompted a recall

The chrome/ brushed finish peeling along the top of the center console, resulting in sharp edges. The vehicle is just outside of bumper to bumper warranty and the fix is out of pocket. Vehicle current has 55k miles on it, and bubbling down both sides of the laminated trim.

The rear subframe bushing is torn, resulting in the rear of the vehicle to sway side to side when traveling down the road at highway speeds, making it difficult to maintain lanes. Bushings are not covered by the 60k power train warranty, and resulting in a 2-3,000 dollar repair due to subframe in rear of vehicle needing dropped and bushing pressed out or entire subframe to be replaced.