Powertrain complaints and recalls from NHTSA
Summary
The 2021 Ford Explorer has 96 NHTSA powertrain complaints and 4 powertrain-related recalls.
96
Complaints
4
Recalls
1
Injuries Reported
Data source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) · Last updated April 9, 2026
23V069000
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 2.3L engine and 10R60 automatic transmission. An unintenti...
23V199000
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 2.3L RWD, 3.3L GAS, 3.3L FHEV, or 3.0L ST powertrain. The ...
23V675000
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles. The rear axle horizontal mounting bolt may fracture and cause the drivesh...
25V166000
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall numbers 23V-199 or 22V-255. T...
| Date ↓ | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 13, 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission clutch failure. As a result my 2021 ford explorer needs a new transmission. |
| Jan 5, 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Rear differential/axle bolt broke, destroying other parts and making vehicle unsafe at the moment an... |
| Dec 16, 2025 | POWER TRAIN | When given gas to move from a complete stop, vehicle lost all power. After vehicle lost all power to... |
| Dec 5, 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA ... |
| Nov 10, 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed... |
| Nov 4, 2025 | POWER TRAIN | We received notification from Ford that there is a "rear axle bolt fracture" possible on our 2021 Fo... |
| Nov 1, 2025 | POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Everyday I get alerts saying the power train system, then I can’t use my cruise control, and many ot... |
| Sep 29, 2025 | POWER TRAIN | There was no lights on the dash but the transmission was shifting very hard when slowing down. I too... |
| Aug 15, 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Approximately 6 weeks ago, while driving at 30 -35 mph in residential area, vehicle started lurching... |
| Aug 5, 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, there was an abnorma... |
| Jul 15, 2025 | POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | my explorer has a 10 speed transmission, and its REALLY heavy on shifting like it is missing shift... |
| Jul 11, 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her fiancé was driving 76 MPH, ... |
| Jul 1, 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | The transmission failed. The electrical component also failed |
| Jun 13, 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission failed while driving leading to a sudden loss of power. Vehicle was hard to control aft... |
| May 21, 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | While our 2021 Ford Explorer with 47,000 miles to work the vehicle warning light came on stating the... |
| May 6, 2025 | POWER TRAIN | 10 speed Transmission malfunction, needs replacing, |
| Apr 14, 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | The vehicle has intermittent issues with bucking, running poorly, and not shifting properly. It res... |
| Mar 31, 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the... |
| Mar 28, 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 2... |
| Jan 20, 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 80 MPH, the power train... |