Powertrain complaints and recalls from NHTSA
Summary
The 2021 Ford Explorer has 106 NHTSA powertrain complaints and 5 powertrain-related recalls.
106
Complaints
5
Recalls
1
Injuries Reported
Data source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) · Last updated September 1, 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...
26V402000
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Navigator, Expedition, 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2021 F-150 vehicles. The tran...
| Date ↓ | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed... |
| Jul 14, 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The vehicle has been failing shifting. There is something from with failure to shift. The vehicle wo... |
| Jul 3, 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Driving down road and lost power with grinding gears. Vehicle displayed warning on instrument panel ... |
| Jun 27, 2026 | POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH... |
| Jun 20, 2026 | POWER TRAIN | Was driving down the interstate and the vehicle started making an awful noise and dash lights went c... |
| May 8, 2026 | POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,BACK OVER PREVENTION | I am reporting a safety concern involving a delayed transmission gear engagement and delayed rearvie... |
| Apr 8, 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed... |
| Mar 18, 2026 | POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | While driving at highway speeds, the vehicle displays a "Drive Train Malfunction" warning message an... |
| Mar 7, 2026 | POWER TRAIN | I had my car parked in a driveway that has a slight incline. I was buckling my child in their car se... |
| 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... |