2021 Ford Explorer

The airbag burnt a hole in a cotton shirt and then left 2nd and 3 degree burns on my side.

The contact owned a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact was stopped at an intersection traffic signal when she was crashed from behind by another vehicle. The contact's seat belt pretensioner failed to lock and was not able to restrain her. The contact's face hit the steering wheel. The contact had suffered a broken nose, and bruises on her arms. The contact was transported by ambulance to a hospital. The vehicle had extensive crush damage to the rear bumper, lift gate. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and later declared a total loss by her insurance provider. The police were on scene and issued a report. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 36,606.

After receiving a Ford issued recall for a potential rear axle bolt fracture, the dealer reprogrammed the PCM per Ford's reported repair solution. After this PCM update, the vehicle would randomly slam to a complete stop while driving. It happened several times with 3 different drivers (myself, my wife, and my son), each happening at 30-35 mph or less. It was usually preceeded by an audible clicking sound, but not always. We took the vehicle to the dealership several times, but they said they were not able to reproduce the issue, and continually returned the vehicle to us despite our grave concern for high risk of crash and injury. We even contacted Ford's customer service and legal departments several times, who ultimately refused to allow us to continue using a loaner vehicle and demanded that we return the loaner and retake possession of our Explorer because they said they had not received any other similar complaints, and their field engineer could not reproduce the issue and cleared the vehicle as safe, although Ford was never able to supply us with service records proving the repairs they purported despite our repeated inquiries. Ultimately, the issue happened again, and slammed while driving down a hill at about 40-50 mph, but this time the slamming was immediately followed by seemingly disengaging the drivetrain and causing the vehicle to roll downhill with no ability to accelerate, ultimately causing me to roll into a utility pole. Ford has since repurchased the vehicle, but given the severe safety risk associated with this issue and Ford's poor handling of our situation, I wanted others and the NHTSA to be aware in case other similar issues are reported in a effort to protect others from potential injury, especially in light of the increasing number if PCM-related issues and recalls reported against Ford...one of which was a PCM recall pertaining to our reported issue, but was not issued until after our repurchase was complete.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after she had parked her vehicle and retrieved items out of the liftgate compartment; the vehicle began to roll back independently towards her. A witness alerted her that the vehicle was rolling towards her; the contact moved out of the way. She then opened her driver-side door as the vehicle proceeded to roll back; the contact was pinned in between the concrete post and the driver-side door as the vehicle eventually stopped. Witnesses assisted her and aided her away from the vehicle which bruised her left arm. The contact did not seek medical attention for the injury. The contact called the dealer and they offered no assistance. The contact then had the vehicle towed to a different dealer Lithia Ford Idaho Falls(980 W Broadway St, Idaho Falls, ID 83402) where the driver-side door was replaced. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and she was given a case number. The cement post was damaged as a result of the failure. The police were called after the failure and a report was filed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the cause of the failure had yet to be determined. The failure mileage was approximately 4,500.

The contact leases a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his wife was driving at 25 MPH with Co-pilot 360 assist mode and the evasive steering assist engaged, she lost control of the steering wheel. The contact stated that his wife could not feel the connection between the steering wheel and the front tires of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle made a sharp right turn and crashed into a telephone pole. There were no warning lights illuminated. The air bags deployed. The contact 's wife sustained bruises and lesions on the ankle, knee cap, arms and on her left breast but did not seek medical assistance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The vehicle was then towed to another tow lot where it was totaled. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that he was driving approximately at 55 MPH when a deer jumped out in front of his vehicle. As a result, the contact crashed into the deer and the air bags did deploy, however when it did it was very aggressive. The contact stated that he and his wife were both sustained multiple injuries caused by the airbags. The contact stated the passenger suffered injuries to both her eyes causing blindness and isn't certain if it would be permeant. The contact stated that he sustained injuries to his wrist, neck, and leg. The contact stated the ambulance was called and took them to the hospital where they received treatment. The contact stated the vehicle was towed to a junkyard service, and from there towed to the dealer where it remains currently. The contact was advised that his vehicle may be totaled and that he should await further details. The failure mileage was 3,000.

The vehicle was involved in a rear-end collision. When the collision occurred, both front seats dropped into a fully reclined position and locked fully reclined.

While driving down the interstate, the tires (rear passenger?) suddenly locked/stuck. This caused vehicle to lose control, 360, and slam into the guardrails. Prior to this incident, when the car was turned on, it stalled a bit like it was about to turn off. This lasted for a few seconds, but returned to normal. So may be a component of electrical and/or directly related to the rear tire. There were no warning messages. Driver was thankful injuries did not occur. Could have flipped, or slammed into other cars, trees, etc. This is a serious issue. While the vehicle was being loaded onto the wrecker, in neutral, the rear passenger tire was visibly stuck. This was observed by owner, husband, police officer and tow company. When offloading from the tow truck, the tire made a loud pop and movement returned to normal. Vehicle is currently at the shop (ford dealership). Will have more information next week from their diagnostic studies. It is available for inspection upon request.

The recall to replace the rear axle bolt was completed and new boil installed. They left the automatic emergency brake program engager which results in the vehicle lurching forward or backward when shifted into gear and results in collisions with other vehicles as the collision detection system is not working.

On July 1, 2023, I had the vehicle parked on an incline with a trailer attached to the vehicle. The vehicle was in Park and the Parking Brake was set. As I attempted to unload the trailer, the vehicle started to move and rolled down the incline. I was on the trailer and was moving with the vehicle, I could have been injured but fortunately the vehicle rolled into a pile of topsoil before it could pick up too much speed. However, both the vehicle and trailer were damaged My safety was put at risk as the vehicle was moving without anyone in it. This occurred in my driveway but could have happened on a busy street. I still own the vehicle and it is available for inspection. There were no indications, warning lamps, etc. that would have notified me of the impending failure. I contacted Ford and they have been of little help. It took them 2-1/2 months to get me scheduled to have one of their field service engineers to inspect the vehicle. I was not allowed to talk to the field service engineer and that person did not attempt to duplicate the conditions which caused the failure. The report from Ford to me said they inspected the vehicle on a lift. They said they could not find a problem and said they will take no further action. They have been extremely uncooperative and do not seem the least concerned about the safety of the vehicle. I am concerned that the problem will recur and cause significant damage or injury so I take precautions whenever I park it.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after his wife set the vehicle to "Park" while the engine was running, as she exited, the vehicle lurched forward and crashed into the garage back wall. There was no damage to the vehicle, however, there was damage to the garage back wall. The contact stated his wife saw no warning lights were illuminated. The contact's wife got back into the vehicle and observed that the gear shift lever was still in "Park" and she shut the vehicle off. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer, or an independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated the adaptive cruise control and the collision avoidance systems would malfunction. The vehicle would suddenly deactivate the cruise control and the collision avoidance would detect a non-existing object and stop the vehicle from also turning to avoid the crash. The contact stated that while idled at a stop light when the vehicle suddenly accelerated rear-ending the vehicle in front. The air bags did not deploy however the acceleration did not reach high enough speeds for such a response. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not towed. There were no injuries or medical attention needed. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer however the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.

I took possession of a Ford Explorer approximately October 12, 2021. Two weeks later on October 20, 2021, I took the car to a carwash and after paying with a credit card, the barrier went up and as I was putting my card back into my wallet, and my foot not on the accelerator, the car took off on its' own to approximately 20 to 25 mph, so I applied the brakes and the pedal went to the floor with no braking. I applied the brakes continually, as the car jumped a curb traveled through a meadow went through a fence and crashed into a tree. I had the car towed to the dealer so they could analyze what went wrong and they said they couldn't find anything wrong, but they couldn't say as to why the Explorer spontaneously accelerated without brakes. The carwash had a video surveillance system and the video clearly shows the car accelerating, jumping the curb and eventually going into the forest to hit a tree. It is a blessing that I was in a remote area with no people around as the only control I had for the vehicle was steering and had there been people around someone would have been injured or killed. I contacted the Texas DMV Lemon Law department and they couldn't help because I hadn't tried to get the malfunction repaired more than three times. They did recommend I contact the NHTSA as safety of this vehicle and possibly others of the type represent a major safety hazard. Is there anything the NHTSA can do to look into this case and first see that this malfunction is fixed on future products and second see that I can be treated fairly by the Dealer and Ford Motor Company? The car has been declared a total loss, as it would cost too much to repair. It is in a AAA Insurance lot.

I am reporting a persistent and escalating electrical safety defect in a 2021 Ford Explorer. On February 28, 2022 (at approximately 10,542 miles), I formally reported a strong burning metal smell and the engine would be loud and idle high, there was abnormal noises and unusual electrical changes to the dealership (West Herr Ford). The dealer service advisor documented no problem found and told me not to worry about it. Over time, this unresolved electrical short and metal smell has resulted in a total system failure. In February 2026, the vehicle suddenly suffered a complete ‘black screen’ (APIM/infortainment failure) and a no-start condition. Most dangerously, the battery suddenly drains within days, which can lead to total loss of vehicle power while in motion, disabling power steering, braking assists and you can’t even put the car in neutral when this happens. I am gravely concerned that this unaddressed metal burning smoking/ electrical short issue poses a significant potential fire risk to myself, my passengers and other drivers. The same dealership has now had this car in there possession for 32 days and admits that what has happened is what happens while they have it and that they cannot find the root cause. Yet the previous service advisor from 2022, and the current service advisors ( gave the car back on 2/21/2026 and 3/6/2026 saying their was no problem) allowed the vehicle to remain on the public roads despite documented fire hazard symptoms.

The contact owned a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked in the driveway for over three hours before the vehicle caught on fire. The origin of the fire was unknown, however, the contact believes the fire originated from faulty electrical wiring. The vehicle was unoccupied during the fire. The location of the fire was the rear end of the vehicle. The fire department arrived to extinguish the fire. A fire department report was filed. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed as it was determined to be a complete loss. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

[XXX] after driving less than 10 min. warning signs flashed on screen. I immediately pulled off the road where the vehicle completely shut down and realized my 2021 Ford Explorer was on fire. Bystanders attempted to put the fire out with fire extinguishers but were unsuccessful. My passenger and I opened our doors, I exited and attempted to open trunk to remove wheelchair but could not (because door is electrical). My passenger flung himself onto the ground until bystanders came with a rolling office chair to remove him away from the burning vehicle. Had the bystanders not been there I do not know how I would have been able to move my passenger (25 year old, 200 lb male) away from the burning vehicle. Fire Marshall could not determine cause of fire because vehicle was completely melted/too damaged. Ford Motor Company reviewed photos I sent to them but claims they could not determine cause of fire. The vehicle was properly maintained with routine oil changes. There were no issues with the vehicle prior to this incident. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Got it in the car and pushed the push start button. The cars engine turned over only half way and started to restart and turn over multiple times even though the motor was running halfway. This went on for 15 minutes until i opened up the hood and looked down and after a couple minutes the engine seized and turned off and started smoking, shortly after started on fire from the bottom of the engine. The fire went on for 10 minutes until we turned it off.

The contact owned a 2021 Ford Explorer which was used to haul a 2002 Opus OP. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the RV dealer for installations to be performed the vehicle caught on fire and was destroyed. The contact was informed after the installation of an electronic brake controller was completed the vehicle was parked and approximately 20 minutes later flames were present coming from the engine compartment. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. The vehicle was destroyed. Prior to the incident an electric brake controller was installed in the vehicle and wired DC to DC in order to send a charge to the tow vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The fire department indicated that the fire originated in the engine compartment. A fire report was taken at the scene. The failure mileage was 3,807.

My vehicle is experiencing exhaust fume issue where the exhaust fumes are entering into the cabin for Explorer and Aviator models (Any model with the 3.0L Ecoobost). Upon inspection by 3rd party mechanic, it can be determined that the problematic catalytic converters that are not the one piece cast was installed on my vehicle from the factory. Speaking to other ST and Interceptor owners, the problem seems widespread to every 2021 model that Ford installed the multipiece welded catalytic converters. Apparently the cast part fairs better and is not subject to cracks. The recall originally covered the left side catalytic converter but the flawed design also affects the right side catalytic converter where many owners are experiencing this issue. This has affected all 3.0L Ecoboost engine vehicles. [XXX] I believe the recall should have extended to cover all 2020 and 2021 model year vehicles. There are forum posts where owners outside the recall have experienced the issue in addition to owners having to repeatedly replace the catalytic converters post warrant as Ford continued to reinstall bad catalytic converters as part of the repair process. I have driven this vehicle for several thousand miles with the issue and did not realize exhaust was leaking until notices of headaches and health issues as CO is odorless, causing CO2 levels to reach 3000+ inside the cabin at stop lights and blows in through the vents if A/C is on. I believe NHTSA should investigate this issue further and require Ford to replace both catalytic converters as this issue poses a serious health hazard, especially given the location of the exhaust leak and the commonplace occurrence. I am happy to forward to forums and provide evidence of this occurring. Ford considers lifetime of the vehicle to be ~150K miles and these exhausts do not last close to that, resulting in a massive expense and danger to US consumers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact's son owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 5 MPH down a hill and making a left turn, the hood was unintentionally released, swung open, and hit the front windshield causing it to shatter. There was an abnormal snapping or popping sound detected. The driver pulled over immediately since their view was obstructed. No warning lights were illuminated before the failure however after the hood shattered the windshield the "hood open sensor" light was displayed. The driver's pregnant fiancé was occupying the front passenger's side seat and sustained injuries and pain to her left side. There was glass in her lap, and medical attention was provided. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 55,401.