2013 Ford Explorer Problems and Recalls (2,234 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2013 Ford Explorer is Steering (34% of 2,234 owner reports). There are 12 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Steering — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
What problems show up on the 2013 Ford Explorer?
751 of 2,234 filings named Steering (34% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Body / frame (369 reports).
There are 12 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Fuel system, Steering, Body / frame, and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2012 has 828 reports on file; this year has 2,234. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
- Crashes 44
- Fires 11
- Injuries 61
- Deaths 1
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering (STEERING) | 751 | 33.6% | 10 crashes · 1 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 369 | 16.5% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 201 | 9.0% | 0 crashes · 3 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 108 | 4.8% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 86 | 3.9% | 8 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 83 | 3.7% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 64 | 2.9% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 49 | 2.2% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) | 35 | 1.6% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 696 | 31.2% | 14 crashes · 7 fires |
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 14V286000 was reported 574 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 15V171000 was reported 935 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 17E048000 was reported 1,573 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V435000 was reported 2,224 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 20V675000 was reported 2,865 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V537000 was reported 2,990 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V746000 was reported 3,059 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V031000 was reported 4,158 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 22 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 29 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 32 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 38 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 78 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 42 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 84 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 43 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 90 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 46 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 64 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 30 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 56 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 53 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 66 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 69 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 95 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 59 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 42 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 29 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 32 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 44 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 30 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 51 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 32 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 36 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 40 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 70 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 43 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 59 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 40 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 42 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 44 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 38 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 41 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 65 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 51 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 73 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V109000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V227000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 13V270000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V286000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V171000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V812000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17E048000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V435000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V675000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V537000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V746000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V031000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE12017 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE14027 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA15005 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE16008 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA17002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE23001 |
Safety Recalls (12)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Fuel system, Steering, Body / frame, and Suspension.
-
Recall campaign 13V109000
Fuel system
- Report date
- Component:
- Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the fuel tanks and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on May 9, 2013. Ford's recall campaign number is 13S03. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332.
-
Recall campaign 13V227000
Safety recall 13V227000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. The recall began on July 20, 2013. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall campaign number is 13S04.
-
Recall campaign 13V270000
Safety recall 13V270000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If the child lock is deactivated, the door could be unlocked and opened from the inside which could lead to personal injury to an unrestrained child.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will test the safety locks. If necessary, the locks will be replaced free of charge. The recall began on August 2, 2013. Ford's recall number is 13S07. Owners may contact the Ford customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
-
Recall campaign 14V286000
Steering
- Report date
- Component:
- Steering (STEERING)
- Consequence:
- If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist it will require extra steering effort at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) software, free of charge. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of motor position sensor signal when the vehicle is brought in for the recall remedy, its steering rack assembly will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on July 23, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S06.
-
Recall campaign 15V171000
Body / frame
- Report date
- Component:
- Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
- Consequence:
- If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began on July 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S11.
-
Recall campaign 15V812000
Safety recall 15V812000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel delivery module, free of charge. The recall began on December 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 13S04-S1.
-
Recall campaign 17E048000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- A loss of the wheel or wheel end can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify the distributors of the hubs specifying that they are to only be used on drive axles. It is believed that none of the hubs were purchased from Ford dealers for the incorrect application. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
-
Recall campaign 19V435000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, and inspect both rear toe link ball joints, replacing the rear wheel knuckle(s), if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S17.
-
Recall campaign 20V675000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle attached to the rear suspension toe link and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S62.
-
Recall campaign 21V537000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- A rear toe-link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle, and replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall numbers 16V-245, 19V-435, and 20V-675. Certain vehicles previously repaired will need to return for the new remedy. An interim notification letter notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on September 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2022. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S32.
-
Recall campaign 21V746000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealer will inspect for the presence of a CABJ. If a CABJ of any design is found, the dealer will inspect the tightness of the CABJ, and replace the CABJ, knuckle, and/or toe link as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters were mailed November 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 17, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S43.
-
Recall campaign 24V031000
Body / frame
- Report date
- Component:
- Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
- Consequence:
- A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will inspect and replace the A-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model years. Owner notification letters were mailed between July 18, 2024 and December 16, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S02.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Ford Explorer Complaints by Year
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2013 Ford Explorer?
Owners named Steering most often — 751 of 2,234 reports (34%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2013 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA lists 12 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Fuel system, Steering, Body / frame, and Suspension. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2013 Ford Explorer?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-10-14. YearTell is not a government agency.