2023 Ford Explorer: recalls and problems
15 recalls and 110 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is unknown or other.
Most common problems
What owners report
I was driving on the highway at approximately 70mph in my 2023 ford explorer platinum which has 30,000 miles on it. we heard a loud noise which sounded like a gun went off inside the car. my sunroof exploded outward with no warning or messages and no impact. edges of the remaining glass were angled upward indicating that the glass burst outward. there were no signs of glass impacting the thin fabric retractable shade
While driving, vehicle made a grinding sound, and all systems related to cruise, 4wd, decent control all illuminated on dash. vehicle was taken to dealer, metro ford. metro ford stated the transfer case has failed internally, and being replaced under powertrain. a week later, i received a callback, and the service writer stated after replacing and a test drive- it is still an issue, and the vehicle has an issue- whic
Purchased new june 2023, took delivery october 2023 due to camera recall. drive to work 5 miles a day, less than 10000 miles on it yet my driver side dash is now ingles and rolling up. i see this is a common issue. i paid extra for the king ranch edition. seems this should be a dealer covered repair. i would like this looked into.
The exhaust pipe that connects a catalytic converter to the muffler broke and was dragging on the highway. it was during rish hour and was no safe place for me to pull over and within just a few miles, the other side of it broke off and the whole pipe between the catalytic converter and muffler fell into traffic behind me. apparently this has been an issue with 2020-2022 model years but it needs to be extended furthe
Crash-test ratings
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Ford Explorer SUV 4WD | ||||
| 2023 Ford Explorer SUV RWD |
Source: NHTSA recalls, complaints and NCAP APIs, covering EXPLORER, EXPLORER HEV. Last refreshed 2026-09-29.