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2020 Ford Explorer: Recalls, Complaints & Safety Ratings

31Safety recalls
1,138Owner complaints
5★NHTSA overall
Quick answer

The 2020 Ford Explorer has 31 open NHTSA safety recalls and 1,138 owner complaints on file, with an overall 5-star NHTSA crash-test rating. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Check a specific VIN to confirm whether the work was done and to verify mileage and title.

Safety record reviewed June 2026 · sourced from NHTSA

The 2020 Ford Explorer has 31 open safety recalls and 1,138 owner complaints on file with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and it earned an overall 5-star NHTSA crash-test rating. Below is the public safety record. To see whether a specific Explorer had its recalls repaired and how its mileage and title check out, run that car's VIN.

Safety recalls

1

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Campaign 19V859000 · 04/12/2019

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. Over time, the protective sleeve on the vapor fuel line may chafe through the plastic liquid fuel line and cause a fuel leak.

RiskA fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
RemedyFord will notify owners, and dealers will install a longer protective sleeve on the liquid fuel line, as necessary, free of charge. Ford issued owners and interim notification on January 29, 2020. Recall began March 23, 2020. A second notice will be sent once parts are available, expected to be late in the first quarter of 2020. A renotification letter was sent on July 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S49.
2

ENGINE

Campaign 20V788000 · 17/12/2020

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The right hand motor mount fasteners may have been incorrectly tightened, and may loosen over time.

RiskWith a loose motor mount, motor vibration may cause the axle to disconnect from the engine and could result in loss of power, increasing the risk of a crash.
RemedyFord will notify owners, and dealers will remove and replace the right hand motor mount fasteners, free of charge. The recall began February 3, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S72.
3

SUSPENSION:REAR

Campaign 21V154000 · 10/03/2021

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Lincoln Aviator and Ford Explorer vehicles. The rear lower control arm (RLCA) bolts that attach the rear lower control arms to the wheel knuckles may not have been heat-treated, which could cause them to break.

RiskBroken RLCA bolts can cause a loss of steering control, and increase the risk of a crash.
RemedyFord will notify owners, and dealers will replace both RLCA bolts, free of charge. The recall began on April 2, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S11.
4

BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE

Campaign 21V735000 · 22/09/2021

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Corsair, and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with 360-degree cameras. The video output may fail, preventing the rearview camera image from displaying.

RiskA rearview camera that does not display an image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
RemedyDealers will update the Image Processing Module (IPMB) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 16, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S44.
5

SEAT BELTS: REAR/OTHER:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

Campaign 20V549000 · 10/09/2020

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with second row center seat belt buckles that may not be properly secured to the seat.

RiskVehicles with seat belt buckles that are not properly secured may fail to restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
RemedyFord will notify owners, and dealers will replace the second row center seat assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S50.
6

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

Campaign 20V693000 · 10/11/2020

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with a 2.0L or 3.3L engine and a 10 Speed Automatic Transmission with the All Wheel Drive package. The drive shaft may fracture along the weld seam.

RiskDefective drive shafts may fail and cause a loss of connection between the transfer case and rear axle, possibly resulting in a vehicle rollaway when in Park or a loss of drive. Either condition can increase the risk of a crash. The drive shafts can also deform and separate from the driveline and potentially contact the fuel tank, increasing the risk of fuel leaks and/or fire.
RemedyFord will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the drive shaft label inspected and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S65.
7

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

Campaign 20V575000 · 23/09/2020

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Explorer, Mustang, Transit, Expedition, Escape, Ranger and Edge, and Lincoln Nautilus and Corsair vehicles. Due to a poor electrical connection, the rearview camera may intermittently display a blank or distorted image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

RiskReduced rearward visibility can increase the risk of a crash.
RemedyFord will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2020. Remedy became available on February 1, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C19.
8

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE

Campaign 20V730000 · 24/11/2020

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer vehicles equipped with 2.3L engines and 19 gallon fuel tanks. The fuel tank inlet check valve may not be fully welded to the fuel tank shell.

RiskAn incomplete weld securing the inlet check valve to the fuel tank shell could result in a substantial fuel leak during a crash, increasing the risk of fire.
RemedyFord will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank shell, free of charge. The recall began December 8, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S68.
9

AIR BAGS:CRITICAL FASTENERS

Campaign 20V497000 · 21/08/2020

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer and 2020 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The side air bag and/or seat back module attachments may not have been properly tightened in the front seat backs.

RiskIf the side air bag or seat back fasteners were not properly tightened, the side air bag deployment could be affected, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
RemedyFord will notify owners, and dealers will remove front seat back panels from one or both front seats (VIN-specific) and verify that the fasteners have been properly tightened, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S48.
10

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

Campaign 19V633000 · 28/08/2019

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also included are certain 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with rear outboard seats and manual seat back recliner mechanisms. The recliner mechanisms may be missing the third pawl required for seat back strength, resulting in a loose seat back. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."

RiskA seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
RemedyFord will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C07.
11

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

Campaign 19V687000 · 30/09/2019

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford Explorer vehicles equipped with 2.3L or 3.3L engines. The wiring harness may not have been properly secured and may contact the air conditioner compressor (A/C) pulley, potentially damaging the harness or the A/C belt.

RiskThe A/C pulley may rub through the wiring harness insulation and contact the unfused battery positive wire, resulting in a short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
RemedyFord will notify owners, and dealers will install a tie strap to the wiring harness at the hand shock tower clip, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S32.
12

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

Campaign 19V575000 · 05/08/2019

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The Manual Park Release (MPR) cover may not be installed. In addition, the vehicles may be in Factory Mode, which disables warning alerts and does not display the transmission gear selected. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 114, "Theft Prevention" and 102, "Trans Shift Lever Seq/Starter Interlock/Trans Braking Effect."

RiskWithout the cover, the MPR lever may be unintentionally moved, allowing the vehicle to roll away. Being in Factory Mode, the vehicle will not display warnings and/or gear selection on the instrument cluster. Both conditions increase the risk of a crash.
RemedyFord will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, install a MPR cover. Dealers will verify the instrument cluster is not in Factory Mode and clear any fault codes, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C06.

What owners complain about

The systems 2020 Ford Explorer owners report most often to federal regulators:

Power Train439
Unknown Or Other194
Electrical System175
Engine109
Back Over Prevention104
Service Brakes80

NHTSA crash-test ratings

Frontal crash★★★★★
Side crash★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★
Overall★★★★★

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2020 Ford Explorer have any recalls?

Yes. The 2020 Ford Explorer has 31 NHTSA recall campaigns. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Check your specific VIN to see whether the work was completed.

What problems do 2020 Ford Explorer owners report?

Owners have filed 1,138 complaints with the NHTSA for the 2020 Ford Explorer, most often about the power train, unknown or other, electrical system.

How do I check a specific Explorer's history?

Enter the 17-character VIN into Carchieve. You get the recalls, owner complaints and crash ratings shown here for that exact vehicle, plus full decoded specifications and a guided title and odometer check.

Check a specific 2020 Ford Explorer

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Other model years

2015 Ford Explorer2016 Ford Explorer2017 Ford Explorer2018 Ford Explorer2019 Ford Explorer2021 Ford Explorer