2021 FORD EXPLORER HYBRID — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

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N/A

Safety Rating

7

Owner Complaints

4 Crashes

1

Recall

ACTIVE RECALL

1

Service Bulletin

0

Investigations

Overview of the 2021 FORD EXPLORER HYBRID

The 2021 FORD EXPLORER HYBRID has received a total of 7 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 4 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY, POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT. 1 technical service bulletin have been issued by Ford Motor Company for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Electrical System (1 complaint), Power Train (1 complaint), and Power Trainautomatic Transmission (1 complaint).

Recalls for the 2021 FORD EXPLORER HYBRID

NHTSA has recorded 4 recalls for the 2021 FORD EXPLORER HYBRID, potentially affecting up to 1,011,744 vehicles.

Recall 22V255000 — POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

| 252,936 vehicles affected

Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Explorer Police FHEV, Explorer Police 3.3L, and 2020-2022 Explorer 2.3L RWD, 3.0L PHEV, 3.3L FHEV, and 3.0L ST GAS vehicles. The rear axle horizontal mounting bolt may fracture and cause the driveshaft to disconnect.

Consequence: A disconnected driveshaft can result in vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in 'Park' without the parking brake applied, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the bushing and axle cover, or update the electronic parking brake software. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed June 9, 2022, and March 10, 2023....

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Recall 22V255000 — POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY

| 252,936 vehicles affected

Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Explorer Police FHEV, Explorer Police 3.3L, and 2020-2022 Explorer 2.3L RWD, 3.0L PHEV, 3.3L FHEV, and 3.0L ST GAS vehicles. The rear axle horizontal mounting bolt may fracture and cause the driveshaft to disconnect.

Consequence: A disconnected driveshaft can result in vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in 'Park' without the parking brake applied, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the bushing and axle cover, or update the electronic parking brake software. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed June 9, 2022, and March 10, 2023....

View full details →

Recall 22V255000 — POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

| 252,936 vehicles affected

Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Explorer Police FHEV, Explorer Police 3.3L, and 2020-2022 Explorer 2.3L RWD, 3.0L PHEV, 3.3L FHEV, and 3.0L ST GAS vehicles. The rear axle horizontal mounting bolt may fracture and cause the driveshaft to disconnect.

Consequence: A disconnected driveshaft can result in vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in 'Park' without the parking brake applied, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the bushing and axle cover, or update the electronic parking brake software. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed June 9, 2022, and March 10, 2023....

View full details →

Recall 22V255000 — POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

| 252,936 vehicles affected

Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Explorer Police FHEV, Explorer Police 3.3L, and 2020-2022 Explorer 2.3L RWD, 3.0L PHEV, 3.3L FHEV, and 3.0L ST GAS vehicles. The rear axle horizontal mounting bolt may fracture and cause the driveshaft to disconnect.

Consequence: A disconnected driveshaft can result in vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in 'Park' without the parking brake applied, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the bushing and axle cover, or update the electronic parking brake software. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed June 9, 2022, and March 10, 2023....

View full details →

Owner Complaints for the 2021 FORD EXPLORER HYBRID

7 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2021 FORD EXPLORER HYBRID. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.

Most Recent Complaints

#11556636 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | | 96,147 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer Hybrid. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, there was a burning odor present. The message "Pull Over Possible Powertrain Damage" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who determined that the high voltage junction box had overheated and was burned. The high voltage junction box and high voltage junction box wiring harness were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and indicated that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V626000 (Electrical System). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 96,147.
#11556088 | POWER TRAIN | | N/A miles Crash 1 Injury
A Police Officer's Ford Explorer Interceptor Hybrid SUV while driving had a vehicle malfunction where the rear wheels began to wobble/vibrate and while driving in a straight line with front wheels facing straight caused the vehicle to fishtail out of the control (loss of control to the rear wheels) and slam into a tree at approximately 50mph injuring the officer. Officer's injuries were broken left leg and two knee fractures. Upon further research, this incident may have been caused by the "rear bolt" fracture issue Ford is having with these specific Ford Explorers. This specific vehicle is under recall per the VIN. The Officer's safety was put at risk because the vehicle was most likely not recalled and fixed per the recall. The vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer or any qualified/certified individual. No other issues or symptoms were present prior to this incident. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request with the BART Police Department in Oakland, CA.
#11556088 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | | N/A miles Crash 1 Injury
A Police Officer's Ford Explorer Interceptor Hybrid SUV while driving had a vehicle malfunction where the rear wheels began to wobble/vibrate and while driving in a straight line with front wheels facing straight caused the vehicle to fishtail out of the control (loss of control to the rear wheels) and slam into a tree at approximately 50mph injuring the officer. Officer's injuries were broken left leg and two knee fractures. Upon further research, this incident may have been caused by the "rear bolt" fracture issue Ford is having with these specific Ford Explorers. This specific vehicle is under recall per the VIN. The Officer's safety was put at risk because the vehicle was most likely not recalled and fixed per the recall. The vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer or any qualified/certified individual. No other issues or symptoms were present prior to this incident. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request with the BART Police Department in Oakland, CA.
#11556088 | WHEELS | | N/A miles Crash 1 Injury
A Police Officer's Ford Explorer Interceptor Hybrid SUV while driving had a vehicle malfunction where the rear wheels began to wobble/vibrate and while driving in a straight line with front wheels facing straight caused the vehicle to fishtail out of the control (loss of control to the rear wheels) and slam into a tree at approximately 50mph injuring the officer. Officer's injuries were broken left leg and two knee fractures. Upon further research, this incident may have been caused by the "rear bolt" fracture issue Ford is having with these specific Ford Explorers. This specific vehicle is under recall per the VIN. The Officer's safety was put at risk because the vehicle was most likely not recalled and fixed per the recall. The vehicle has not been inspected by manufacturer or any qualified/certified individual. No other issues or symptoms were present prior to this incident. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request with the BART Police Department in Oakland, CA.
#11513540 | STEERING | | N/A miles Crash
I was making a slow speed u-turn to stop a speeding motorist. As I came out of the u-turn, the wheel did not come back to center and I continued the turn going up a curb and striking a chain link fence. When I realized what was occurring, I manually began to turn the steering wheel to the right to get back on the roadway. There is patrol car dash cam footage of this collision. Police report# 23-688.

View all Electrical System complaints →

Safety Rating for the 2021 FORD EXPLORER HYBRID

NHTSA has not yet tested the 2021 FORD EXPLORER HYBRID in its New Car Assessment Program.

Technical Service Bulletins for the 2021 FORD EXPLORER HYBRID

Ford Motor Company has issued 1 technical service bulletin (TSBs) for the 2021 FORD EXPLORER HYBRID. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.

SSM 54425 — FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Some 2020-2026 Police Interceptor Utility hybrid vehicles may exhibit multiple warning messages, various drivability concerns and/or an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P061B stored in the powertrain control module (PCM). This may be due to the incorrect installation of additional police equipment. Equipment should only...

NHTSA Investigations for the 2021 FORD EXPLORER HYBRID

There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.

Other Model Years of the FORD EXPLORER HYBRID

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Other FORD Models

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