After getting my vehicle from the dealership my steering wheel was hard to turn , took it in and they replaced the struts (The old struts were binding). 6/7 Days later the same thing happened with the steering wheel. They had said it was a switch in the power steering and there was a safety recall and i would have to take it into a ford dealership. When i had called to make my appointment there wasn’t a recall and i called the ford company and they said the same thing.
2013 Ford Explorer suspension problems
79 complaints (4% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 100,000. 5 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 79
- of this car's complaints
- 4%
- typical mileage
- 100,000
- crashes
- 5
- recalls
- 4
Which part fails
- Front: wheel bearing1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Ford Explorer suspension problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2013 Ford Explorer suspension
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. These vehicles may be equipped with a cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) replacement part that could seize, and result in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link.
- Risk
- 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 number 21V746000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Exposure to road salt can cause the cross-axis ball joint to corrode and seize, resulting in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link.
- Risk
- 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 the federal safety agency 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 number 21V537000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin that were previously repaired under a prior recall numbers 16V‑245 or 19V‑435. The outboard section of a rear suspension toe link may fracture.
- Risk
- 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 number 20V675000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
- Risk
- 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 number 19V435000 · Recall details
What 2013 Ford Explorer owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a recall repair related to a possible rear suspension toe link fracture. The contact stated that while his son was driving 55 MPH, a month and half after the recall repair, the rear driver's side tire had a blowout, causing the vehicle to swerve and to drift into another lane. The contact stated that there was no oncoming traffic during the failure. The driver was able to pull over to the right side of the road. The contact then met his son on the side of the road, and the contact replaced the rear driver's side tire with the spare tire. The contact then drove to the residence and inspected the tire. The contact noticed that the inner side edge of both rear tires were prematurely worn. The contact related the failure to the recall repair. The dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Landmark Ford, Inc. (2401 Prairie Crossing Dr, Springfield, IL 62711); was contacted and the contact was informed that the previous dealer did not complete the alignment during the recall repair, causing the premature wear of the tires. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 248,995.
I was leaving the store pulled out on a main road in town about to head on the highway. My steering wheel locked and would hardly move with all my strength and the help of my significant other we pulled back into the store parking lot rarely missing hitting several vehicles in the process. I had my children with me at the time in this vehicle as well. The power steering assist fault message popped up. I had the vehicle towed to Ford Groves and after a diagnostic test was ran I was told it was my steering gear and the entire steering column needed to be replaced. The second opinion I got said it was the rack and pinion needing to be replaced. After doing research I found other reports of other 2013 ford explorer owners having wrecks due to this some with the same edition as myself (limited). There are recalls for the steering on 2013 ford explorer but not the limited. I need my edition to be added because this is clearly happening here as well. This was very dangerous when I explained to the dealership about the recalls they told me this was not accurate and was the wrong information. This was random and happened out of no where my vehicle was fine prior to this. Yes the vehicle is available upon request for inspection
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the PTU. The contact was also informed that the rear differential needed to be refilled. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 93,000.
When Driving I started noticing that my steering wheel what getting harder to turn and it felt like it was lagging control. I could still turn and maneuver the steering wheel but the control overall was defiantly not safe. I stopped in at our mechanic and they test drove it. He stated that yes something was definably wrong with the steering system and he said it was hopefully the u-joint for control arm. We made any appointment for the next following week. I drove my explorer with extreme caution and the steering issue just got worse. I noticed that I now have a griding noise coming from my steering when I turn. This is a safety issue because it just going to seize up and I will not have any control over my vehicle. When I did finally did get my explorer into the mechanic the next following week he stated that I needed a new rack and pinion. I only have 140000 miles on my explorer. The cost was astronomical!!! $1700 for the rack and Pinon $600 in labor and a wheel alignment. and don't forget tax. That was a shocker!! I cant afford that kind of out of pocket expense. My vehicle vin does not fall into the recalled safety notice however this seems to be a big issues with the 2013 Ford Explores. My safely overall is the main issued!! I expect ford to follow through in how they manufacture its vehicles and maintenance products. Please include all explorers in the recall!!!!
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver and the front passenger’s side of the vehicle crashed into the shoulder lane wall. No warning lights were illuminated. The air bags had not deployed. No injuries were sustained; however, medical attention was sought. A Police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the axle on the front passenger’s side wheel was cracked and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the engine mounts also needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced a death wobble. The contact stated that there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the vehicle while driving or while idling. The failure became more persistent and more pronounced over time. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, a final diagnostic result was not provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 106,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated 6 months after installing new tires on the vehicle, the front tires were damaged. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was inspected, and the mechanic determined that the shocks, the control arms, and rack and pinion failures had caused damages to the tires. The mechanic informed the contact that the front tires, the shocks, the control arms, and the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in an unknown recall. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to move. The contact pulled over and the steering wheel seized. The contact turned the vehicle off however, the steering wheel failed to regain proper functionality. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering wheel had failed due to a failure with the suspension. The contact was informed that the failure was related to an unknown recall for which the vehicle was previously included in. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired free of charge because the VIN was not currently included in any recalls. The contact was informed that the steering assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case for the failure. The manufacturer confirmed that the VIN was not covered under recall or warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to file a safety complaint. The failure mileage was 202,000.
Questions about the 2013 Ford Explorer suspension
Does the 2013 Ford Explorer have suspension problems?
Owners have filed 79 complaints about the suspension of the 2013 Ford Explorer, 4% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2013 Ford Explorer suspension problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 100,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Ford Explorer suspension?
Yes, 4 recalls: 21V746000, 21V537000, 20V675000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Ford Explorer have bad suspension?
The Ford Explorer model years with the most suspension complaints are 2002 (422 complaints), 1998 (111 complaints) and 1997 (105 complaints).
Other 2013 Ford Explorer problems
Steering 837Body 439Engine 291Electrical 163Fuel system 153Transmission 119Driver assistance 105Visibility 63Brakes 40Acceleration 38Lights 25Seat belts 20Wheels 20Airbags 18Locks 16Seats 10Tires 2
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