2020 Ford Explorer engine problems

Filed Nov 2, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · IN · 1 injury

When I was driving on the highway, the car braked really hard like brake checked. It seemed like it was part of the safety system because a light was flashing on the dash like I was gonna hit something but no car was there. Now my car keeps jolting and breaking fast even when I accelerate it will brake for half a second when I am driving. in my car keeps overheating. The mechanics tell me it’s related to something pinching off oil lines and the transmission possibly and that the recalls are possibly related to this issues. it’s not safe and it’s messing up my transmission and my car keeps stopping and starting in the middle of traffic. I have a family I LOVE my vehicle but it’s not safe and I can’t afford to fix it.

Filed Oct 15, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · TX

My transmission had been getting increasingly jerky (was never a smooth ride since it was new). At 55k miles, I was driving down the road and my car started to jerk roughly and would not shift gears. It would go and jerk, hard, like I hit something. We made it home but the next day it was even worse. I noted it was jerking around 25 mph and randomly at other speeds. I drove it to Ford, where we were under the impression there was an upcoming transmission recall, but we also thought our extended warranty was still in effect. Instead, they realized the transmission recall is for something different and we were lied to about our warranty, so it had been backdated and covered the 2 years prior to purchase, not the life of the loan as we had been told, and what we went in to do. The employees, mechanics, and forums, if you type (2020 Explorer transmission) quickly painted the picture that this is a VERY common issue and a KNOWN issue at that. Rough jerking. Rebuild transmission. Aside from knowing about this EXACT problem, and it being repeated everywhere, and acknowledged from FORD employees that they see it several times a day, I found that there was a huge buyback in 2020 for this reason. There was also a bulletin released talking about the issue in 2020. [XXX] The fact we are now in 2026 and these vehicles are still doing this and there is no recall is both outrageous and concerning. Had we been on the highway or a busy street, it could have been a much worse outcome. Ford says they gave us a discount. $3,500. Our receipt says 0.00 across all fields, but handwritten $3,500, which is the going rate for a rebuilt transmission. I saw there is a class action lawsuit, but we are a few months out of range to sign up. It's unreal how many people and employees are aware of this, and Ford does nothing but continue to push these cars to the public. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Oct 8, 2026 · Brakes, Engine · 102,000 miles · MS · crash

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle was shaking excessively, with severe vibrations throughout the cabin of the vehicle. The failure was coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that while approaching a stop sign or a red light and depressing the brake pedal, the RPM was rising and the vehicle failed to stop as intended, causing the vehicle to crash into a pole in a parking lot, causing a dent to the front grille and scratches in the paint. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, but the technicians were unable to duplicate the failure. The failure mileage was 102,000.

Filed Sep 24, 2026 · Engine · OH

Driving down road when motor started making noise. No lights on dash or anything then it started to buck and wouldn’t accelerate.i pulled over on the highway and shut it off and called a friend for a tow. Got the car checked out and turns out it was almost 5 quarts low on oil and has spun a rod bearing and almost locked up.

Filed Sep 23, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · MS

Transmission downshifts hard, jerks at take off

Filed Aug 21, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · TN

While driving down a main road, the speed limit changed from 40 to 55 mph. When the gas pedal was pushed, the car violently jerked, did not speed up, and proceeded to have a grinding sound emitting from the engine. No warning lights appeared. The grinding noise continued until the vehicle was placed in neutral and back in drive. We began looking into it and found a recall for the transmission. We contacted a local dealership and were told that they would not be able to inspect or address the issue until Ford issues a remedy (projected to be 8-11 months from now). Since then, the car has experienced harsh upshifting, hesitation with acceleration, jerking, and grinding along with significant rolling when put in park and let off the brake. We contacted Ford directly with no avail. No one has had any advice to “help” with the issue until Ford decides to issue the remedy. We have essentially been told to either park it and continue to make payments on something that is of no use, or to keep driving it and go until it stops. The concern is we have two small children and can not risk engine/transmission failure while driving down the road. The safety of our children comes before anything else, and this vehicle no longer provides safety for them.

Filed Jul 24, 2026 · Engine · TX

I drove to work with no issues, lights or warnings. I parked and worked for 7 hours. Upon leaving and cranking the engine, it immediately showed overheated and went into limp mode. I drove it less than 100Ft, parked and called for a tow. There was no puddles or other indications of an issue. Upon towing to the closest dealership, I was informed the oil cooler failed putting coolant into the oil and "scorching" the engine and I need an entire new engine. The dealership confirmed there wouldn't be any warning lights of this happening.

Filed Jul 15, 2026 · Engine · 85,000 miles · GA

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 85 MPH, there was an abnormal popping and grinding sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and became aware that the flex pipe with a part of the catalytic converter attached was touching the ground. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the catalytic converter had sheared off in half, and the left side of the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000. The VIN was not available.

Filed Jul 13, 2026 · Engine · NJ

The part that is affected is the engine/transmission. When the temperature outside reaches approximately 45 degrees Fahrenheit, the engine seizes upon starting and it will not engage in gear until it is warmed up. That's take anywhere from 5-10 min. If its not fully warmed and you try to go in reverse or drive forward, the car does a hard jump and jerk rendering the vehicle hard to steer . The engine seizes in the cold making it dangerous also, if you were in an emergency situation you would not be able to move your vehicle. It has been to the Ford dealership several times. A complaint filed with Ford motor company and the issue is still NOT fixed. Parts were fixed in the engine but the problem still exists. I live in [XXX] where its cold 6-7 mints out of the year, especially overnights the temps go below 45. I would like this issue addressed and fixed properly with a new engine, but Ford has not done even given the amount of times its been in their shop with the same issue They had my car for a month and still didnt fix it properly. Its an unsafe vehicle to drive INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jun 25, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · CA

Transmission with known defects failed at 72,000 miles under normal driving circumstances and a vehicle only six years old.