Ford Explorer fire or smoke problems

Filed Oct 26, 2026 · Engine · PA

On October 21, 2026, after an approximately one-hour round trip in our 2021 Ford Explorer, we arrived home and noticed smoke coming from under the hood. When we opened the hood, we found oil spread throughout the engine compartment. The smoke and oil leak raised concerns about a possible fire and the safety of continuing to drive the vehicle. The vehicle had recently received its second replacement engine, installed by Stuckey Ford of Bellefonte on September 2, 2026. We brought it back to that dealership on October 23. Service staff told us they believed the oil leak involved the valve cover gasket on the recently installed long block. This is a preliminary diagnosis; we have not received written confirmation of the cause. As of October 26, the vehicle remains at the dealership awaiting repair and is available there for inspection upon arrangement. Whether Ford has independently inspected this new issue is unknown. The vehicle has a history of repeated oil loss and low oil pressure warnings. The original engine was replaced under warranty in June 2024 at approximately 39,574 miles after the dealership documented oil in cylinder 2 and heavy cylinder wall scoring. In June 2026, we again reported almost no oil and a low oil warning. In July 2026, at 77,206 miles, the dealership documented excessive oil consumption and internal oil burning in cylinder 3, leading to the September replacement. Shortly after that replacement, the vehicle also displayed an overheating warning and required towing. The dealership found that a coolant hose had come off and repaired it in September. Whether warning lights or messages appeared before the October 21 oil leak and smoke incident is unknown. The repeated engine problems and this new incident have left us concerned about safely using the vehicle.

Filed Jun 16, 2026 · Transmission · WI

My vehicle started downshifting hard, making a jerking motion, specifically from around 7th-6th gear. It is an automatic transmission but when I went to slow down at stop signs, stop lights, etc. it would make a jerking motion in the slow down process. It has inhibited my ability to drive it. There are times when it have difficulty accelerating. I took it to an independent mechanic shop to have them look at it. Immediately when examining the transmission fluid, it had a strong burning smell. This is not normal. This vehicle has 158,000 miles and has not had issues with the transmission before. There are no warning lights on the dash. I haven’t gotten any notifications that something is wrong in the Ford App. I cannot drive it to work or elsewhere due to the fact of the shifting and not knowing how much longer before it stops working all together. This is a known issue with the transmission my car has and yet does not have a recall.

Filed Jun 15, 2026 · Engine · 86,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood with the Check Engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road, and the contact inspected the vehicle and became aware of smoke coming from underneath the vehicle. The failure reoccurred while the contact and the contact's minor children were traveling. A nearby Police Officer assisted the contact. The contact informed the officer that the vehicle was recently purchased from a CarMax. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the nearby CarMax. The vehicle was taken to CarMax, where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine had severe fluid leaks. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was shipped back to the residence a month later. The failure reoccurred and was a persistent failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken back to CarMax twelve times due to the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

Filed May 10, 2026 · KY · fire

The car had been parked for 30 minutes in the driveway and spontaneously caught on fire. Our lives and home were at risk of serious injury due to the fire. Firefighters and police were called to the scene and the fire was put out. There were no mechanical issues prior to this happening.

Filed Apr 18, 2026 · Engine · CO

Smoke coming from engine bay area. Vehicle in limp mode. Mechanic says piston broke a hole in engine wall.

Filed Mar 23, 2026 · Electrical · 200,000 miles · LA · fire

The contact owned a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, turned off, and unoccupied, the vehicle caught fire. The contact was in her residence, and a neighbor knocked on her door, making her aware that the vehicle had caught fire. The fire has been extinguished by the local fire department. The fire department indicated that the failure may have occurred due to a wiring malfunction in the vehicle. A police report was not filed, but a fire report was filed and was unavailable. There were no injuries reported. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

Filed Mar 11, 2026 · FL · fire

My car was parked in the driveway and it caught on fire from under the hood.

Filed Jan 19, 2026 · Electrical · MI · fire

On January 8, 2026, my 2014 Ford Explorer (VIN: [XXX] ) caught fire without warning. The vehicle was parked in my garage prior to departure. When I pulled the vehicle out to leave, I noticed something burning on the garage floor. I briefly returned inside to extinguish that small fire, and when I turned back, the vehicle itself was on fire. I immediately moved the vehicle onto the grass away from a nearby tree to reduce the risk of further damage or spread. The fire department responded and extinguished the fire, and police were also on scene. The vehicle was effectively a total loss. There was no collision or prior accident involved. The fire appeared to originate in or around the engine compartment. The vehicle was properly maintained, and to the best of my knowledge, no unauthorized modifications were made. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Oct 26, 2025 · Steering, Suspension · WI · crash

I had a recall on my 2011 Ford explorer for toe Links and bushings. Since ever since this has been going on I have gone through 38 tires in the rear in the past two years alone no shop will fix my car because the camber is so out of whack I have to have the whole rear suspension redone again when it should have been fixed the first time with the recall link Ford spent 5 minutes going through my car and said that my car didn't qualify for any recall because my car is a front wheel drive and not an all-wheel drive so they did not do the recall now after bringing it to another shop I have the estimate of what it would cost to fix that needs to be done it is an emergency because when I hit a pothole I go in the ditch my friend and his smashed because I can't control my car my steering freezes while driving down the highway and this all has something to do with the rear suspension five Star automotive wrote down everything that needs to be replaced this is a hazard to be on the road, if I could afford another car I would have one I keep sinking money into this one, because of Link Ford and their mistake me and my car should not have to suffer for it or anyone else on the road because this is a hazard my car is going to kill someone if I would have had the recall replaced, I wouldn't have had to spend an additional $1,400 on parts and labor that never even got put in because they can't put them in until this is repaired I can't even get a front end alignment because of this the entire rear suspension is sagging to the ground and my tires tilt in about 42°. I have the printout from both Link Ford in mining and 5 star automotive in Superior WI because of the 22 times I've gone in the ditch due to my suspension and steering locking up I have a short in the ground wire somewhere that is now fried my ECU so when I put it in a $90 boot every time it lights on fire within 30 seconds I'm in closing that picture as well of the one I just put in little over an hour ago.

Filed Oct 18, 2025 · MO

When accelerating more rapidly (like getting on interstate), a burning smell will enter the cabin. It is not noticed at low speeds, nor when acceleration to high speeds happens gradually. The smell is strong and lingers for about one minute.