Ford Explorer jerking problems

Filed Oct 29, 2026 · Transmission · 6,000 miles · NM

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle independently shifted to park(P), followed by a ripping sound coming from underneath the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that while driving 43-44 MPH and attempting to merge into the passing lane with his wife in the vehicle, the failure recurred, nearly bringing the vehicle to stop. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that upon shifting from park(P) to drive(D), the vehicle hesitated, made a clicking sound and jerked while responding. Additionally, the contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact emptied the trunk; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, but the failure could not be duplicated. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the part required for the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the Chalmers Ford (2500 Rio Rancho Blvd SE, Rio Rancho, NM 87124), where it was test-driven, and the failures were confirmed. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.

Filed Oct 20, 2026 · Brakes, Driver assistance · VA

On October 19, 2026, I experienced a serious braking malfunction while driving my 2025 Ford Explorer ST at highway speed. While my foot was on the accelerator, the vehicle unexpectedly began braking repeatedly without me pressing the brake pedal. The vehicle jerked and pulsated as though the ABS was activating. When I attempted to brake, the pedal felt unusually loose and did not immediately respond to the pressure I applied. I eventually managed to slow down and pull onto the highway shoulder. This created a dangerous situation that put me and other motorists at risk. Multiple warnings appeared, including Anti-Lock Brake System Fault, Electronic Parking Brake, Pre-Collision Assist Not Available, and Powertrain Malfunction/Reduced Power. The dashboard also displayed “Park Brake Not Applied,” although I had not activated the parking brake. FordPass reported that the ABS control module was sending invalid information to other vehicle modules and that the electronic parking brake had a fault. This was the second nearly identical incident. On September 29, 2026, I experienced similar unexpected braking and difficulty controlling the brakes. The dealership diagnosed a software glitch and charged approximately $690 for a system reboot and update, which they stated was not covered under warranty. Despite that repair, the dangerous braking malfunction returned less than three weeks later. The vehicle was towed back to the Ford dealership on October 19 and is awaiting further diagnosis. I am concerned about this recurring braking malfunction and the risk of a serious collision. I request that the federal safety agency investigate this potential safety defect.

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 3, 2026 · Transmission · TN

While driving the vehicle, in any mode, the car will stutter or "cough" causing it to slow down. I have to pull the vehicle to the slow lane until it eventually corrects itself. Also, on multiple occasions when I hit the gas the car stalls until I let off the gas pedal and let the car "think" for a moment and then it will drive. This happens a lot at stop signs or when the light changes. I will hit the gas to go and the car does nothing. It feels like the engine stalls even though the car is still on. On a few occasions I will be driving at high speeds on the interstate and I will punch the gas to go around a car and it stalls. On EVERY occasion when this happens, whether I am pulling out at a busy intersection or am driving with the flow of traffic on the interstate, I am around multiple cars and cars are having to hit their brakes or swerve to avoid my vehicle. When this happens it only takes about 10 seconds for the car to go again but that is still long enough to get hit. I am scared to drive my car with my children in it because of this. A have contacted the dealership but they say to bring it in when it is acting up but it does not do it everyday so there is no way for me to do that. They also said they could keep it and drive it but they do no offer a loaner vehicle so I cannot be without my only vehicle for multiple days at a time. On other occasions the vehicle seems like it looses momentum and is very sluggish. Sometimes the car jerks into gear instead of a smooth transition.

Filed Oct 2, 2026 · Transmission · CA

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The transmission independently shifted into neutral(N) and later shifted into park(P), and the vehicle jerked. The contact stated that the power train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact's husband, who was an independent mechanic, diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was contacted by phone, and a case was filed.

Filed Sep 23, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · MS

Transmission downshifts hard, jerks at take off

Filed Sep 22, 2026 · Transmission · 107,300 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle jerked. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed torque converter. The contact was informed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under Customer Satisfaction Program: 20N07. The failure mileage was approximately 107,300.

Filed Sep 21, 2026 · Fuel system, Transmission · KS

While driving with the cruise on at 74 mph the vehicle jerked as if the brakes had been tapped. I shut off the cruise and tried to accelerate but nothing happened. At this point I signaled to change lanes and pulled to the right shoulder. There were no dash lights or warning alarms prior to the engine stalling. Clearly an engine stalling at this rate of speed could have ended bad for all 5 passengers and surrounding vehicles. Vehicle is being towed to Augusta, KS Ford dealer this morning 9/21/26. Vehicle was scanned and is showing a hard code for low pressure to fuel pump. This vehicle is not currently included in the NHSTA Campaign 25V455000.

Filed Sep 17, 2026 · Transmission · KS

Vehicle: 2020 Ford Explorer XLT Active Recall: Ford #26S48 The transmission on my 2020 Ford Explorer has completely failed, leaving my vehicle inoperable and my family stranded. The vehicle is currently located at a local Ford dealership, just sitting there waiting for a fix. My vehicle started shifting gears randomly while driving, causing a lot of jerky movements. My wrench light came on the dashboard, and I instantly took my SUV to a local Ford dealership for inspection. After the inspection, the dealership described metal shards floating in my transmission fluid and stated that the only way to fix the issues is to pay for a brand-new transmission to be installed. Having both the dashboard warning light (wrench icon) and shifting issues alongside metal shards strongly points to active internal mechanical damage matching the 26S48 recall pattern associated with my exact VIN. Although my VIN is tied to active safety recall 26S48 for this exact component failure, the dealership refuses to repair it, stating that an official corporate remedy/parts are not available yet. Furthermore, the dealership attempted to quote me roughly $10,000 out of pocket for a transmission replacement for an emergency fix. When I contacted Ford Corporate, they confirmed the lack of a current remedy and refused to provide alternative transportation (such as a loaner or rental vehicle), instead telling me to pay out-of-pocket for a rental or independent repair and "hope" for a future reimbursement. As a single-income family currently navigating an extreme financial hardship due to medical issues, paying thousands out-of-pocket or taking on high debt for a manufacturer defect seems impossible and an unfair burden. Forcing a family to choose between severe financial strain or being left indefinitely without a vehicle due to a delayed manufacturer remedy defeats the entire protective intent of the safety standards enforced by the federal safety agency.

Filed Sep 9, 2026 · Transmission · 110,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission shifted erratically. The messages "Service Advancetrac”, "See Owner’s Manual" and an unknown message were displayed. The contact stated that the failure mostly occurred while depressing the brake pedal, and the vehicle lurched forward while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the failure progressively worsened, and the vehicle had become undrivable. While researching the failure online, the contact discovered that the VIN was included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the recall remedy was unavailable. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.