Ford Explorer / 2013
2013 Ford Explorer problems
Owners have filed 2,791 complaints about the 2013 Ford Explorer with NHTSA. Steering accounts for 30.1% of them — the clear leader, ahead of structure at 15.7%.
Complaints2,791
Crashes61
Fires16
Injuries76
Deaths1
What owners report breaking
Steering 30.1% · 839
Structure 15.7% · 438
Unknown or other 12.3% · 342
Engine 8.0% · 224
Electrical system 5.8% · 163
Fuel/propulsion system 4.3% · 120
Power train 4.3% · 119
Suspension 2.8% · 79
Severity
Of those complaints, 61 describe a crash, 16 describe a fire, 76 report an injury and 1 report a death.
Reading the numbers
Across the 33 model years of the Ford Explorer in this data, 2013 ranks 3rd by complaint volume — 2002 draws the most.
Filing volume has held steady, 535 in the last three years against 559 in the three before.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 74,000 miles.
In owners' own words
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. While driving at an unknown speed, the steering wheel became extremely hard to maneuver without warning. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and verified that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v286000 (steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 75,000. Steering · reported at 75,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. While driving 65 mph, the vehicle shuddered. The vehicle was taken to sterling mccall Ford (6445 southwest fwy, houston tx 77074, (281) 588-5000) where it was diagnosed that the steering rack assembly failed. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v286000 (steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 80,246. Steering · reported at 80,246 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. While driving 45 mph, the steering wheel became difficult to turn and seized. The contact was unable to turn the vehicle in the middle of the street. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 87,000. Steering · reported at 87,000 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…