2020 Ford Explorer transmission & drivetrain problems

Related recalls

• Recall 26V402000Jun 24, 2026741,195 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Navigator, Expedition, 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2021 F-150 vehicles. The transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in park system damage.

  Risk: Park system damage may result in a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, and inspect and replace any damaged transmission components as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 10, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in April 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S48. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on June 26, 2026.

• Recall 25V166000Mar 14, 20254,247 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall numbers 23V-199 or 22V-255. The rear axle horizontal mounting bolt may fracture and cause the driveshaft to disconnect.

  Risk: A disconnected driveshaft can result in vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in park without the parking brake applied. A disconnected driveshaft can also result in a loss of drive power. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 25, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S22.

• Recall 23V675000Oct 6, 2023238,364 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles. The rear axle horizontal mounting bolt may fracture and cause the driveshaft to disconnect.

  Risk: A disconnected driveshaft can result in a loss of drive power or a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not applied. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will replace the subframe bushing and rear axle bolt. They will also inspect the rear axle cover for damage near the bolt hole location and replace with a new cover if any damage is found. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 19, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S55.

• Recall 23V199000Mar 24, 2023674 vehicles
  PARKING BRAKE:ELECTRICAL · POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 2.3L RWD, 3.3L GAS, 3.3L FHEV, or 3.0L ST powertrain. The previous powertrain control module (PCM) update completed under recall 22V-255 did not include the automatic electronic parking brake feature when the vehicle is shifted to park, as intended. In addition, the rear axle horizontal mounting bolt may fracture and cause the driveshaft to disconnect.

  Risk: Without the electronic parking brake applied, the vehicle could rollaway if the driveshaft disconnects. A disconnected driveshaft can also result in a loss of drive power. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will update the PCM software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 31, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S16.

• Recall 23V069000Feb 10, 20233,674 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 2.3L engine and 10R60 automatic transmission. An unintentional powertrain control module (PCM) reset may occur while the vehicle is in motion and result in park system damage.

  Risk: A park system that is damaged may not shift into "PARK," resulting in a vehicle rollaway and increasing the risk of injury or crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will inspect the park system for damage and repair as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S05.

• Recall 20V693000Nov 10, 202010,905 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with a 2.0L or 3.3L engine and a 10 Speed Automatic Transmission with the All Wheel Drive package. The drive shaft may fracture along the weld seam.

  Risk: Defective drive shafts may fail and cause a loss of connection between the transfer case and rear axle, possibly resulting in a vehicle rollaway when in Park or a loss of drive. Either condition can increase the risk of a crash. The drive shafts can also deform and separate from the driveline and potentially contact the fuel tank, increasing the risk of fuel leaks and/or fire.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the drive shaft label inspected and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S65.

• Recall 19V575000Aug 5, 201913,896 vehicles
  ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL · PARKING BRAKE · POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The Manual Park Release (MPR) cover may not be installed. In addition, the vehicles may be in Factory Mode, which disables warning alerts and does not display the transmission gear selected. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 114, "Theft Prevention" and 102, "Trans Shift Lever Seq/Starter Interlock/Trans Braking Effect."

  Risk: Without the cover, the MPR lever may be unintentionally moved, allowing the vehicle to roll away. Being in Factory Mode, the vehicle will not display warnings and/or gear selection on the instrument cluster. Both conditions increase the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, install a MPR cover. Dealers will verify the instrument cluster is not in Factory Mode and clear any fault codes, free of charge. The recall began August 23, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C06.

What owners say

1. Filed Oct 8, 2026MISteeringTransmission & DrivetrainVisibility & Wipers

   on the highway it was raining heavily, and my 6 years old was in car back seat. Suddenly wipers stopped working, Steering wheel wasn't working, indicator was not working, I was getting multiple warnings on my screen. We would have ended up in a major accident.

   NHTSA complaint #11769834 · source
2. Filed Oct 7, 2026CATransmission & Drivetrain

   On [XXX], while driving on the freeway with my family, my 2020 Ford Explorer ST violently and unexpectedly commanded a severe transmission downshift on its own. Upon stopping the vehicle, the transmission completely failed to engage Drive or Reverse, entirely immobilizing the vehicle and rendering it a severe hazard. The vehicle had to be towed 142 miles away to Diamond Ford in Lancaster, CA. Diamond Ford has officially diagnosed the failure as a broken parking pawl…

   NHTSA complaint #11769700 · source
3. Filed Oct 2, 2026CATowedTransmission & Drivetrain

   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…

   NHTSA complaint #11768503 · source
4. Filed Sep 29, 2026CATransmission & Drivetrain

   2020 Ford Explorer Transmission Failure Vehicle: 2020 Ford Explorer Limited (~66,000 miles) SAFETY HAZARD: My SUV experiences a violent jolt while driving that feels like a sudden, unexpected brake tap. Originally occurring at 35 mph, the defect has actively degraded: it now breaks right through Sport Mode and aggressively occurs at 45 mph. This unexpected deceleration in traffic is a severe safety hazard that risks a rear-end collision. DELAER DIAGNOSTIC FINDINGS…

   NHTSA complaint #11767923 · source
5. Filed Sep 29, 2026ORTransmission & Drivetrain

   Several sensors starting going off all at once, car would lose power, if I tried to reverse it wasn’t able to get in gear for 5-10 seconds. It was around 78k miles. Of course my warranty ended at 75k. It was happening randomly then became more frequent. I took it to the dealer they said they think it is “dtc C0631 present referred tsb 25-2373 need to replace frontIntermediate Shaft Assembly . cost to replace is $1400.00 . then retest after.”. I was shocked to find that this…

   NHTSA complaint #11767644 · source
6. Filed Sep 28, 2026142,722 miTXTowedTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH with her child inside the vehicle, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle unexpectedly shifted into Park and lost motive power, nearly causing a crash. The contact was forced to veer over onto the grass because there was no…

   NHTSA complaint #11767415 · source
7. Filed Sep 28, 2026187,307 miPACrashTowedSteeringTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH in the rain, the AWD disengaged and the vehicle started sliding. The contact attempted to correct the vehicle but crashed into a lamppost with the rear driver’s side door. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The failure mileage was 187,307.

   NHTSA complaint #11767370 · source
8. Filed Sep 20, 2026KYTransmission & Drivetrain

   My 2020 Ford Explorer Limited has a broken transmission matching Recall 26S48. The car cannot be driven. My local dealer wants to help but has zero loaner vehicles available. Ford Corporate is refusing to fund an outside rental car or an emergency interim repair while delaying the official fix until next year. I am completely stranded by a manufacturer safety defect. It is setting at the dealer, and they have said it needs a whole new transmission.

   NHTSA complaint #11765633 · source
9. Filed Sep 17, 2026113,390 miVATransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly shifted into park(P), and the message “Shift System Fault” was displayed. The vehicle restarted and shifted out of park. The contact stated that on several occasions the transmission was shifted into park but failed to remain in park(P). The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was…

   NHTSA complaint #11765070 · source
10. Filed Sep 17, 2026KSOther / UnknownTransmission & Drivetrain

    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.…

    NHTSA complaint #11764997 · source
11. Filed Sep 15, 2026NJDriver Assistance & Safety TechElectrical SystemTransmission & Drivetrain

    I own a 2020 Ford Explorer XLT AWD, VIN [VIN removed]. While driving, my vehicle displayed “4WD Fault – Service Required” along with the powertrain wrench warning. I then became unable to select/change drive modes. Pre-Collision Assist became unavailable, I experienced Lane Keeping/Lane Assist problems, and additional stability/traction warnings appeared. A professional diagnostic scan found AWD codes C0631:7E-68 and C0631:7F-6C related to the front axle disconnect actuator.…

    NHTSA complaint #11764430 · source
12. Filed Sep 13, 2026CTTransmission & Drivetrain

    I am concerned this is a known and widespread defect. The 10R60 transmission is the subject of multiple Ford Technical Service Bulletins and an active Ford/NHTSA safety recall (26S48 / NHTSA 26V-402) addressing transmission-related park-system and rollaway defects on this same transmission, model, and year. My vehicle was well maintained with routine service, yet the transmission failed internally at approximately 87,000 miles. Given the documented history of failures with…

    NHTSA complaint #11763873 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology