A look at the known issues of the 2024-2026 Ford Explorer line, including recalls, engine issues, and transmission issues.
For decades the Ford Explorer has ruled school pickup lines and youth sports parking lots. It’s earned a reputation of a capable, dependable hauler of family, pets, and any gear you threw at it. But there are bound to be hiccups along the way and that is what’s happened with the sixth generation 2024-2026 Ford Explorer. From glitchy software to catching on fire, anyone looking to add one of these vehicles to their fleet needs to know a few important problems
Fire Is Always Bad
In terms of things going wrong, catching on fire is pretty high up there. The 2024 Ford Explorer Hybrid was hit with a recall due to a potential electrical short due to the 12-volt battery cable rubbing against the belt-integrated starter generator (BiSG). Since the 12-volt battery cable doesn’t have a fuse, the result can be an electrical fire. Ford fixed the problem with a new strap to hold everything in place.
Keeping with the electrical fire theme those with a 2024 Ford Explorer who live in cold climates and use a block heater need to pay attention. Apparently the factory block heater may develop a coolant leak which seeps into the wiring circuit. At best the result is a low coolant situation, but at worst it sparks an electrical fire. Luckily Ford is replacing the affected block heaters, but make sure to have yours checked before winter hits.
Now for more normal ways to cause a vehicle fire: leaking flammable fluids. The 2025 Ford Explorer was hit with a small recall for leaky fuel injectors while the 2026 Ford Explorer had an oil leak. The oil leak is an odd one because the source was a plug on the cylinder head that could just…fall out. New cylinder heads are the remedy.
Engine Woes
Modern engines are finicky when it comes to everything working as they should. For some 2025 Ford Explorers little issues cause big problems. In the case of an incorrectly made EGR valve the engine could lose power at low speeds. While annoying, that is better than the complete engine failure thanks to a batch of bad connecting rods. Due to incorrect machining practices the connecting rods, bearings, bolts, and even rod caps could make an escape attempt leading to catastrophic engine failure. Luckily the number of vehicles affected in both these cases was low, but you still need to be aware.
Shifting Gears
It seems the 2025 Ford Explorer had an odd bit of transmission luck. In some cases the powertrain control module (PCM) would just reboot while driving along. That reboot can kick the transmission into “PARK” while it is moving, which is never good. The parking pawl (a lever that holds the vehicle in place) then tries to engage and makes a sound akin to a handful of bolts in a blender. If the PCM reboots over and over, then you lose the ability to accelerate.
Over on the mechanical issue side there was a batch of bad 10R80 transmission valve bodies. The valve body is the control center of an automatic transmission and makes shifting happen. That assumes the valve body wasn’t machined wrong, in which case you may lose reverse gear altogether. Even worse, putting one of these affected 2025 Ford Explorers in neutral or reverse may end up with the vehicle rolling forward! A new valve body is the answer. Even if the transmission is working fine, it could be missing a few important things: the bolts that hold it in place. Turns out that the fancy tool that tightens the transmission crossmember bolts wasn’t working one day, so the job had to be done by hand. Unfortunately the now hand-installed bolts …fell out. Ford caught the mistake, but it never hurts to check.
Shake, Rattle and Roll
Of all the things you want to be really secure, the trailer hitch is one of them. But for some 2024-2025 Ford Explorers that wasn’t the case. While there were no recorded incidents of the trailer hitch completely falling off, being loose is bad enough. In this case the bolts weren’t torqued tight enough. If you hear a rattle near the back of the vehicle, get those bolts checked before hauling your trailer!
2024-2025 Explorer owners have been complaining about noises coming from the front suspension. While there are no recalls, there is a TSB about the issue that cites loose pressure tubes inside the front struts. This makes sense as some owners found that replacing the front struts solves the issue. Other culprits may be prematurely worn sway bar end links and ball joints.
Technology Failures
Ford has struggled with rearview camera problems for some reason. The 2024 Ford Explorer is no different unfortunately. Turns out a glitch in the SYNC software makes the backup camera image freak out. Sometimes the rearview camera just displays nothing but a blank screen, while other times the camera stays active when the vehicle is no longer backing up. A software update is the supposed cure, but only time will tell.
Sticking with the rearview camera problems, 2025 Ford Explorers lose not only the backup camera function, but also a host of driver assistance features. The Image Processing Module A (IPMA) can’t handle tracking a high number of objects, so it just overloads and resets. The old “turn it off and turn it back on again” trick can actually make the situation worse. Again, the fix is a software update.
Time Will Tell
In terms of overall problems, the 2024-2026 Ford Explorer is relatively reliable. Over on CarComplaints.com problems with the sixth generation Explorer barely register a blip. Mass production inevitably has a few quality outliers, but the issues listed above are nothing compared to the disaster that was the 2002 Ford Explorer. Ford has proved that they’ve come a long way so we’ll see how these models hold up over time.
