2013 Ford Explorer Engine Problems
Owners have filed 225 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2013 Ford Explorer, 10% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 56,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “water pump” (17% of reports).
- 225engine complaints
- 56,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 9mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,600typical repair cost reported by owners
- 51%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Water pump: mentioned in 39 of 225 complaints (17%)
- Exhaust fumes: mentioned in 27 of 225 complaints (12%)
- Carbon monoxide: mentioned in 19 of 225 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the 2013 Ford Explorer at $2,600, and half of them between $2,600 and $3,600.
Based on 11 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2016–2023), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 161 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 225 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 5 a fire, 9 an injury.
Ford Explorer engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 6 | 14% | — |
| 2025 Explorer | 8 | 8% | 9,000 |
| 2024 Explorer | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 10 | 9% | 8,664 |
| 2022 Explorer | 30 | 11% | 61,500 |
| 2021 Explorer | 49 | 11% | 69,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 116 | 9% | 8,000 |
| 2019 Explorer | 19 | 6% | 22,500 |
| 2018 Explorer | 96 | 13% | 30,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 241 | 14% | 23,350 |
| 2016 Explorer | 382 | 16% | 16,650 |
| 2015 Explorer | 226 | 13% | 30,156 |
| 2014 Explorer | 196 | 12% | 38,500 |
| 2013 Explorer | 225 | 10% | 56,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 79 | 10% | 53,000 |
| 2011 Explorer | 83 | 7% | 83,000 |
| 2010 Explorer | 14 | 12% | 80,500 |
| 2009 Explorer | 4 | 12% | 73,842 |
| 2008 Explorer | 21 | 14% | 85,500 |
| 2007 Explorer | 28 | 13% | 82,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 58 | 9% | 81,850 |
| 2005 Explorer | 17 | 3% | 115,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 44 | 3% | 114,500 |
| 2003 Explorer | 22 | 2% | 145,500 |
| 2002 Explorer | 49 | 1% | 134,000 |
| 2001 Explorer | 6 | 2% | 98,250 |
| 2000 Explorer | 9 | 1% | 153,000 |
| 1999 Explorer | 4 | 0% | 104,300 |
| 1998 Explorer | 6 | 0% | 171,000 |
| 1997 Explorer | 4 | 0% | 147,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 77,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 130,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2013 Ford Explorer. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The water pump on these explorers are internal and if not caught by a professional in time, the water pump will fail and cause catastrophic engine failure
I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding a severe design defect in the 3.5L V6 engine of my 2013 Ford Explorer. The vehicle is equipped with an internal, chain-driven water pump that is currently failing at 100000 miles, as evidenced by coolant actively draining from the factory weep…
I was leaving the store pulled out on a main road in town about to head on the highway. My steering wheel locked and would hardly move with all my strength and the help of my significant other we pulled back into the store parking lot rarely missing hitting several vehicles in the process. I had my…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2013 Ford Explorers have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 225 owner complaints about engine for the 2013 Ford Explorer (10% of the 2,236 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Ford Explorer engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 56,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the 2013 Ford Explorer?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,600 (half paid between $2,600 and $3,600), from 11 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2013 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “water pump”, in 39 of 225 complaints, followed by “exhaust fumes” (27).
Other 2013 Ford Explorer problems
See all 2013 Ford Explorer problems or engine problems across all Explorer years.