2013 Ford Explorer Fuel/propulsion System Problems
Owners have filed 120 complaints with NHTSA about fuel/propulsion system problems on the 2013 Ford Explorer, 5% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 50,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “carbon monoxide” (10% of reports).
- 120fuel/propulsion system complaints
- 50,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 60%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.
- Carbon monoxide: mentioned in 12 of 120 complaints (10%)
- Exhaust fumes: mentioned in 10 of 120 complaints (8%)
- Strong odor: mentioned in 8 of 120 complaints (7%)
- Fuel gasoline: mentioned in 6 of 120 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do fuel/propulsion system problems happen?
Based on 86 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 120 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 2 an injury.
Ford Explorer fuel/propulsion system complaints by model year
| Model year | Fuel/propulsion System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 3 | 7% | — |
| 2025 Explorer | 3 | 3% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2022 Explorer | 22 | 8% | — |
| 2021 Explorer | 19 | 4% | — |
| 2020 Explorer | 40 | 3% | 3,844 |
| 2019 Explorer | 14 | 5% | 3,150 |
| 2018 Explorer | 19 | 3% | 11,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 44 | 3% | 19,063 |
| 2016 Explorer | 104 | 4% | 10,000 |
| 2015 Explorer | 86 | 5% | 30,000 |
| 2014 Explorer | 62 | 4% | 27,700 |
| 2013 Explorer | 120 | 5% | 50,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 27 | 3% | 55,128 |
| 2011 Explorer | 35 | 3% | 53,067 |
| 2010 Explorer | 8 | 7% | 61,355 |
| 2009 Explorer | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2007 Explorer | 3 | 1% | 45,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 8 | 1% | 94,500 |
| 2005 Explorer | 17 | 3% | 86,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 8 | 1% | 89,500 |
| 2003 Explorer | 3 | 0% | 85,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 18 | 1% | 107,204 |
| 2001 Explorer | 1 | 0% | 87,372 |
| 2000 Explorer | 6 | 1% | 85,000 |
| 1999 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 220,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 3 | 0% | 85,001 |
| 1996 Explorer | 1 | 0% | 5,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 56,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists fuel/propulsion system 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.
In September I started to notice a strong fuel odor coming from my 2013 Ford Explorer. I had the exterior of the vehicle cleaned thoroughly to ensure no gasoline was spilled on the vehicle while refuelling. The smell did go away temporarily, until I refuelled the vehicle. The odor has returned, and…
Service advancetrac light came on while driving. Lost all propulsion and power steering. Almost went off road around a curve due to no power steering. Ford dealership diagnosed it as faulty steering sensor. Had that replaced about 18 months ago, now this near accident just happened. Service trac…
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon approaching the vehicle she smelled a strong odor of gasoline inside her inclosed garage, after which, she overserved gasoline leaking from underneath the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2013 Ford Explorers have fuel/propulsion system problems?
No. NHTSA has 120 owner complaints about fuel/propulsion system for the 2013 Ford Explorer (5% 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 fuel/propulsion system?
No recall currently lists fuel/propulsion system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do fuel/propulsion system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 50,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about fuel/propulsion system problems on the 2013 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “carbon monoxide”, in 12 of 120 complaints, followed by “exhaust fumes” (10).
Other 2013 Ford Explorer problems
- Steering problems (835)
- Structure problems (439)
- Engine problems (225)
- Electrical System problems (163)
- Power Train problems (119)
- Suspension problems (79)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (67)
See all 2013 Ford Explorer problems or fuel/propulsion system problems across all Explorer years.