2013 Ford Explorer Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 119 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2013 Ford Explorer, 5% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 60,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “shift park” (10% of reports).
- 119power train complaints
- 60,000median miles at failure
- 9mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,400typical repair cost reported by owners
- 26%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.
- Shift park: mentioned in 12 of 119 complaints (10%)
- Transfer case: mentioned in 9 of 119 complaints (8%)
- Terrain management: mentioned in 6 of 119 complaints (5%)
- Water pump: mentioned in 6 of 119 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2013 Ford Explorer at $2,400, and half of them between $660 and $4,700.
Based on 10 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2015–2023), 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 power train problems happen?
Based on 91 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 119 complaints, 9 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Ford Explorer power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 3 | 7% | — |
| 2025 Explorer | 15 | 15% | 8,967 |
| 2024 Explorer | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 12 | 11% | 10,600 |
| 2022 Explorer | 61 | 23% | 22,000 |
| 2021 Explorer | 126 | 29% | 46,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 495 | 40% | 42,000 |
| 2019 Explorer | 35 | 12% | 82,500 |
| 2018 Explorer | 50 | 7% | 86,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 123 | 7% | 55,425 |
| 2016 Explorer | 215 | 9% | 47,075 |
| 2015 Explorer | 86 | 5% | 50,000 |
| 2014 Explorer | 79 | 5% | 75,207 |
| 2013 Explorer | 119 | 5% | 60,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 55 | 7% | 46,740 |
| 2011 Explorer | 64 | 5% | 50,500 |
| 2010 Explorer | 28 | 24% | 80,500 |
| 2009 Explorer | 3 | 9% | 78,000 |
| 2008 Explorer | 36 | 24% | 84,325 |
| 2007 Explorer | 57 | 27% | 69,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 296 | 47% | 60,460 |
| 2005 Explorer | 99 | 20% | 75,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 460 | 35% | 50,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 335 | 30% | 77,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 1,502 | 46% | 80,173 |
| 2001 Explorer | 42 | 11% | 108,700 |
| 2000 Explorer | 133 | 14% | 77,500 |
| 1999 Explorer | 115 | 9% | 91,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 103 | 5% | 102,157 |
| 1997 Explorer | 104 | 6% | 95,594 |
| 1996 Explorer | 120 | 8% | 138,579 |
| 1995 Explorer | 119 | 14% | 103,310 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train 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 contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the PTU. The contact was also informed that the rear differential needed to be…
My water pump started having a small leak about 2 weeks ago to where I had to put water in to get to work and then again to get home. I contacted Ford to inquire about a cost for this repair and was told they had to diagnose first. Then on Friday Aug 1st my children and I were driving on the…
When Driving I started noticing that my steering wheel what getting harder to turn and it felt like it was lagging control. I could still turn and maneuver the steering wheel but the control overall was defiantly not safe. I stopped in at our mechanic and they test drove it. He stated that yes…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2013 Ford Explorers have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 119 owner complaints about power train 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 power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 60,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2013 Ford Explorer?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,400 (half paid between $660 and $4,700), from 10 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2013 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “shift park”, in 12 of 119 complaints, followed by “transfer case” (9).
Other 2013 Ford Explorer problems
- Steering problems (835)
- Structure problems (439)
- Engine problems (225)
- Electrical System problems (163)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (120)
- Suspension problems (79)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (67)
See all 2013 Ford Explorer problems or power train problems across all Explorer years.