2020 Ford Explorer Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 187 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2020 Ford Explorer, 15% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 9,900 miles. The words owners use most often: “collision assist” (9% of reports).
- 187electrical system complaints
- 9,900median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- 42%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.
- Collision assist: mentioned in 17 of 187 complaints (9%)
- Backup camera: mentioned in 14 of 187 complaints (7%)
- Blue screen: mentioned in 10 of 187 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 61 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 187 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 4 a fire, 3 an injury.
Ford Explorer electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 9 | 21% | 1,000 |
| 2025 Explorer | 23 | 22% | 3,500 |
| 2024 Explorer | 2 | 10% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 14 | 13% | 33,000 |
| 2022 Explorer | 39 | 14% | 24,850 |
| 2021 Explorer | 47 | 11% | 23,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 187 | 15% | 9,900 |
| 2019 Explorer | 20 | 7% | 45,600 |
| 2018 Explorer | 58 | 8% | 35,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 94 | 6% | 46,500 |
| 2016 Explorer | 128 | 5% | 41,785 |
| 2015 Explorer | 93 | 5% | 54,620 |
| 2014 Explorer | 100 | 6% | 60,000 |
| 2013 Explorer | 163 | 7% | 57,060 |
| 2012 Explorer | 63 | 8% | 39,000 |
| 2011 Explorer | 95 | 8% | 56,300 |
| 2010 Explorer | 12 | 10% | 60,000 |
| 2009 Explorer | 2 | 6% | 250 |
| 2008 Explorer | 38 | 26% | 72,000 |
| 2007 Explorer | 25 | 12% | 61,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 39 | 6% | 57,500 |
| 2005 Explorer | 36 | 7% | 78,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 55 | 4% | 52,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 54 | 5% | 51,475 |
| 2002 Explorer | 148 | 4% | 94,000 |
| 2001 Explorer | 29 | 8% | 71,500 |
| 2000 Explorer | 78 | 8% | 91,700 |
| 1999 Explorer | 92 | 7% | 75,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 114 | 6% | 105,000 |
| 1997 Explorer | 80 | 5% | 98,197 |
| 1996 Explorer | 47 | 3% | 143,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 55 | 7% | 156,914 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Electrical system:propulsion system:traction battery
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Lincoln Aviator and Ford Explorer vehicles equipped with 3.0L PHEV engines. A manufacturing defect in one or more of the high voltage battery cells may result in an internal short circuit and battery failure.
Risk: Battery failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash. Battery failure can also increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will perform a Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) diagnostic test and replace the high voltage battery pack, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 8, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford Motor Company's number for this recall is 23S53.
Electrical system:wiring
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford Explorer vehicles equipped with 2.3L or 3.3L engines. The wiring harness may not have been properly secured and may contact the air conditioner compressor (A/C) pulley, potentially damaging the harness or the A/C belt.
Risk: The A/C pulley may rub through the wiring harness insulation and contact the unfused battery positive wire, resulting in a short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install a tie strap to the wiring harness at the hand shock tower clip, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S32.
Parking brake; electrical system: instrument cluster/panel; power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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 report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
When I am driving, every now and then there is a grinding/electrocution noise that my vehicle makes. When that happens, I lose all acceleration power until the episode stops then it seems like it kicks back into gear.
"CHECK HEADLAMP SYSTEM SEE MANUAL" appears intermittently on the dash with headlights going out. As hundreds of others have reported here and on internet forums, we too are dealing with intermittent headlights. This is a major SAFETY issue while driving at night and your headlights go out suddenly…
I own a 2020 Ford Explorer XLT AWD, VIN [redacted]. While driving, my vehicle displayed â4WD Fault â Service Requiredâ 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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2020 Ford Explorers have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 187 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2020 Ford Explorer (15% of the 1,235 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 2020 Ford Explorer electrical system?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 9,900 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2020 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “collision assist”, in 17 of 187 complaints, followed by “backup camera” (14).
Other 2020 Ford Explorer problems
See all 2020 Ford Explorer problems or electrical system problems across all Explorer years.