2020 Ford Explorer Service Brakes Problems
Owners have filed 81 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes problems on the 2020 Ford Explorer, 7% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 6,680 miles. The words owners use most often: “pre collision” (14% of reports).
- 81service brakes complaints
- 6,680median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 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.
- Pre collision: mentioned in 11 of 81 complaints (14%)
- Put reverse: mentioned in 11 of 81 complaints (14%)
- Hill start: mentioned in 7 of 81 complaints (9%)
- Brake fault: mentioned in 6 of 81 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do service brakes problems happen?
Based on 37 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 81 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 2 an injury.
Ford Explorer service brakes complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 2 | 5% | — |
| 2025 Explorer | 17 | 16% | 15,977 |
| 2023 Explorer | 5 | 5% | — |
| 2022 Explorer | 9 | 3% | 57,934 |
| 2021 Explorer | 19 | 4% | 37,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 81 | 7% | 6,680 |
| 2019 Explorer | 2 | 1% | 2,500 |
| 2018 Explorer | 9 | 1% | 749 |
| 2017 Explorer | 21 | 1% | 29,175 |
| 2016 Explorer | 17 | 1% | 28,750 |
| 2015 Explorer | 27 | 1% | 36,560 |
| 2014 Explorer | 25 | 1% | 46,000 |
| 2013 Explorer | 31 | 1% | 42,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 19 | 2% | 51,000 |
| 2011 Explorer | 21 | 2% | 65,000 |
| 2010 Explorer | 9 | 8% | 92,600 |
| 2009 Explorer | 2 | 6% | 92,372 |
| 2008 Explorer | 5 | 3% | 98,240 |
| 2007 Explorer | 4 | 2% | 47,500 |
| 2006 Explorer | 14 | 2% | 107,000 |
| 2005 Explorer | 8 | 2% | 110,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 18 | 1% | 114,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 10 | 1% | 150,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 16 | 0% | 130,000 |
| 2001 Explorer | 2 | 1% | 133,609 |
| 2000 Explorer | 6 | 1% | 173,500 |
| 1999 Explorer | 1 | 0% | — |
| 1998 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 191,000 |
| 1997 Explorer | 2 | 0% | 147,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 2 | 0% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists service brakes for the 2020 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.
Power steering doesnot work , steering was hard also antilock brake failure
I experienced catastrophic brake failure on July 14 2026. Total loss of brakes that led me to narrowly miss several vehicles. The Ford Dealership in Manor TX stated it needed the brake booster replaced and program reset. After researching this is a problem with my VIN that was offered free…
Had recall for parking brake fixed, soon after Iâd be on interstate or intersection and it would lose power wrench and check power train system light came on. Took to dealership and they said it was parking pawl sylenuod. Had repaired left the shop didnât even get home and it did the same…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2020 Ford Explorers have service brakes problems?
No. NHTSA has 81 owner complaints about service brakes for the 2020 Ford Explorer (7% 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 service brakes?
No recall currently lists service brakes for this vehicle.
At what mileage do service brakes problems start?
The median reported mileage is 6,680 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about service brakes problems on the 2020 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “pre collision”, in 11 of 81 complaints, followed by “put reverse” (11).
Other 2020 Ford Explorer problems
See all 2020 Ford Explorer problems or service brakes problems across all Explorer years.