Ford Explorer Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 400 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the Ford Explorer across 28 model years. The 2020 model year has the most (55). The words owners use most often: “turn signal” (14% of reports).
- 400exterior lighting complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 8mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- $1,550typical repair cost reported by owners
- 37%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.
- Turn signal: mentioned in 58 of 400 complaints (14%)
- Low beam: mentioned in 32 of 400 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical exterior lighting repair on the Ford Explorer at $1,550, and half of them between $660 and $2,000.
Based on 21 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (1999–2026), 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 exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 149 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 400 complaints, 8 mention a crash, 18 a fire, 2 an injury.
Ford Explorer exterior lighting complaints by model year
| Model year | Exterior Lighting complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Explorer | 4 | 4% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 2 | 2% | — |
| 2022 Explorer | 5 | 2% | — |
| 2021 Explorer | 8 | 2% | — |
| 2020 Explorer | 55 | 4% | 88,500 |
| 2018 Explorer | 4 | 1% | 113,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 12 | 1% | 23,500 |
| 2016 Explorer | 6 | 0% | 83,000 |
| 2015 Explorer | 17 | 1% | 29,789 |
| 2014 Explorer | 25 | 1% | 3,000 |
| 2013 Explorer | 25 | 1% | 30,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 6 | 1% | 152,600 |
| 2011 Explorer | 6 | 1% | 44,000 |
| 2010 Explorer | 2 | 2% | 35,525 |
| 2008 Explorer | 12 | 8% | 66,628 |
| 2007 Explorer | 3 | 1% | 31,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2005 Explorer | 5 | 1% | 128,560 |
| 2004 Explorer | 7 | 1% | 108,500 |
| 2003 Explorer | 6 | 1% | 94,415 |
| 2002 Explorer | 19 | 1% | 90,161 |
| 2001 Explorer | 9 | 2% | 99,000 |
| 2000 Explorer | 26 | 3% | 71,018 |
| 1999 Explorer | 46 | 3% | 99,300 |
| 1998 Explorer | 38 | 2% | 112,000 |
| 1997 Explorer | 20 | 1% | 160,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 15 | 1% | 163,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 16 | 2% | 122,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Exterior lighting:headlights
Model years: 2025, 2026
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Explorer vehicles. The Dynamic Bending Light (DBL) system software may cause the passenger-side headlight to turn in the wrong direction when driving through curves in the road. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: A headlight that turns incorrectly can result in increased glare to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: The headlight control module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 23, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C12. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 5, 2026.
Exterior lighting:tail lights
Model years: 2025
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Explorer and Aviator vehicles. When towing a trailer, the tail lights on the trailer may fail to illuminate due to an improperly manufactured body control module. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Trailer tail lights that do not illuminate as intended can reduce visibility to other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the body control module C on vehicles with less than 9,000 miles. For vehicles over 9,000 miles, dealers will perform a functional check on the body control module C and replace it as necessary. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Aviator 2025 owner notification letters were mailed October 13, 2025. Explorer 2025 owner letters were mailed November 25, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25C42.
Exterior lighting
Model years: 1997, 1998
Problem: Vehicle description: mini vans, light pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles. Off lease canadian vehicles equipped with daytime running lights which meet canadian requirements and not the photometric requirements of fmvss 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." according to ford, the vehicles were imported into the u.s. Erroneously.
Risk: The light given off from the daytime running lights is brighter than allowed by u.s. Standards.
Fix: Dealers will be advised to deactivate the running light function and to complete any outstanding safety recalls on these vehicles.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Faulty led chip in headlight, DRL , high beam & low beams affected EXACTLY like the recalled 2026 models.. ford recommended replacement @ 2,400$ Ford should be forced to extend the recall to all affected models. This is an attempt to mitigate and minimize financial damage for ford motor company and…
Drivers side low beam intermittently does not operate. Becoming more and more common. Now, passenger side lamp is doing the exact same thing, and both shut down while in motion at night. These lamps should not fail like this. There is an existing recall for 2026 vehicles with the exact same issues.
"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…
Passenger headlight module has blown and seems to be an issue with the 2020 Ford Explorer.
#1st- The AC goes on and off and now the AC no longer works it only blows out hot air ,earlier but it turns on and off by itself #2- the lights flicker #3- the seats move by themselves and just today Sunday [XXX] the seat having to see what all the way back by yourself thinning my [XXX] son's legs…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Ford Explorers have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 400 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the Ford Explorer. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Ford Explorer exterior lighting?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list exterior lighting. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix exterior lighting problems on the Ford Explorer?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,550 (half paid between $660 and $2,000), from 21 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “turn signal”, in 58 of 400 complaints, followed by “low beam” (32).
Other Ford Explorer problems
- Power Train problems (5,091)
- Structure problems (4,912)
- Steering problems (4,059)
- Tires problems (2,965)
- Engine problems (2,057)
- Electrical System problems (2,036)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (1,752)
- Suspension problems (1,690)
See all Ford Explorer problems.