The automaker states, “The adventure continues,” with the 2025 Ford Explorer. But it is clear that not all adventures are equal. For owners experiencing electrical system, brake, and powertrain issues, it is more of a misadventure. Making matters worse, many complaints to the NHTSA reveal that dealerships are unwilling or unable to assist with their problems.
The most common complaints about the 2025 Ford Explorer to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) relate to the electrical system, forward collision avoidance, and the service brakes. However, closer investigation shows that brakes and the automatic braking system are a major problem for many owners of the 2025 Explorer. There are also several complaints describing how Explorer vehicles crashed when they rolled back while in Park, an issue related to the powertrain.
Complaints listed as being electrical are varied, and include brake problems as well as issues with screens malfunctioning. Additionally, there are complaints about faulty communication software for cell phones, as well as structural, visibility, and vehicle speed control problems.
There are eight recalls affecting 2025 Ford Explorer vehicles. These were filed in a nine-month period between August 2024 and May 2025.
Recalls
There are three recalls that relate to the powertrain, two to the structure of the SUV (one of which also relates to the powertrain), and one each to backover prevention, engine and engine cooling, and the gasoline fuel system. From the oldest to the most recent recall:
1. Fuel system, gasoline
A total of 24 vehicles manufactured by Ford, including the 2025 Explorer, have fuel injectors that may have been assembled without O-ring support discs. This can result in a fuel leak that increases the risk of fire.
2. Backover prevention
A total of 391 vehicles manufactured by Ford, including the 2025 Explorer, have rearview cameras that may not display images. The recall warns that the camera may fail when the vehicle speed reaches 10 mph or greater. This can reduce the driver’s visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
3. Equipment
A much larger number of vehicles (27,678) may have airbag warnings missing from the dashboard. Without the proper restraint usage guidelines, the recall warns. Occupants may have an increased risk of injury if the vehicle crashes.
4. Powertrain & Structure
This recall warns 259 owners of 2025 vehicles manufactured by Ford, including the Explorer, that the transmission may be improperly secured due to loose cross-member bolts. The warning is that this can result in a loss of drive power, which increases the risk of a crash.
5. Powertrain
The transmission valve body may have been machined incorrectly, which can cause reverse gear failure or unexpected forward movement in reverse or neutral gear. This unexpected vehicle movement increases the risk of 269 vehicles crashing.
6. Powertrain
This recall only affects the 2025 Explorer — and 24,655 of them. The warning to these owners is that a software error may cause a loss of drive power. The risk is that the powertrain control module (PCM) may reset while driving. This can damage the Park system or cause an engine stall.
More specifically, the recall states, “A damaged park system can result in a vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in park with the parking brake applied. An engine stall while driving can result in a sudden loss of drive power. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.”
7. Structure
A total of 206 Ford vehicles are thought to have a mounting bolt for the front subframe that may not have been tightened properly. If a subframe bolt is loose, this may reduce the performance of the vehicle in a crash, which increases the risk of injury.
8. Engine and Engine Cooling
A total of 154 vehicles manufactured by Ford are thought to have a connecting rod and rod-bearing components that may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure. The recall warns that a damaged engine can result in engine failure and a stall, which increases the risk of the vehicle crashing.
This recall was issued on May 27, 2025, and nearly two weeks into June, the remedy was still “under development.” Furthermore, there was no evidence that owner notification letters warning of the safety risk had been mailed.
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Problems relating to the brakes are filed under the electrical system, service brakes, and forward collision avoidance.
An owner from Texas experienced brake failure in May 2025 while at an interesting stop light. He was attempting to turn while traveling at 5 mph. “The brake pedal was hard when depressed, and the vehicle continued to move. As a result, the vehicle crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The airbags did not deploy. The front camera was not operational. There were no warning lights illuminated.” After contacting two dealerships that couldn’t determine the cause of the failure and/or provide assistance, the owner contacted Ford — and was referred to yet another dealer!
In a completely different scenario, an owner from Arkansas, traveling with her children, experienced the automatic braking system slamming on brakes suddenly. There were no cars in front, but a semi-truck behind the Explorer just missed hitting them. The complaint states that all the dealer did “was shut the feature off for automatic braking.”
An owner from Georgia states that after putting the SUV in Park, it rolled back and damaged his garage door and the trunk of the vehicle. Even though this complaint was listed as a brake problem, it tallies with the powertrain recall (No. 6 in our list above) that warns of possible rollaway if the parking brake isn’t applied when the vehicle is in Park.
Another owner had problems with the brake system and software. He states that when he took the vehicle to the dealer, they weren’t able to solve the problems. Rather, “They say that the faults the car presents are normal.”
Display Screens Going Blank
There appears to be a pattern of various display screens going black or blank. An owner from Missouri tells how, after pulling into a parking spot and shifting into Park to turn the Explorer off, the cameras activated on the display screen and then went black before the engine revved up and the vehicle unintendedly accelerated and crashed into the residence before coming to a stop. This happened when his wife was driving with two teenagers and a toddler in the vehicle. There were only 400 miles on the clock at the time. Like the Georgia complaint above, this also tallies with the powertrain recall that warns of possible rollaway if the parking brake isn’t applied when the vehicle is in Park.
An owner from Texas tells how the system control display (radio screen) and the digital instrument cluster reboot screens go black every 10 minutes or so while driving. While the screen is black, the driver isn’t aware of speed or other conditions. The complaint also points out that there is no way of knowing if safety features are active when the screen is black. At the time of the complaint, the Explorer had been with a dealership for six weeks. They determined that the main computer module needed to be replaced.
An owner from Indiana experienced the infotainment screen going blank intermittently. This failure persisted, and then the instrument panel went partially blank at start-up and while driving. The dealer performed software updates on several occasions. Because there were so many in such a short time, the owner was concerned about the safety of the Explorer.
Next Steps If You Have a Lemon
If problems recur or result in you not being able to use your 2025 Ford Explorer for a substantial time period, you may have bought a lemon. For this reason, you might want to consider contacting a lemon lawyer for help. Every year, automakers like Ford buy back, replace, or pay cash settlements to thousands of people who find they have bought cars that are lemons. The law makes the automaker pay the legal fees for lemon-related legal fees, so it’s not going to cost you anything to pursue a settlement through a lemon lawyer.
Lemberg Law has helped a large number of vehicle owners get settlements from various manufacturers. We are available to assess your 2025 Ford Explorer problems free of charge. So, if you need assistance, please call our Helpline or fill out a contact form now. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
About the Author:
Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
