2013 Ford Explorer engine problems

“I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding a severe design defect in the 3.5L V6 engine of my 2013 Ford Explorer. The vehicle is equipped with an internal, chain-driven water pump that is currently failing at 100000 miles, as evidenced by coolant actively draining from the factory weep hole. Because this pump is located inside the engine block and driven by the timing chain, a complete seal failure dumps engine coolant directly into the oil pan. This is a critical safety hazard. When the coolant and oil mix, it destroys the engine bearings and causes the engine to completely seize without warning. If this sudden engine seizure occurs while driving at highway speeds, it results in an immediate and total loss of motive power, power steering, and power brakes. This defect creates an extreme crash hazard for the occupants of the vehicle and other drivers on the road. The internal weep hole provides virtually no dashboard warning or indicator to the driver before this catastrophic failure occurs. I am requesting that the NHTSA investigate this known, dangerous design flaw to force a mandatory safety recall before this sudden loss of vehicle control causes…”

“I was leaving the store pulled out on a main road in town about to head on the highway. My steering wheel locked and would hardly move with all my strength and the help of my significant other we pulled back into the store parking lot rarely missing hitting several vehicles in the process. I had my children with me at the time in this vehicle as well. The power steering assist fault message popped up. I had the vehicle towed to Ford Groves and after a diagnostic test was ran I was told it was my steering gear and the entire steering column needed to be replaced. The second opinion I got said it was the rack and pinion needing to be replaced. After doing research I found other reports of other 2013 ford explorer owners having wrecks due to this some with the same edition as myself (limited). There are recalls for the steering on 2013 ford explorer but not the limited. I need my edition to be added because this is clearly happening here as well. This was very dangerous when I explained to the dealership about the recalls they told me this was not accurate and was the wrong information. This was random and happened out of no where my vehicle was fine prior to…”

“The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked unattended and turned off for a few hours, it caught fire. There were no warning lights illuminated prior to the failure. The fire department extinguished the fire. There were no reported injuries airbag deployment or crash. The vehicle was towed to a police tow lot. A police report was filed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who assisted with a claim. The failure mileage was approximately 250,000.”

“Recently, I experienced a catastrophic water pump failure that has resulted in extensive damage to my vehicle’s, a 2013 Ford Explorer equipped with a cyclone engine, engine and turbocharger Details of the Incident According to Ford of Englewood, NJ, the water pump failure in my Explorer caused coolant to seep into the oil pan, mixing with other fluids. This has resulted in the need for a complete replacement of both the engine and turbocharger, at an estimated cost of $15000. See diagnostics attached. I recently discovered there have been several class action lawsuits launched regarding this exact problem. The vehicle is currently with the service department at Ford of Englewood. As mentioned above it has been diagnosed as premature water pump failure resulting in catastrophic engine damage. Luckily this issue presented its self at engine turnover, however had the failure occurred at speed on the highway the results could have been extremely dangerous indeed, not just to myself but to other unsuspecting road users. MOST concerning is that NO warning lamps or warning gauges were activated until well after the exhausts started spewing thick white smoke, and then…”

“The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the driver’s and passenger’s side exterior A-pillar around the front windshield was detaching. The contact placed the A-pillars back in position. The contact stated that water was leaking into the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact called two other local dealers, Premier Ford of Bay Ridge (612 86th St, Brooklyn, NY 11228) and Crown Ford Inc Service (420 Merrick Rd, Lynbrook, NY 11563) but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed reimbursement would not be provided if the repairs were completed by an independent mechanic. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”

“The heat in my 2013 Ford Explorer won't work. The Rad fan isn't working so any antifreeze I put in is gone after 1 trip to the store. It's burning it. The sunroof has never opened fully, it wobbles. The electrical is shot on it. There are so many safety issues with this vehicle and I see I'm not the only one but yet I search my Vin and there are no recalls that's not right”