43 complaints reported

2020 Ford Explorer Electrical System

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
43
Crashes
1
Fires
2
Injuries
1

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Jul 2026

The back camera screen went blue, even though I already replaced the camera as per the previous recall. This time, the entire screen went blue.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2026
Jun 2026

I have a leaking antenna (likely the "shark fin" or roof antenna base) on my 2020 Ford Explorer. This has caused significant electrical issues, leading to safety concerns like malfunctioning lights, infotainment, or even stalling, the water shorting wiring harnesses or modules located in the roof or headliner area. This should be a recall, but rather it is a known problem where water intrusion damages sensitive electronics, necessitating immediate professional inspection and repair to prevent further damage and ensure safety, as electrical failures can be dangerous. My GPS and satellite do not work because of this and I am being charged significantly by the dealership because I have to repair this or the damage will become more severe. The antenna's base seal can fail, allowing water to seep into the roof, drip down the pillars, and saturate the headliner and wiring harnesses. Common Symptoms: Interior lights, instrument cluster, or dashboard warnings. SYNC system freezing or failing. Windows, locks, or other accessories malfunctioning. Even potential water on the front passenger floor. Safety Risks: Loss of Control!!!!!!! Malfunctioning lights (headlights, brake lights) or sudden power loss can create dangerous driving conditions. Reduced Visibility: Issues with the infotainment screen or instrument cluster can distract the driver. System Failures: Critical safety systems, if affected by water, could fail unexpectedly. I barely get car washes or anything. This is certainly a manufacturers issue & poor design or cheap casing/ seals that leak and corrode too easily. This problem is a known weakness for the 2020 Explorer, often requiring a thorough inspection beyond just the antenna itself, as water can travel far from the entry point. And sure enough I have plenty of damage that I should not have to pay for. This is not a fluke, there are forums all across the internet about this. Please help! This is truly unfair to the customers.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2026
Dec 2025

[XXX] . Twice rats have destroyed the electrical wiring under the hood and chasey. While some of these wires do not affect safety, the wires that control and power the crash airbags do. Plus this may create a fire hazard. This also includes hoses. My reach revealed that these components and wire insulation are made from soy-based polyurethane which the rats see as food. This is a safety issue with the air bags and fire hazard. Other affected safety items would include blind spot detection and back up. Also the customer service hotline I was hung up up on twice and could not get through. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2015
Dec 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that after inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that rodents had eaten through the wiring harness. In addition, the contact stated several of the safety features in the vehicle were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was confirmed that rodents had eaten through the wiring harness. The contact was informed that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that it was the second time that the failure had occurred due to the rodents. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2023
Jul 2025

The front windows on my 2020 Ford Explorer have an intermittent issue. When auto rolling up the windows they will bounce back and automatically roll down 2/3 of the way. This has happened in rainstorms and at the car wash creating a driving hazard. The dealer hasn’t been able to fix the issue as the issue does not generate an error message. They tell me without an error message they can’t fix it. Several calls to Ford Customer Service hasn’t resulted in them agreeing to fix the issue. The best they offer is for me to take it to another Ford dealer and pay another $160 and hope this time an error code is found If you google the issue you will see this is a widespread problem that Ford is apparently pretending doesn’t exist. So much for “Quality is job 1.”

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2022
Jun 2025

Vehicle came into our shop with the charging system fault light on. Upon checking for codes BCM battery code B11D9:09:0A was present. During diagnosis the technician found that the battery cable was rubbing against the floorboard of the vehicle causing arching/welding of the positive battery against the floorboard of the vehicle leaving visible damage to the vehicle.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2025
May 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, several DTC were displayed. The contact stated that the messages “Service 4WD”, “Service Advancetrac”, “Cruise Control not Available”, “Collision Alert”, and “Traction Control” were displayed. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed. The contact stated that several months ago the vehicle was repaired for the same failures. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2025
Mar 2025

AWD Module Fault: No Hill-Assist No Collision-Assist No Traction Control Service AdvanceTrac Service AWD

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2025
Mar 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and then the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, and the engine seized. No warning light was illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed power control module. The contact was informed that the power control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included in the unknown recall. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2025
Mar 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated the center display screen failed to turn on upon starting the vehicle. The rear air conditioner, backup camera, and heater failed to be operational due to the failure. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who replaced the camera under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V342000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, and confirmed the recall repair and that the screen was not covered. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2024
Nov 2024

AWD control module stopped working. Lost AWD

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2024
Jun 2024

I have a 2020 Ford Explorer and a Motorola Andriod phone. When I plug my phone into my Explorer to use the maps my display blinks like crazy the charging does not work and my phone gets so hot I am afraid it is going to start a fire. The Ford dealer I talked to said that they knew about it and do not know of any fix. I don't need my vehicle catching on fire.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2024
Jun 2024 Crash

I hit a pole in early April, and brought it to a shop - Casey’s in Brentwood - to have it fixed. The car had no warning lights or issues. They needed to take off the front of the car to repair the body damage. They discharged the car to us, and I noticed a battery light was on. We called a few days later and the owner said well I tried to call you and left a message but heard nothing. He said we needed to take it to the dealership to turn the light off. We drove it 50 miles to the dealership. The dealership said that this is not a “light to turn off” - this was a significant problem that would be an expensive repair. He said the car would not be safe to drive ultimately very long because the car could just dead stop while driving on a freeway (similar to what happened to a Tesla causing a death). They were unsure of the cause but not from hitting the pole. We brought it to our family’s nearby. We had a second opinion and the mechanic noted this is not typical damage - this is a dangerous safety issue and the car should not be driven. We called Casey’s and they said oh we had no idea, have State Farm toe it back to us. State Farm has refused to pay, saying the damage is unrelated. Caseys has now changed their story and said the light was on when they got the car. This is wildly unethical, and had I known, I would have wanted this fixed not just be allowed to drive home with my children. The first auto shop put me and my children’s lives at risk by letting us drive home without letting us know, putting it in the paperwork or investigating this. They deny it is because of their doing and they will not take accountability for potentially causing this damage. I genuinely believe they are covering it up.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Apr 2024
May 2024

AWD control failure creating these messages: No Hill-Assist No Collision-Assist No Traction Control Service AdvanceTrac Service AWD The result is no AWD.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2024
Mar 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the messages “Four Wheel Drive Fault Service Required”, “Hill Start Assist Not Available”, “Pre-Collision Assist Not Available”, “Service Advanced Track”, and “See Manual” were displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle almost stalled when the messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with an unknown failure. The vehicle was repaired by the dealer. The contact stated that the warning messages recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2023
Jan 2024

AWD Module is faulty and somehow not covered by Powertrain warranty.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2023
Jan 2024

Trunk hatch will not close or open properly, intermittently works, rear camera display turns off, does not work at times, display controls work intermittently

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2024
Nov 2023

The Radio would not keep stations and eventually was almost always static. I took it to the Ford dealership that I purchased from since it is supposed to have a full warranty. They are now saying that it has water leaking in from the roof and it has damaged the OEM (?) system. They don't know if Ford will cover under warranty so I now sit with no vehicle as they wait for a decision. When and if it gets repaired I will now have to worry about other damage that will be caused by a leaking roof vehicle.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Oct 2023
Oct 2023

Front camera is cloudy. We are unable to see what is in front of the vehicle when pulling in garage and parking spots. High probability to injure or kill our dog, small children, or cause damage to other vehicles when attempting to use the front camera.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Sep 2023
Sep 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, the vehicle had electrical power but failed to start. The doors locked, after which several attempts to exit the vehicle failed, and smoke began to enter the interior through the vents. The contact called 911, who arrived right as she was able to exit the vehicle. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the fire department discovered faulty electrical wiring. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V687000 (Electrical System), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 69,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Sep 2023
Jun 2023 Fire

Vehicle caught on fire while in operation. Smoke and flames noted under the hood behind glove box.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2023
Apr 2023

Driver side, passenger side window switches. On the toggle switches, the chrome is the laminating and has become very sharp. Realized this was taking place after cutting finger. Delamination Continuously getting worse.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Apr 2022
May 2022

Sometimes the rear camera view shows a blue screen while the other camera views work. I have to restart the vehicle to make it work.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2022
Feb 2022

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the instrument panel would remain inoperable, resulting in a loss of speedometer and tachometer functions. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the instrument cluster replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2022
Feb 2022 Injury

THE HANDS FREE LIFT GATE CLOSES ON ITS OWN. THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN A DOZEN TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE 3 MONTHS AGO. ANY PERSON STANDING AT THE REAR BUMPER (NOT PUTTING THEIR FOOT UNDER THE BUMPER) ACTIVATES THIS SELF CLOSING PROCESS. THE DOOR HIT ME IN THE HEAD TWICE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2020 FORD EXPLORER, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2022

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2020 Ford Explorer has 43 Electrical System complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.