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#BS-2020-FOREXP-33C9

2020 Ford Explorer

Based on reports from 1,000 owners and 28 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
1,000
Crashes
39
Fires
16
Recalls
28
TSBs
341
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 1,000 complaints, 39 crashes, 16 fires, and 28 recalls. Complaint rate is 5.9x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

hard shifts

6 complaints • Severity 8.3/10

$X,XXX
2

full transmission failure

5 complaints • Severity 9.2/10

$X,XXX
3

brakes did not work going forward

2 complaints • Severity 6/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the DrivetrainHIGH

252 owners reported drivetrain issues — failures commonly reported around 10K miles.

!Inspect the ElectricalMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

288
0–30K
56
30–60K
49
60–90K
14
90–120K
120–150K
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (288 reports) • Median: 10K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Drivetrain (252 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Drivetrain252 (25%)
Electrical113 (11%)
Other108 (11%)
Engine75 (8%)
Brakes63 (6%)
Back Over Prevention37 (4%)
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera30 (3%)
Fuel System30 (3%)

2020 Ford Explorer: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 25% of all reports filed for the 2020 Ford Explorer, with 252 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 9,900 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 10K-mile mark.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2020 Ford Explorer, with 113 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2020 Ford Explorer, with 75 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Brakes Issues

Brakes complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2020 Ford Explorer, with 63 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

9
19
156
20
175
21
111
22
271
23
185
24
85
25
8
26

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2020 Ford Explorer. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (28 recalls)

19V575000Aug 2019

PARKING BRAKE

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The Manual Park Release (MPR) cover may not be installed. In addition, the vehicles may be in Factory Mode, which disables warning alerts and does not display the transmission gear selected. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 114, "Theft Prevention" and 102, "Trans Shift Lever Seq/Starter Interlock/Trans Braking Effect."

19V633000Oct 2019

SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also included are certain 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with rear outboard seats and manual seat back recliner mechanisms. The recliner mechanisms may be missing the third pawl required for seat back strength, resulting in a loose seat back. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."

19V687000Oct 2019

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford Explorer vehicles equipped with 2.3L or 3.3L engines. The wiring harness may not have been properly secured and may contact the air conditioner compressor (A/C) pulley, potentially damaging the harness or the A/C belt.

19V859000Mar 2020

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. Over time, the protective sleeve on the vapor fuel line may chafe through the plastic liquid fuel line and cause a fuel leak.

20V497000Sep 2020

AIR BAGS:CRITICAL FASTENERS

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer and 2020 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The side air bag and/or seat back module attachments may not have been properly tightened in the front seat backs.

+ 23 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Ford Explorer is the 2006 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.

2020 Ford Explorer vs. Class Average (Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD)

This vehicle

1,000

Class avg

170

5.9x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical standard sport utility vehicle 2wd vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 1,000 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 28 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Ford Explorer Model Years

20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992199119901989198819871986198519841983198219811980197919781977
View all Ford Explorer years →

2020 Ford Explorer: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2020 Ford Explorer?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2020 Ford Explorer is related to the drivetrain, with 252 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2020 Ford Explorer reliable?
The 2020 Ford Explorer has 1,000 complaints, 39 crash reports, and 16 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 5.9x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 2020 Ford Explorer problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2020 Ford Explorer have any recalls?
Yes, the 2020 Ford Explorer has 28 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Ford Explorer problems start?
Based on 407 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 9,900 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 1,000 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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