Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Ford Explorer. While the gear shifter was in park, the vehicle rolled backward and stalled. The vehicle then began to roll forward. The contact depressed the brake pedal to the floor, but the vehicle failed to stop. As a result, the contact's vehicle crashed into a parked vehicle. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The failure recurred twice. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000. Updated 01/11/2017
Before my transmission went out my over drive would flash then my 4wheel drive stopped working. I had the 4wheel drive switch replaced and everything was fine until I went to sacramento. After taking care of my eddie bauer Explorer having the transmission flushed and filled on a regular basis. While leaving sacramento stopped at a chevron to fill up before heading back up to tahoe. As im leaving the gas station all of the sudden there's a loud crunch of metal sound coming from under my car and it wont kick into any gear. Had to have it towed and after reading the thousands of complaints from other owners about their exploders doing the sme thing I figured I would complain. Im tired of big companies screwing the little people over who purchase their products when they are perfectly able to fix it. Shame on u Ford.
The 2000 Ford Explorer SUV began to slow down as the engine rpms increased. After pulling over and turning the ignition off, we noticed smoke coming from the hood. Underneath the car, flames were dripping down from the transmission. We used a fire extinguisher to extinguish the flames on the ground, and attempted to open the hood. After the hood was opened, large flames were observed in the engine compartment. The fire extinguisher was used until empty and had little impact. The car began to burn quickly and the flames spread from front to back. The emergency services arrived, extinguished the fire and collected witness statements. No one was hurt in the incident and the frame was towed via aaa to a nearby automotive shop.
My 2 year old son was standing on the seat and was able to pull the vehicle out of park and into drive. The car was not running, the key was not on. The vehicle rolled down a hill and upon striking another vehicle, my son fell out. There is significant body damage to the vehicle, only minor injuries to my son. I was standing next to the open passenger door when it happened. I have been told that this it is not possible for the vehicle to be taken from park to drive without the brake on (the vehicle is equiped with this safety device). No repairs have yet been done.
When turning the car steering wheel turns pops and clicks without tires or steering collum turning like it's broke off of the collum as well the car come out of park and rolls off wile car is off and in park with keys out shifters also very loose as the steering goes it first happend going down the highway and we just started drifting in and out if lanes with little control happens when cars off on moving or not nothing changes does seem to improve when it's in 4wd
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Ford Explorer. While driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle failed to shift into gear and accelerated independently without warning. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 176,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated the vehicle rolled when parked on a hill although it was in the park position. The dealer had not been contacted as of yet. The contact was having medical issues related to stress due to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 155,275.
The day of the fatality I was standing outside the vehicle for around 5 to 10 minutes. I was on an upgrade,. (however I had just recently had new brakes installed and the car was in park). Suddenly the vehicle began to roll back at a fast pace killing the back seat driver that was in there seatbelt. And injuring myself in an attempt to halt the vehicle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Ford Explorer. While driving at 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled and the check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,000.
I have a 2000 Explorer with the sohv v6. About two years ago while on vacation we had a problems starting the truck. I found that if I fully depressed the accelerator the truck would start but would stall right after. If I held the gas down a little after starting, the truck would run but stall if I let off the gas pedal fully. This problem has plagued us for 2 years and the dealer has looked at it several times but found nothing. I was finally able to fix the problem myself after doing some research on a Ford truck owner web site. The problem was a faulty iac valve. I know this for sure because the truck repeated the problem and wouldn't idle until I replaced this valve. After that the truck started right up. I went back to the dealer and reported the results. …
Related recalls
Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles equipped with the 3.27 or 3.55 axle ration. The subject vehicles have a powertrain control module that could allow the vehicle to exceed the design intent top speed. At these extreme speeds, the vehicle could be capable of exceeding the speed rating of the tire.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module.
Transmission complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2000 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 133 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2000 Ford Explorer, 14% of the model year's 952 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (78 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Ford Explorer transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 00V-395 (control module (tcm/pcm/tecm), Nov 28, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2000 Ford Explorer transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 78,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 4 fires and 4 injuries and 1 death to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.