Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The power steering failed on my 2013 Ford Explorer while driving which made steering extremely difficult, especially at slower speeds. I was very startled by the immediate loss of steering while traveling at a high rate of speed. I also had to be extremely cautious turning to ensure there was ample time to turn and not cause an accident. My turn signals also quite functioning properly. When turning on my turn signals they would only blink once unless I held down the turn signal which would then allow it to work which is difficult to do as it takes the strength of both hands to steer the wheel with the power steering not functioning. The vehicle is available for inspection and I have an appointment to take it to a Ford dealership next week. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or anyone else. …
Water was leaking in somehow through the drivers side. I had windshield replaced as well as moonroof motor (because the moonroof stopped working after leak also) . The water does not seem to get in anymore but Now my headlights randomly work. I have had the headlights replaced but it did not fix the problem. The mechanic has seen the problem but is stumped so now its a process of elimination I guess. When the headlights go out if I completly turn them off and back on again it will ussually fix it temporarily. Ive got a police warning because I got pulled over for no headlights but as the police were writing the ticket, the headlights randomly came back .There has been a lot of sensors going on the dash and ford has had to reset them.
Complained of faulty power steering error message coming on when starting vehicle for 1.5 years to Ford dealership with no exact response regarding the issue. They said they reset the system and it should work fine afterwards. The next day I still had the issue. I then complained again about it but it was in the shop for numerous issues and that was overlooked/ignored. My power steering has now gone out completely and the recalls for the power steering ended for explorers manufactured after feb. 2012 and mine was manufactured in dec. 2012. I asked if the dealership was required to report issues when customers bring their vehicle in to the shop and they said no. They are only reqiured to report them when they repair it or do work to it, not just assess that there is an issue. Lesson learned, always report your issues here. …
Having a issue headlights going off. Mostly one bub at a time but not always the same bub or both buds go off but always turn back on once I place switch back in off position and turn them back on. After being pulled over by locat shierff is when I first noticed the issue for my headlight being out. Trouble had gotten worst of time. I spoke to a local state trooper and I was told that it is known issue with newer Ford headlights. I went dealership and I explained to them it seem like a electrical power issue. I was that the harness over time gets moisture in it and had to grease to keep it from happening. He said it will be over $1000 to get it fix with the symptoms I provided him. On long straight trip at a stead speed the light do not go out, but driving around town it happens now on a regular.
The door sensor indicates the door is open when in reality it is closed. This causes a warning bell that does not cease and keeps the dome light illuminated. This condition also causes the alarm system to go off resulting at times in a police response. In order to alleviate the problem you must shut the door repeatedly, sometimes a dozen times or more. This also has run the battery down due to the dome lights and accessories staying on. Apart fromt he obvious frustration this problem is potentially dangerous. This is not a one time thing but a chronic and repeated problem that has no real resolution. I see other Ford users are experiencing similar problems with their Ford explorers.
Both driver and passenger door lock/latch mechanisms failed showing car door is ajar when door is actually shut. Driver door lock actuator failed around 30,000 miles and passenger lock actuator failed around 135000 miles. When driving at night, the interior lights of car cannot be turned off until speed reaches approximately 10 MPH. This leads to unsafe driving conditions and limits driver visibility outside of car due to glare.
The driver side "door ajar" alarm is constantly on, even though the door is firmly closed and secure.the alarm keeps going off and the dome light is on while the vehicle is in motion for a dangerous period of time. This seems to be a common and dangerous complaint for similar vehicles in similar years.according to what I have read online and watched online there are a lot of like vehicles out there with this problem.
Door ajar notification remains on when all doors are closed and vehicle is in motion. Alert tone will sound when vehicle starts moving or comes to a stop. Auto door locks will not function or doors will not remain locked. Interior dome lights remain on until vehicle starts motion. The vehicle was serviced by Ford and sensors cleaned under warranty at 25K miles. Fix lasted about 4 months. Current mileage 67K.
Lights and passenger door ajar stay on. Lights don't turn off when backing up or until driving forward at a certain speed. Locks unlock by themselves. Lights will randomly turn on when no one is by the car. Have 3 little kids need a car that should be reliable to lock the door to s and stay locked or to safely back up with visibility but can't bc the lights stay on
Headlights on this vehicle are the worst that I have ever driven. Had lights adjusted at the dealership and not much improvement. The road does not get very well illuminated. Even though the lights are irritating to oncoming traffic they don't do much to help the driver see the road. This is an ongoing problem since it was new.
Headlight complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2013 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the lights of the 2013 Ford Explorer, 1% of the model year's 2,237 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2013 Ford Explorer headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights recall for the 2013 Ford Explorer, though it has 11 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2013 Ford Explorer headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 30,000 miles, and 42% before 25,000 miles.
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.