Collision Avoidance complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | 12% | — |
| 2025 | 16 | 15% | 0 miles |
| 2024 | 4 | 19% | 7,000 miles |
| 2023 | 19 | 17% | 7,000 miles |
| 2022 | 33 | 12% | 14,000 miles |
| 2021 | 56 | 13% | 32,000 miles |
| 2020 | 174 | 14% | 18,000 miles |
| 2019 | 4 | 1% | 69,000 miles |
| 2018 | 31 | 4% | 55,000 miles |
| 2017 | 17 | 1% | 51,000 miles |
| 2016 | 18 | 1% | 108,000 miles |
| 2015 | 151 | 8% | 100,000 miles |
| 2014 | 42 | 2% | 90,000 miles |
| 2013 | 54 | 2% | 128,000 miles |
| 2012 | 12 | 1% | 107,000 miles |
| 2011 | 5 | 0% | 125,000 miles |
| 2008 | 1 | 1% | 197,000 miles |
| 2006 | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2002 | 1 | 0% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, backup camera).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I had my car in drive in a parking spot. I was ready to go, put the car in drive, DID NOT MOVE but needed to put it in park fast to assist to a child in the back seat. I put it in park pretty fast. Took my seatbelt off and assisted child. It must have not engaged. Car rolled into my office metal mailbox. I 100% put it in park. I took my seatbelt off after so I seen it. It was fast with the gear shift though. Should this have been an issue? I feel like if it was any other car you with a manual gear shifter , not electrical, it's fine. I feel this was not my fault at all and was a malfunction of the car. The car did not automatically stop either. It hit the mailbox at like 3-4mph. I have never been in an accident of my fault in 10 years of driving. I've never made a crazy mistake like that. It should've never happened. I drive all types of cars/ and trucks. …
Traveling of the freeway at 80 mph, pull left to pass Semi, upon getting halfway past the truck the adaptive cruise Control activates and brings the vehicle to under 65 mph extremely fast. After a few seconds the vehicle rapidly accelerates back to 80 mph. This has happened at least four times since purchasing the vehicle new. The problem is very erratic and only happens when passing a Semi while driving up a hill or passing on a left turning bend on the freeway. The incident that disturbed me the most was when this malfunction happened the last time a vehicle following me had to take to the borrow pit to prevent collision with my vehicle. Fortunately there was no accident or injuries that occurred but I can imagine that at one time this problem will take place and someone will have a serious accident. …
The contact owns a 2025 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on the first day after the vehicle was purchased, the pre-collision camera failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the alarm failed to beep as intended when a person or an object was in front of or passing by the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. A diagnostic test was performed, and it was determined that the pre-collision camera worked as designed. The contact stated that the manager at the dealer took the vehicle home and confirmed that the pre-collision camera sensor had failed to function as intended; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to Biener Ford; however, no cause for the failure was found. …
While using Ford Blue Cruise, the Blue Cruise system failed to maintain lane control and fought the driver's steering wheel input, resulting in the vehicle colliding with a traffic cone. I have had 3 other instances where Blue Cruise has randomly jerked me toward the shoulder or an exit ramp, this is the first time colliding with anything. Only damage to the vehicle from this incident is a ripped fender well liner, there are some markings on tire sidewall but no damage. Certainly could have been worse. The cone collision happened on Interstate 79 Northbound at MM101 in West Virginia. I have had lane jerking happen with Blue Cruise twice Northbound at MM105, and once Southbound at MM118. The system is on by default, I am trying to figure out how to turn it off to prevent future safety issues.
The contact owns a 2024 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 65-70 MPH on two occasions, the Lane Keep Assist malfunctioned and the vehicle veered out of the intended lane. The contact was able to recover control of the vehicle to remain in the intended lane. Additionally, while driving 40-45 MPH, the Lane Keep Assist veered the vehicle out of the intended lane and the vehicle side swiped the barrier wall. There were unknown warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries. There was no air bag deployment. The contact stated that a Police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 6,560.
This vehicle has a 360 camera system that was not included, despite is being included in the component package that is standard for this vehicle. I contacted the dealer directly, informed them that there are cameras installed on the vehicle, but only the rear camera is operational. Further investigation into the matter revealed that Ford apparently "recalled" the camera systems on the Explorer for the 2023 models, but has not distributed any information to its dealers. Now I have a forward facing camera that is not operational, but the vehicle's warning system continually advises me there is a problem with the front camera's vision, "Check forward camera lens for cleanliness". Also, the front camera lens is clear, but it still will display the warning. The Ford dealers all claim that the manufacturer has not shared information about the 2024 Ford Explorer's 360 camera system. …
I rented a 2023 Ford Explorer. I had many issues with the added safety features while renting it, ultimately resulting in an accident. Firstly, the lane keeping assist did not function properly. In construction zones, back roads, and during rainy weather, the vehicle would jerk very hard to one side of the other. Even after trying to shut off the lane keeping assist feature, it it would automatically turn back on. Luckily, most of those incidents would happen in low traffic areas. Until the final time it happened, resulting in a head on collision with another vehicle. Additionally, the screen that displayed the lane assist activity would go blank randomly while driving. Also. There was a constant issue with the a pop up screen saying to keep holding the steering wheel. …
The contact owns a 2023 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH on the expressway in the center lane, the Forward Collision Avoidance system engaged, and the vehicle came to an abrupt stop and failed to restart. After several minutes the vehicle restarted, and the contact was able to continue driving. Additionally, while in a parking lot, the vehicle shut off and failed to restart. After several minutes, the vehicle restarted. The Forward Collision Avoidance warning light illuminated while driving with no other vehicle nearby. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the tailgate warning light illuminated. The contact checked the tailgate and attempted to close the tailgate. There contact was able to place her fingers between the tailgate. …
Related recalls (12)
Back over prevention › Software
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2020-2024 Lincoln Aviator, and Explorer vehicles. The image on the center display may flip or invert, resulting in an incorrectly displayed rearview image when the vehicle is placed in reverse.
Remedy: Dealers will update the accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 23, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years.
Back over prevention › Software
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and…
Remedy: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Back over prevention › Software
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 23V-342. The video output may fail, preventing the rearview camera image from displaying.
Remedy: Dealers will update the Image Processing Module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 25, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Back over prevention › Software
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The rearview camera image may fail when the vehicle speed reaches 10 MPH or greater. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: The accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software will be updated through an over-the-air (OTA) update or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 28, 2025.
Show 7 more recalls
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer vehicles. Due to a poor electrical connection, the rearview camera may intermittently display a blank or distorted image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 4, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C19.
Back over prevention › Display function
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023 Explorer vehicles equipped with a standard rearview camera. Due to a manufacturing error in the wire harness, the rearview camera may display a blue image on the SYNC screen when the vehicle is placed in reverse.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rearview camera wire harness and repair any loose splices, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 2, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles equipped with a 360-degree camera. The video output may fail, preventing the rearview camera image from displaying.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the 360-degree camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 10, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S23.
Back over prevention › Display function
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with a 12.1-inch Integrated Computer Screen (ICS). When the Display On/Off Button is used to turn the display to "Off" prior to placing the vehicle in reverse, the backup camera rearview image will not appear on the…
Remedy: Dealers will update the ICS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C14.
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles equipped with a 360-degree camera. The video output may fail, preventing the rearview camera image from displaying.
Remedy: Dealers will update the image processing module (IPMB) software, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed April 25, 2023.
Back over prevention › Software
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Corsair, and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with 360-degree cameras. The video output may fail, preventing the rearview camera image from displaying.
Remedy: Dealers will update the Image Processing Module (IPMB) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 16, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Explorer, Mustang, Transit, Expedition, Escape, Ranger and Edge, and Lincoln Nautilus and Corsair vehicles. Due to a poor electrical connection, the rearview camera may intermittently display a blank or distorted image.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2020. Remedy became available on February 1, 2021.
NHTSA investigations
Rearview Camera FMVSS 111 Noncompliance
On September 23, 2020, Ford Motor Company (Ford) filed a noncompliance recall report under 49 CFR Part 573 (NHTSA Recall No. 20V-575), recalling 620,246 Model Year (MY) 2020 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Explorer, Mustang, Transit, Expedition, Escape, Ranger and Edge, and Lincoln Nautilus and Corsair vehicles for a noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 111, Rear Visibility.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Explorer years have collision avoidance problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2020 (174), 2015 (151), 2021 (56), 2013 (54) and 2014 (42) model years. Collision Avoidance complaints make up 14% of all complaints for the 2020.
Is there a recall for Ford Explorer collision avoidance problems?
Yes — 12 recalls, including 26V-123 (software, Mar 3, 2026); 25V-695 (camera, Oct 13, 2025); 25V-442 (software, Jun 27, 2025). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford Explorer collision avoidance problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles; 33% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the warnings (134 mentions), followed by the sensing system › camera (92).
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.