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Buying a used 2020 Ford Explorer? Check these 33 recalls first

33 NHTSA recalls · 1,208 owner complaints on file

The 2020 Explorer has the heaviest record of these years: eight critical recalls covering wiring that can rub through and cause a fire, fuel leaks, a fuel tank that may leak in a crash, a drive shaft and rear suspension bolts that can break, plug-in hybrid battery failure, and Police Interceptor engine fire risk. Owner reports are the highest too — 1,208 unverified NHTSA complaints, 481 under power train, with 10 fires and 38 injuries alleged.

Before you buy

1. Get the 17-character VIN from the seller and run it at nhtsa.gov/recalls. It shows which recalls are still unrepaired on that exact car.
2. Get a printed VIN recall status; this year has eight critical campaigns to account for.
3. Listen for driveline clunks or vibration and note any shifting or rollaway behavior.
4. If it is the plug-in hybrid, ask about battery warnings and confirm that recall was done.
5. Open recalls are repaired free at any Ford dealer, whoever owns the car — an open recall is a to-do item, not a bill.

Recalls covering the 2020 Ford Explorer

What owners have reported to NHTSA

1,208 complaints filed for this model year, including 35 mentioning a crash, 10 a fire and 38 injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, and popular models collect more of them simply because more are on the road.

Other model years

• 2018
• 2019
• 2021
• 2022
• 2023
• 2024
• 2025
• All Explorer recalls