YearToAvoid

2013 Ford Explorer Transmission & Powertrain Problems

NHTSA lists 119 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2013 Ford Explorer, 5% of all 2,234 complaints filed for that year. Median mileage at failure is 60,000 miles, with 9 crashes and 1 injury linked to this area, and no related recalls on file.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints
119
5% of 2,234
Crashes reported
9
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
1
Median mileage
60,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical transmission symptoms owners report

  • Vehicle indicates it is in park but rolls away on its own after the driver exits, sometimes striking objects or other vehicles.
  • Shifter display shows a shift-to-park warning even though the gear selector appears to be in park.
  • Vehicle stalls or hesitates when shifting from reverse to drive while still rolling backward.
  • Owners report the transmission display goes blank and the vehicle loses power and struggles to regain speed while stability and traction control warnings appear.
  • Some owners report the same park-related rollback problem recurring after repeated repair visits.

When 2013 Ford Explorer transmission complaints were filed

First complaint Jan 15, 2013, latest Sep 10, 2025.

2013 Ford Explorer transmission & powertrain complaints: complaints filed per quarter112013 Q12015 Q12016 Q32018 Q12019 Q42021 Q22023 Q22024 Q4
119 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2013 Q1 to 2025 Q3; peak 2016 Q3 (11).

Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2013 Ford Explorer

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints by Explorer model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 201028 (25%)
  2. 201164 (5%)
  3. 201255 (7%)
  4. 2013119 (5%)
  5. 201479 (5%)
  6. 201586 (5%)
  7. 2016214 (9%)
  8. 2017123 (7%)
  9. 201850 (7%)
  10. 201935 (12%)
  11. 2020487 (40%)
  12. 2021121 (28%)
  13. 202261 (23%)
  14. 202312 (11%)
  15. 20241 (5%)
  16. 202515 (15%)

Frequently asked questions

How common are transmission problems in the 2013 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA shows 119 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2013 Explorer, which is 5% of the 2,234 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a transmission recall for the 2013 Ford Explorer?
No related recalls are listed in NHTSA data for the 2013 Ford Explorer's Transmission & Powertrain complaints.
At what mileage do transmission problems tend to appear?
NHTSA sample data shows a median mileage of 60,000 miles at the time of failure for Transmission & Powertrain complaints on the 2013 Explorer.
Did the 2013 Ford Explorer transmission issues cause crashes?
NHTSA data links 9 crashes and 1 injury to Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2013 Explorer, with no fires reported.
How does the 2013 Explorer compare to other years for this problem?
The 2013 Explorer's 119 complaints represent 5% of that year's total, similar in share to 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015, but far lower in share than 2020's 40% or 2021's 28%.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.