AI Damage2020 Ford Explorer Hybrid: common problems
The maker issued 13 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 13
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Powertrain | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Engine and cooling | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Equipment | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Backover prevention | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Structure | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Comparison
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Some 2020-2024 Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility hybrid vehicles may exhibit a "Refuel Error See Manual"…
Some 2020-2024 Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility hybrid vehicles may exhibit a "Refuel Error See Manual" message in the instrument panel cluster (IPC) after installing a replacement fuel filler door assembly…
- Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles…
Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost engine and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine may exhibit an illuminated powertrain malfunction (wrench) indicator with…
- Some 2020-2026 Police Interceptor Utility hybrid vehicles may exhibit multiple warning messages, various…
Some 2020-2026 Police Interceptor Utility hybrid vehicles may exhibit multiple warning messages, various drivability concerns and/or an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC)…
- Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost hybrid engine, 2020-2023 Explorer vehicles…
Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost hybrid engine, 2020-2023 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine and 2020-2023 Aviator vehicles equipped with a 3.0L hybrid engine may exhibit…
- 2020-2023 Escape/Explorer, 2021-2023 F-150 and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles equipped with a full hybrid…
2020-2023 Escape/Explorer, 2021-2023 F-150 and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles equipped with a full hybrid electric vehicle (FHEV) powertrain may exhibit a cable connection error screen from the Midtronics xRC-3363 High…
- Some 2020-2023 Explorer 3.3L full hybrid electric (FHEV) vehicles built on or before 12-Nov-2023 may…
Some 2020-2023 Explorer 3.3L full hybrid electric (FHEV) vehicles built on or before 12-Nov-2023 may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) and/or powertrain malfunction (wrench) indicator with…
- This article supersedes TSB 23-2279 to update the Service Procedure
Some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.5L PowerBoost hybrid engine, 2020-2023 Explorer vehicles equipped with a 3.3L hybrid engine and 2020-2023 Aviator vehicles equipped with a 3.0L hybrid engine may exhibit…
- The Service Awareness Newsletter is an informal communication that contains information that may not be…
The Service Awareness Newsletter is an informal communication that contains information that may not be presently available in a TSB, SSM, GSB, or other electronic communication. This article includes information on…
- 2020-2023 Explorer/Aviator/Police Interceptor Utility Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a charging system…
2020-2023 Explorer/Aviator/Police Interceptor Utility Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a charging system warning in the message center and/or illuminated battery lamp with DTC B11D9 present in the body control module (BCM)…
- Some 2020-2022 Aviator/Explorer Hybrid vehicles may experience a concern where the EV power flow does not…
Some 2020-2022 Aviator/Explorer Hybrid vehicles may experience a concern where the EV power flow does not display in the center display screen. This may be due to accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software. To…
- Some 2020-2022 Explorer/Aviator/Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with a hybrid powertrain may…
Some 2020-2022 Explorer/Aviator/Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with a hybrid powertrain may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P2D40. This may be due to the chiller not…
- Some 2020-2022 Aviator/Explorer Hybrid vehicles may experience a low battery warning message displayed in…
Some 2020-2022 Aviator/Explorer Hybrid vehicles may experience a low battery warning message displayed in the message center with diagnostic trouble code B11D9 present in the body control module (BCM). Refer to…
NHTSA lists 13 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Ford Explorer Hybrid?
There are no owner complaints in the NHTSA data for this year; the data comes from 13 manufacturer service bulletins.
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2020 Ford Explorer Hybrid?
NHTSA lists 13 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2020 Ford Explorer Hybrid from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2020 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.