2020 Ford Explorer exterior lighting problems
51 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the exterior lighting on the 2020 Ford Explorer — 4% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The passenger headlamp has went out and after researching this is supposed to be a lifetime lamp and has become a common issue on these vehicles. If these lamps are malfuntioning it should be recalled because it is a safety issue specially to ones that already have vision issues at night.”
filed Jun 14, 2026
“Both my passenger and driver headlights have failed. I have paid to have them replaced. The drivers side has failed twice. The passenger side has failed 3 times. I have taken it to the dealership and they “fixed” the issue but it keeps coming back months or weeks later. The low beams are what is…”
filed May 21, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Exterior Lighting problems in other Explorer years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Explorer | 3 | 3% |
| 2023 Explorer | 2 | 2% |
| 2022 Explorer | 4 | 2% |
| 2021 Explorer | 8 | 2% |
| 2018 Explorer | 4 | 1% |
| 2017 Explorer | 11 | 1% |
| 2016 Explorer | 6 | 0% |
| 2015 Explorer | 17 | 1% |
| 2014 Explorer | 25 | 1% |
| 2013 Explorer | 25 | 1% |
| 2012 Explorer | 6 | 1% |
| 2011 Explorer | 6 | 1% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2020 Ford Explorer
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.