2020 Ford Explorer Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist: What to Check Before You Buy

By AutoVetting Editorial · Published June 24, 2026

Quick verdict

The 2020 Ford Explorer is the kind of used SUV that can be a great buy or a money pit, and the only way to know which one you're looking at is to inspect it. This was the launch year of a ground-up redesign, and Ford's rushed rollout produced a rough first batch — Consumer Reports has put the 2020 Explorer on its "used cars to avoid" list two years running, and NHTSA has recorded an unusually high pile of complaints and recalls for the model year. None of that means you should walk past every one. It means you should treat a 2020 Explorer as guilty until proven innocent: verify the rear-axle and rollaway recalls are actually closed on that VIN, watch the transmission carefully on a cold start and a real road test, and look hard for the early-build electrical and trim gremlins. A well-sorted, well-documented example is a roomy, capable, rear-drive-based three-row that's worth owning. An unsorted one will nickel-and-dime you from the first month.

The 2020 Ford Explorer at a glance

The 2020 model year kicked off the sixth-generation Explorer (Ford's internal U625), and it was a bigger deal than most refreshes. Ford moved the Explorer off its old front-wheel-drive-based platform onto a new rear-wheel-drive-based architecture (CD6), which changed the driving feel, the towing capability, and the entire mechanical layout. That's the good news. The bad news is that Ford's Chicago Assembly plant struggled badly with the launch — early cars shipped with assembly defects, some were trucked back for rework before sale, and the first several months of production are widely regarded as the weakest. The closer a car was built to the start of production, the more scrutiny it deserves.

Engine and trim lineup for 2020:

• 2.3L EcoBoost turbo four (around 300 hp) — the standard engine on base, XLT, and Limited. This is the volume seller and, for most buyers, the sensible pick.
• 3.0L EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 — 365 hp in the Platinum, 400 hp in the performance-oriented ST. Quick and fun, but the ST's complaints skew harder toward transmission and ride harshness, and these trims cost more to maintain.
• 3.3L hybrid V6 — the Limited Hybrid, a mild-use hybrid aimed at fleet and efficiency buyers rather than big fuel savings.

Every 2020 Explorer uses a 10-speed automatic (the 10R60, with the 10R80 on some configurations) and offers rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. One myth to clear up: the dreaded internal water pump that made the previous-generation (2011–2019) 3.5L Explorer so feared is not a 2020 issue — the sixth-gen redesign moved to a more serviceable cooling layout. If a forum post tries to scare you with that horror story on a 2020, it's describing the old car.

If you're cross-shopping, it's worth reading our 2017 Chrysler Pacifica guide for an alternative three-row family hauler, and — since the Explorer shares Ford's 10-speed transmission DNA with the truck line — our 2021 Ford F-150 guide is useful background on how that gearbox behaves when it's healthy.

Common problems by mileage band

Under 60,000 miles

On a 2020 Explorer, the early miles are where the launch-quality problems show up, because they were built into the car rather than worn into it. Owners reported faulty seats, loose wiring harnesses, digital displays that didn't work, intermittent no-starts, and false "no key detected" messages while driving. Sit in the car and exercise everything: every seat function, the big touchscreen and gauge cluster (watch for flicker or a blank reboot), the climate system, the cameras, the power liftgate, and the key/push-button start a few times in a row.

The transmission is the headline mechanical concern and it can appear early. Early-build 2020s (those assembled on or before mid-May 2020) were subject to a service bulletin for a harsh 7-to-6 downshift caused by a dislodged clutch snap ring, and a broader bulletin covered harsh, delayed, or banging engagement traced to sticking valves in the main control valve body. On the road test, you want smooth, predictable shifts — not clunks, flares (the engine revving between gears), or a hard bang when it drops a gear. AWD cars should also be checked for a low-speed bind or shudder while turning, which was a documented condition on 2020–2021 four-wheel-drive examples.

60,000–100,000 miles

This is where deferred maintenance and the rear-axle recall saga matter most. The rear-axle mounting bolt issue (more on the recall numbers below) can produce severe noise and vibration and, in the worst case, a driveshaft disconnect. On a test drive, a clunk or heavy vibration from the rear under acceleration is a stop-everything signal. Brakes, the climate system, and in-car electronics are also flagged problem areas for this model year, so confirm the A/C blows cold and holds, and re-check the screens and electronics now that the car has some age and heat cycles on it.

By this mileage the 10-speed should have had at least one fluid service if the previous owner was conscientious; ask for records. A transmission that shifts harshly or hunts between gears here — without the early-build excuse — is a car that either never got the bulletin work or has a developing problem.

Over 100,000 miles

A six-cylinder ST or Platinum at six figures has had its twin-turbo 3.0L working hard; budget for the usual high-mileage turbo-engine attention (oil leaks, cooling-system condition, intercooler plumbing) and look for a documented maintenance history rather than a mystery. On any high-mile Explorer, confirm the rear suspension is tight — Ford's own certified inspection calls out rear-suspension links and ball joints as wear items on Explorers, and corroded rear toe-links have been a recall-level concern on earlier generations, so a careful look at the rear suspension on a rust-belt car is time well spent. High-mileage cars are also where you most want proof that all open recalls were actually performed, not just mailed about.

What an AutoVet inspection covers for this vehicle

AutoVet inspections follow the manufacturer's own published used-vehicle standard rather than a generic once-over. For a Ford like the Explorer, that means an inspection aligned to the Ford Blue Advantage certified standard — a roughly 139-point baseline (172 points at the Gold tier, which adds a documented road-test phase) covering engine, transmission, driveline, steering, brakes, suspension, HVAC, electrical, safety systems, and a measured tire-and-brake check (actual tread depth and pad thickness at each wheel, not a vague "looks fine").

For a 2020 Explorer specifically, we lean on the points that matter most for this car: a full diagnostic scan for stored and pending codes (the early-build electrical gremlins leave fingerprints), a cold-start and shift-quality road test through the 10-speed's gears to surface harsh shifts and any AWD low-speed shudder, a dedicated rear-driveline and rear-axle inspection given the recall history, an underbody leak and fluid-condition check (engine oil, transmission, coolant), an electronics and interior-function sweep (seats, screens, cameras, keyless start), and a VIN-level recall lookup through Ford's OASIS system so we can tell you not just whether a recall exists but whether the correct remedy was applied. The goal isn't to bless the car as perfect — it's to tell you, before money changes hands, exactly what you're buying and what it'll cost you.

Open recalls and TSBs to verify

The 2020 Explorer's recall list is long, and a cluster of it concerns rollaway risk and the rear axle — which is exactly why you verify, by VIN, that the work was completed. The campaigns to confirm:

• NHTSA 20V693 (Ford 20S65) — driveshaft weld-seam fracture. Affects 2020 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator models with the 2.0L or 3.3L engine and 10-speed AWD. A failing driveshaft can break the connection between the transfer case and rear axle, potentially causing a rollaway in Park or a loss of drive. Recall began December 11, 2020.
• NHTSA 22V255 (Ford 22S27) — rear-axle mounting bolt fracture. The horizontal rear-axle bolt can fracture, letting the axle housing shift and the driveshaft or half-shaft disconnect; the vehicle may then fail to hold in Park. The original remedy proved insufficient, which led to a follow-up recall.
• NHTSA 23V675 (Ford 23S55) — rear-axle bolt, re-recall. Roughly 238,000 model-year 2020–2022 Explorers. Dealers replace the rear axle bolt and subframe bushing and inspect the rear axle cover. This is the critical one to confirm a specific VIN actually received, because it supersedes the earlier fix.
• NHTSA 23V069 — park-system damage from an unintended PCM reset. A powertrain control module reset while driving can damage the park system so the vehicle may not shift fully into Park — again a rollaway concern.

On the transmission side, several technical service bulletins (not recalls) document the early-build harsh 7-6 downshift, the sticking-valve-body harsh/delayed engagement, and the AWD low-speed shudder. Exact bulletin numbers vary by build date and should be confirmed by a Ford dealer against the VIN `[TSB numbers unverified — confirm by VIN]`. The practical move is simple: have the transmission behavior road-tested and cross-checked against open bulletins before you buy.

Always confirm current recall status directly: NHTSA's VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls and Ford's own recall/OASIS lookup will tell you what's open today on the exact car.

Red flags to walk away from

1. Any rear-end clunk, bang, or heavy vibration under acceleration. On this model that points straight at the rear-axle-bolt issue — confirm 23V675 was completed, and if the symptom is present, walk unless it's been properly repaired.
2. Open rollaway-related recall (20V693 / 22V255 / 23V675 / 23V069) that the seller can't show as completed. These aren't cosmetic; they're "the car can roll away" recalls. An unremedied one is both a safety issue and a sign of neglect.
3. Harsh, banging, or flaring shifts that aren't explained by the early-build bulletin — especially without service records. A bad 10-speed is an expensive repair.
4. Electrical chaos — flickering or rebooting screens, intermittent no-starts, false key warnings, dead seat functions. On a launch-year Explorer these can be a maddening, hard-to-pin-down ownership experience.
5. A salvaged or hastily reworked early-build car with no paper trail. Given how many early 2020s went back for rework, a documented service history is worth real money; its absence is a reason to be cautious or to discount hard.

Negotiation leverage

The 2020 Explorer's known issues are also your best bargaining chips, because they're specific and documented. Any open recall — particularly the rear-axle re-recall (23V675) — is a free repair the seller hasn't bothered to schedule, which both tells you something about how the car's been cared for and gives you room to ask for the work to be done before sale or for a lower price. A harsh-shifting 10-speed is concrete leverage: it's either bulletin work the seller skipped or a developing problem, and either way it's a number you can put on the table. Launch-year build quality is a fair, factual point — this model year's reputation is public record, and higher-than-average maintenance costs (estimated around $730/year versus roughly $570 for the midsize-SUV average) are a real ownership cost you can negotiate against. The cleanest leverage of all is a written inspection report listing exactly what the car needs; it's hard to argue with a measured brake-pad thickness, a logged transmission fault code, or a recall that still shows open.

Get a manufacturer-aligned inspection

If you've found a 2020 Explorer you like, the highest-value thing you can do before signing is have it inspected against Ford's own standard — the same points a dealer would use to certify it — rather than relying on the badge or the seller's word. This is a model year where the spread between a good car and a bad one is wide, and the difference often isn't visible from the driver's seat. AutoVet runs an OEM-aligned pre-purchase inspection on the exact car you're considering, scans it for codes, road-tests the 10-speed, checks the rear driveline, and verifies every open recall by VIN through Ford's system, then hands you a plain-English report you can buy on or negotiate with. On a 2020 Explorer especially, it's the cheapest hour you'll spend on a car you might keep for years. Get this exact car vetted.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Ford Explorer a good used car?

It can be, but it's the riskiest year of the current generation. The 2020 was the launch model of a full redesign and suffered well-documented build-quality and transmission problems — Consumer Reports has listed it among used cars to avoid. A specific 2020 with completed recalls, a clean diagnostic scan, smooth transmission behavior, and a documented service history can be a good buy; an unsorted one is a gamble. Inspect before you commit.

What are the most common 2020 Ford Explorer problems?

Transmission complaints (harsh, delayed, or banging shifts from the 10-speed) make up roughly a third of owner reports, followed by electrical and build-quality issues from the rushed launch — bad seats, loose wiring, failing displays, intermittent no-starts — plus brake and climate-system gripes. The rear-axle-bolt recall is the most safety-significant mechanical issue.

What is the best engine for a 2020 Ford Explorer?

For most buyers, the standard 2.3L EcoBoost four is the sensible choice — adequate power, lower running costs, and it's the volume engine. The 3.0L EcoBoost V6 (Platinum and the 400-hp ST) is quicker and more fun but pricier to maintain and tends to attract more transmission-and-ride complaints. The 3.3L hybrid is efficiency-focused. Whichever engine, the transmission behavior matters more than the badge.

What years of Ford Explorer should you avoid?

Within the current generation, 2020 is the one to scrutinize hardest as the launch year. The car improved meaningfully as production settled — later model years (2022 and up) are generally the safer used pick if you want the sixth-gen Explorer with fewer launch gremlins.

How do I check if a 2020 Explorer's recalls are done?

Enter the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and at Ford's owner recall lookup. For the rear-axle cluster, you specifically want to confirm the 23V675 (23S55) remedy was performed, since it supersedes the earlier 22V255 fix. A pre-purchase inspection that includes an OASIS check will confirm exactly which remedies a given VIN received.

Sources

1. Consumer Reports — 2020 Ford Explorer reliability (low predicted reliability; problem areas: powertrain, brakes, climate, electronics, build quality).
2. Ford Authority — 2020 Explorer again on CR's used-cars-to-avoid list (two-year "avoid" status; complaint and recall volume context).
3. Consumer Reports — Explorer recalled for rollaway risk (rear-axle bolt / Park-hold rollaway concern).
4. Autobody News — Ford recalls 238K Explorers for rear-axle bolt failure (23V675 / 23S55) (scope, remedy: bolt + subframe bushing replacement).
5. Ford — campaign 22S27 (NHTSA 22V255) rear-axle bolt (earlier rear-axle recall that the re-recall superseded).
6. Safety Recall 20S65 (NHTSA 20V693) — driveshaft weld seam (2020 Explorer/Aviator 2.0L/3.3L AWD; rollaway-in-Park / loss-of-drive).
7. CarComplaints — 2020 Ford Explorer recalls (including 23V069 PCM-reset / park-system damage).
8. CarComplaints — 2020 Ford Explorer TSBs (10R60/10R80 harsh-shift and AWD shudder service bulletins).
9. Kelley Blue Book — 2020 Ford Explorer problems (transmission, build-quality, maintenance-cost context).
10. NHTSA recall lookup by VIN (verify open and remedied campaigns on any specific vehicle).

Researched and written by AutoVetting Editorial. Failure patterns, recall details, and model-year guidance draw on the numbered sources above and the NHTSA complaint database; transmission TSB numbers should be confirmed by VIN against Ford's service records. Always confirm recall status and vehicle specifics by VIN before purchase.