2012 Ford Explorer fuel/propulsion system problems
27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the fuel/propulsion system on the 2012 Ford Explorer — 3% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“while driving the vehicle goes into what I have found is called sleep mode.. The check engine lite comes on and the left info panel shows that the all wheel drive is not working. The dealer tried to see what codes were set and found none. My solution is to pull off the road, put the vehicle in park…”
filed Jul 6, 2025
“There is a strong smell of carbon monoxide when the engine is reved over 3000 -3500 rpm this happens every single time. It seems to be on par with the other complaints regarding this issue with the exhaust system. I noticed this issue since I bought the car from the used car lot.”
filed Dec 28, 2020
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Fuel/propulsion System problems in other Explorer years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 2 | 9% |
| 2025 Explorer | 3 | 3% |
| 2023 Explorer | 2 | 2% |
| 2022 Explorer | 19 | 8% |
| 2021 Explorer | 16 | 4% |
| 2020 Explorer | 40 | 3% |
| 2019 Explorer | 14 | 5% |
| 2018 Explorer | 19 | 3% |
| 2017 Explorer | 44 | 3% |
| 2016 Explorer | 104 | 4% |
| 2015 Explorer | 86 | 5% |
| 2014 Explorer | 62 | 4% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2012 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.