Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Ford explorer. The contact stated that the gear shifter failed to shift out of park. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
2010 Ford Explorer powertrain problems
severe 27 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $2,500 · see powertrain across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
27
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$2,500
3crashes
1injury
When does it fail?
Of the 27 powertrain complaints filed for the 2010 Ford Explorer, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 100,000-125,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Owners have filed 27 powertrain complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Powertrain accounts for 23% of all owner complaints filed against this vehicle, across 9 categories tracked.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: The 2010 Explorer's transmission, shifter, and brake-acceleration systems show patterns of failure that Ford acknowledges but has not consistently recalled. Before buying, have a pre-purchase inspection check transmission codes, test shifter function in and out of Park with the engine off, verify brake response at low speeds, and confirm all warning lights function—then think twice about buying one of these.
The 2010 Ford Explorer powertrain shows a constellation of serious issues. Transmission failures dominate the complaints: vehicles drop out of gear suddenly at highway speed, shift lever grinds or won't engage reverse, and pressure codes (P0798, P098, P0741) appear without warning. Ford dealerships confirm these are known problems. Several owners were told transmissions must be replaced—costs exceed $5,600, and parts sit on back-order for months.
Uncontrolled acceleration while braking happens in parking lots and at highway speeds. Owners report their brakes won't stop the vehicle even with full pedal pressure; one Explorer surged forward from a near-stop and collided with two parked vehicles, injuring the driver's daughter. A dealership inspection found nothing wrong.
Shifter failures prevent moving out of Park even with brake pressed, or allow the shift lever to move without pressing the brake at all. Ignition keys stick and cannot be removed. The harmonic balancer fractured during highway driving at 30 mph, severing brakes and steering on a vehicle traveling at speed. The powertrain control module (PCM) burns out and becomes unrepairable, with Ford unable to source replacements. Front wheel bearings fail repeatedly on the same side—one owner needed three hub assemblies by 66,000 miles. Wrench-light warnings appear without clear cause, sometimes followed by stalling on highways.
Same Ford Explorer powertrain reports on nearby years: 2007 · 2008 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013
Failure modes owners describe
Transmission pressure code errors and failure
Transmission loses power delivery and requires replacement. Multiple pressure code errors (P0798, P098) detected without warning lights, or transmission drops out of gear entirely. Some owners report clunking during reverse, solenoid replacement, and eventual broken drum requiring transmission replacement.
When: 59,492 to 127,000 miles; some issues reported within first year of ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden jolt with no power to wheels; feels like dropped out of gear; Vehicle revs high into red line unexpectedly; O/D light blinking; CHECK TRANSMISSION warning on dash; Reverse not working or making clunking sounds; Transmission slips out of low gear intermittently; Transmission falls out of gear when coming to stop; Stuttering on acceleration
Codes mentioned: P0798, P098, P0741
Repairs/costs cited: Transmission replacement required. Solenoid body replaced under warranty in one case. Repair costs cited as $5,600 or more. Parts shortage reported (back-order up to 6 months in some cases).
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford confirmed known issue; recall pending but VINs not consistently included. Dealerships acknowledge transmission issues are notorious in Explorers. Ford Customer Care advised recall coming for reimbursement but no follow-up occurred.
Uncontrolled acceleration while braking
Vehicle accelerates hard while driver has foot on brake, unable to stop vehicle with brakes alone. Occurs at low speeds (parking lots) and highway speeds. Multiple collisions reported. Engine revs loudly with no response to brake pedal pressure.
When: Occurs at various mileages; two incidents in parking lots at ~10 mph and near-stop speeds
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle surges forward with foot on brake pedal; Brakes fail to respond or respond very slowly; Engine revs extremely loud during surge; Unable to stop vehicle even with both feet on brake or standing on brake; Vehicle travels 50 feet uncontrolled in one case
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership inspection found nothing in one case. No repairs documented.
Shifter/ignition interlock failure
Shift lever can be moved out of Park without pressing brake pedal or inserting ignition key. Key becomes stuck in ignition and cannot be removed. Gear can be shifted while key is removed from ignition.
When: 67,000 to 127,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Shift lever moves out of Park without brake pedal pressed; Ignition key stuck and cannot be removed; Gear shifts without key in ignition; Unable to rotate ignition key to OFF position
Repairs/costs cited: Shifter assembly replacement required. Parts on back-order for up to 6 months. Independent mechanic repair recurred. Pin within transmission failed (noted in one case).
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer made aware in some cases but no recalls or formal response documented.
Harmonic balancer/crankshaft pulley failure
Crankshaft pulley or harmonic balancer fractures and separates during highway driving without warning. Pulley strikes other vehicles. Loss of power steering and brake assist reported.
When: 81,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: No warning lights before failure; Pulley separates while driving at highway speed (30 mph); Loss of brakes and steering power after pulley failure
Repairs/costs cited: Not repaired or diagnosed by owner.
Unexpected 4-wheel drive engagement at highway speed
Vehicle shifts into 4-wheel drive mode while driving at highway speeds (70 mph) without driver input. Occurs intermittently over extended periods.
When: 60,000 miles; recurred over one year span
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle shifts into 4-wheel drive at 70 mph on interstate; Occurs at various highway speeds; Intermittent recurrence
Repairs/costs cited: Front wheel bearing replaced by dealer but did not resolve issue.
Powertrain control module (PCM) failure
PCM burns out and becomes unrepairable. Causes multiple warning lights and system failures including transmission, engine, and brake system lights. Vehicle unable to accelerate at any speed. Replacement parts on indefinite back-order.
When: <UNKNOWN>
Symptoms owners cite: ABS light, brake system light, engine light, and airbag light all illuminate simultaneously; Radio shuts off along with all dashboard lights; Vehicle fails to catch gear and stops accelerating randomly; Total failure to accelerate at any speed
Repairs/costs cited: PCM confirmed burnt out and unrepairable. Ford has product on indefinite back-order. Transmission was replaced prior to PCM diagnosis.
Wrench light (limp mode) and stalling
Wrench symbol (limp mode indicator) illuminates during driving, sometimes accompanied by engine warning light. Vehicle experiences loss of power or stalling on highways. Dealership cannot identify cause.
When: Various mileages
Symptoms owners cite: Yellow wrench symbol appears on dash while driving; Engine warning light appears with wrench symbol; Vehicle shuts off on highway at 65 mph; Intermittent occurrence
Repairs/costs cited: Throttle body replaced in one case without resolving wrench light. No root cause identified by dealership.
Rear differential leak
Rear differential develops leak requiring replacement.
When: 38,200 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Rear differential leaking
Repairs/costs cited: Rear differential replacement required; not completed at time of complaint.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer made aware of failure.
Front wheel bearing premature wear
Front wheel bearings fail prematurely and repeatedly on same side. Multiple replacements needed within warranty and after. Entire hub assembly replaced multiple times.
When: 30,000 miles (first failure); 55,000 miles (second failure); third set by 66,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Wheel bearing wear causing failure
Repairs/costs cited: First replacement under warranty at 30,000 miles. Second replacement (entire hub assembly) at 55,000 miles cost over $500. Third hub assembly needed by 66,000 miles. Dealer stated this is fairly common.
Synthesized from 27 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 6 most recent
Truck recently start having problems, has correct amount of transmission fluid, everything. Transmission light came on car stalled, restarted the car tge car drove but acted like it was slipping, light still on, took it to mechanic... The light did not give any codes of any sort on any of their scan tools car drives fine today kind of, it "falls" out of gear when I come to a stop and kinda…
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Ford explorer. The contact stated that he was unable to shift the vehicle out of park. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis where the technician stated that the shifter assembly would need to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
"takata recall"-diagnosis/engine light(wrench coming up on screen)-code po741 transmission torque converter system stuck off. PCM won't command transmission to shift and when does command transmission will slip. Taken to Ford dealer-sheehy Ford mercury Lincoln mercury-10601 midlothian turnpike, richmond, va 804-794-0500-after mechanic was not able to obtain parts 9l2a-12a650-fd & 9l2a-aa.…
I own a 2010 Ford explorer xlt 4x4 that I purchased new in 2009. At approximately 30,000 miles the driver's side front wheel bearings wore out and were replaced under warranty. A second time after warranty at approximately 55, 000 miles the same wheel bearings were replaced at a cost of over $500. The entire wheel hub assembly was replaced and I was told by the dealer that this is fairly…
Coming to a complete stop with my foot on the brake, the engine all of a sudden surged forward. I was not able to stop it with the brakes. It surged so fast and hard that it rear ended a yukon which was parked about 10 feet in front of me , which forced the yukon forward approximately 7 feet which then broadsided a parked pickup. This accident happened in a parking area, adjacent to a gas…
Had powertrain trouble with your 2010 Ford Explorer?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2010 Ford Explorer?
It's a meaningful issue. 27 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $2,500.
At what mileage does the powertrain typically fail?
Across the 22 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most powertrain failures cluster between 60,000 and 120,000 miles, with the median around 81,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 60,000; a quarter make it past 120,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $2,500 for powertrain repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to powertrain?
No active recalls currently cover powertrain issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2010/Ford/Explorer.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.