2021 FORD EXPLORER 4WD

Maximum Trailer
Weight
Drive
Transmission
Engine
3,000 lb (1,360 kg)
4WD 1
5,000 lb (2,267 kg)
4WD 2
1 Without Trailer Tow Package.
2 With Trailer Tow Package.
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Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Towing

GENERAL INFORMATION
The recommended tire inflation pressures
are found on the Tire Label which is
located on the B-pillar or the edge of the
driver door. This information can also be
found on the Safety Compliance
Certification Label, affixed to either the
door hinge pillar, door-latch post, or the
door edge that meets the door-latch post,
next to the driver
’s seating position.
We strongly recommend maintaining these
tire pressures at all times. Failure to follow
the tire pressure recommendations can
cause uneven treadwear patterns, reduced
fuel economy, and adversely affect the
way your vehicle handles.
Note: Check and set the tire pressure at the
ambient temperature in which you are
intending to drive your vehicle and when the
tires are cold.
Note: Check your tire pressures at least
once per month.
If your vehicle has a spare tire, set the
pressure to the highest value given for your
vehicle and tire size combination.
Use only approved wheels and tire sizes;
using other sizes could damage your
vehicle.
If you change the diameter of the factory
installed tires, the speedometer could
display the incorrect speed. This could
effect the functionality of the 4WD system
(if equipped). Take your vehicle to an
authorized dealer and have the engine
management system reprogrammed.
If you intend to change the size of the
factory installed tires, check the suitability
with an authorized dealer.
Additional information related to the
functionality and maintenance of your tires
can be found in the Wheels and Tire
section. See Tire Care (page 353). Self-Sealing Tires
(If Equipped)
Self-Sealing tires are a special type of tire
that have a material on the inside of the
tire that can seal punctures up to
0.2 in
(6 mm) in diameter in the tread area. This
material does not protect from damage or
punctures in the sidewall of the tire.
Self-sealing tires can be identified by the
tire manufacturer with a special mark.
If your TPMS warning light comes on,
inspect your tires for damage and re-inflate
your tires to the pressure indicated on the
tire placard. See
Tire Pressure
Monitoring System (page 368). If your
tires are damaged or continue to lose air,
take your vehicle to the nearest authorized
dealer to have your tires inspected and
repaired/replaced as necessary.
Note: Replace self-sealing tires with
self-sealing tires to maintain the
functionality provided.
Note: Do not drive on a deflated
self-sealing tire. This damages the tire
beyond repair.
Notice to utility vehicle and truck
owners WARNING:
Vehicles with a higher
center of gravity (utility and four-wheel
drive vehicles) handle differently than
vehicles with a lower center of gravity
(passenger cars). Avoid sharp turns,
excessive speed and abrupt steering in
these vehicles. Failure to drive cautiously
increases the risk of losing control of your
vehicle, vehicle rollover, personal injury
and death. WARNING:
In a rollover crash, an
unbelted person is significantly more
likely to die than a person wearing a
seatbelt.
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Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Wheels and Tires

Utility vehicles and trucks handle
differently than passenger cars in the
various driving conditions that are
encountered on streets, highways and
off-road. Utility vehicles and trucks are not
designed for cornering at speeds as high
as passenger cars any more than low-slung
sports cars are designed to perform
satisfactorily under off-road conditions.
Study your owner's manual and any
supplements for specific information about
equipment features, instructions for safe
driving and additional precautions to
reduce the risk of an accident or serious
injury.
Four-Wheel Drive system (if
equipped)
WARNING: Do not become
overconfident in the ability of four-wheel
drive vehicles. Although a four-wheel
drive vehicle may accelerate better than
a two-wheel drive vehicle in low traction
situations, it won't stop any faster than
two-wheel drive vehicles. Always drive
at a safe speed.
A vehicle equipped with Four-Wheel Drive
has the ability to use all four wheels to
power itself. This increases traction which
may enable you to safely drive over terrain
and road conditions that a conventional
two-wheel drive vehicle cannot. Power is
supplied to all four wheels through a
transfer case. Four-wheel drive vehicles
allow you to select different modes as
necessary. You can find more information
on transfer case operation, drive mode
selection, and transfer case maintenance
in this manual. See
Four-Wheel Drive
(page 207). You should become thoroughly
familiar with this information before you
operate your vehicle. We recommend installing the temporary
spare wheel and tire on the front axle when
possible. This could provide limited 4WD
traction.
Four-wheel drive: Never use a spare tire of
a different size than the one provided with
your vehicle. This could cause the
four-wheel drive system to default to
rear-wheel drive.
How your vehicle differs from
other vehicles
Sport utility vehicles and trucks can differ
from some other vehicles in a few
noticeable ways. Your vehicle may be:
•
Higher - to allow higher load carrying
capacity and to allow it to travel over
rough terrain without getting hung up
or damaging underbody components.
• Shorter - to give it the capability to
approach inclines and drive over the
crest of a hill without getting hung up
or damaging underbody components.
All other things held equal, a shorter
wheelbase may make your vehicle
quicker to respond to steering inputs
than a vehicle with a longer wheelbase.
• Narrower - to provide greater
maneuverability in tight spaces,
particularly in off-road use.
As a result of the above dimensional
differences, sport utility vehicles and trucks
often have a higher center of gravity and a
greater difference in center of gravity
between the loaded and unloaded
condition. These differences that make
your vehicle so versatile also make it
handle differently than an ordinary
passenger car.
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•
Stand at a minimum of 12 ft
(3.66 m) away from the wheel
and tire assembly.
• Use both eye and ear
protection.
Important: Remember to replace
the wheel valve stems when the
road tires are replaced on your
vehicle.
It is recommended that the two
front tires or two rear tires
generally be replaced as a pair if
the worn tires still have usable
depth.
To avoid potential Four-Wheel
Drive (4WD) malfunction or
(4WD) system damage, it is
recommended to replace all four
tires rather than mixing
significantly worn tires with new
tires.
The tire pressure sensors mounted
in the wheels (originally installed
on your vehicle) are not designed
to be used in aftermarket wheels.
The use of wheels or tires not
recommended may affect the
operation of your tire pressure
monitoring system.
If the tire pressure monitoring
system indicator is flashing, your
system is malfunctioning. Your
replacement tire might be
incompatible with your tire
pressure monitoring system, or
some component of the system
may be damaged. Safety Practices WARNING:
If your vehicle
is stuck in snow, mud or sand, do
not rapidly spin the tires;
spinning the tires can tear the
tire and cause an explosion. A
tire can explode in as little as
three to five seconds. WARNING:
Do not spin the
wheels at over 34 mph
(55 km/h). The tires may fail and
injure a passenger or bystander.
Driving habits have a great deal
to do with your tire mileage and
safety.
*Observe posted speed limits
*Avoid fast starts, stops and turns
*Avoid potholes and objects on
the road
*Do not run over curbs or hit the
tire against a curb when parking
Highway Hazards
No matter how carefully you drive,
there is always the possibility that
you may eventually have a flat tire
on the highway. Drive slowly to the
closest safe area out of traffic.
This may further damage the flat
tire, but your safety is more
important.
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Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Wheels and Tires

3
360 Degree Camera....................................241
Front Camera...................................................... 242
Side Camera........................................................ 243
Using the System............................................... 242
4
4WD See: Four-Wheel Drive..................................... 207
9
911 Assist...........................................................55
A
A/C See: Climate Control......................................... 139
About This Manual...........................................9
ABS See: Brakes............................................................ 214
ABS driving hints See: Hints on Driving With Anti-Lock
Brakes................................................................. 215
Accessories....................................................479
Accessories See: Replacement Parts
Recommendation............................................ 12
Active Park Assist........................................235 Using Active Park Assist.................................. 236
Adaptive Cruise Control
............................246
Adaptive Cruise Control –
Troubleshooting............................................ 256
Adaptive Cruise Control Indicators - Vehicles With: Adaptive Cruise Control
With Lane Centering
................................253
Adaptive Cruise Control Indicators - Vehicles With: Adaptive Cruise Control
With Stop and Go
.....................................253
Adaptive Cruise Control Indicators - Vehicles With: Intelligent Adaptive
Cruise Control
.............................................253
System Warnings............................................... 253
Adaptive Cruise Control Limitations - Vehicles With: Adaptive Cruise Control
With Lane Centering................................247 Adaptive Cruise Control Limitations -
Vehicles With: Adaptive Cruise Control
With Stop and Go
.....................................248
Sensor Limitations............................................ 248
Adaptive Cruise Control Precautions - Vehicles With: Adaptive Cruise Control
With Lane Centering
...............................246
Adaptive Cruise Control Precautions - Vehicles With: Adaptive Cruise Control
With Stop and Go.....................................246
Hilly Condition Usage....................................... 247
When Following a Vehicle............................... 247
Adaptive Cruise Control – Troubleshooting........................................256
Adaptive Cruise Control – Information Messages......................................................... 256
Adaptive Headlamps
...................................90
System Check....................................................... 90
Adjusting the Headlamps
........................338
Vertical Aim Adjustment................................ 338
Adjusting the Set Speed Tolerance.....................................................255
Adjusting the Steering Wheel - Vehicles With: Manual Adjustable Steering
Column...........................................................80
Adjusting the Steering Wheel - Vehicles With: Power Adjustable Steering
Column...........................................................80
End of Travel Position.......................................... 81
Memory Feature.................................................... 81
AFS See: Adaptive Headlamps............................... 90
Airbag Disposal
...............................................53
Air Conditioning See: Climate Control......................................... 139
Air Filter See: Changing the Engine Air Filter - 2.3L
EcoBoost™..................................................... 328
See: Changing the Engine Air Filter - 3.0L.................................................................... 329
See: Changing the Engine Air Filter - 3.3L.................................................................... 330
Alarm See: Anti-Theft Alarm........................................ 78
Ambient Lighting - Vehicles With: 10.1 Inch Information and Entertainment
Display Screen
..............................................92
Adjusting the Brightness................................... 93
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General Information - Vehicles With: 4.2
Inch Instrument Cluster Display
Screen.................................................................. 117
General Information - Vehicles With: 6.5 Inch Instrument Cluster Display
Screen................................................................. 112
Information Messages.................................121
4WD........................................................................\
. 138
Active Park............................................................. 122
Adaptive Cruise Control.................................... 122
Adaptive Headlamps......................................... 122
AdvanceTrac ™ and Traction Control..........123
Alarm....................................................................... 123
Battery and Charging System (12 volt)..................................................................... 123
Battery and Charging System (High Voltage)............................................................. 124
Blind Spot Information and Cross Traffic Alert System.................................................... 124
Doors and Locks.................................................. 125
Driver Alert............................................................. 126
Fuel........................................................................\
.. 126
Hill Descent Control........................................... 127
Hill Start Assist.................................................... 128
Keys and Intelligent Access............................ 128
Lane Keeping System....................................... 129
Maintenance......................................................... 129
MyKey......................................................................130
Park Aid.................................................................... 131
Park Brake.............................................................. 132
Power Steering..................................................... 133
Pre-Collision Assist............................................ 133
Remote Start........................................................ 133
Seats........................................................................\
134
Starting System.................................................. 134
Tire Pressure Monitoring System.................. 135
Trailer....................................................................... 135
Transmission........................................................ 136
Installing Child Restraints
...........................25
Child Seats.............................................................. 25
Using Lap and Shoulder Belts......................... 25
Using Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren (LATCH)........................................... 28
Using Tether Straps............................................. 29
Instrument Cluster
.......................................103
Instrument Lighting Dimmer.....................88
Instrument Panel
.............................................21
Interior Air Quality........................................145 Interior Lamps..................................................91
Front Interior Lamp.............................................. 91
Rear Interior Lamps.............................................. 91
Interior Mirror
.................................................100
Automatic Dimming Mirror............................. 100
Manual Dimming Mirror................................... 100
Introduction........................................................9
J
Jump Starting the Vehicle.......................300 Connecting the Jumper Cables................... 300
Jump Starting...................................................... 301
Locating the Jump Starting Connection Points................................................................ 300
Preparing Your Vehicle.................................... 300
Removing the Jumper Cables........................ 301
K
Keyless Entry
....................................................72
SECURICODE™ Keyless Entry Keypad........72
Keyless Starting
.............................................172
Ignition Modes...................................................... 173
Keys and Remote Controls.........................57
L
Lane Keeping System
................................260
Switching the System On and Off...............261
Liftgate...............................................................74
Lighting Control
..............................................87
Flashing High Beam Headlamps................... 88
Lighting Control Selections.............................. 87
Switching High Beam Headlamps On and Off........................................................................\
. 87
Lighting...............................................................87 General Information............................................ 87
Limited Slip Differential
.............................213
Load Carriers See: Roof Racks and Load Carriers..............281
Load Carrying...............................................280
Load Limit
.......................................................282
Special Loading Instructions for Owners of
Pick-up Trucks and Utility-type
Vehicles............................................................ 286
Vehicle Loading - with and without a Trailer................................................................. 282
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Towing a Trailer............................................288
Load Placement................................................ 288
Towing the Vehicle on Four Wheels..........................................................294
Emergency Towing............................................ 294
Recreational Towing - All-Wheel and Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles........................ 294
Recreational Towing - Front-Wheel Drive Vehicles............................................................ 294
Recreational Towing - Rear-Wheel Drive Vehicles............................................................ 294
Towing.............................................................288
Traction Control............................................224 Principle of Operation...................................... 224
Trailer Sway Control...................................289
Transmission Specifications - ST.........386
Transmission..................................................201
Transporting the Vehicle
..........................303
U
Under Hood Overview - 2.3L EcoBoost™.................................................323
Under Hood Overview - 3.0L...................324
Under Hood Overview - 3.3L...................325
Unique Driving Characteristics...............180
Universal Garage Door Opener...............162 HomeLink Wireless Control System............162
USB Port
.........................................................432
Locating the USB Ports................................... 432
Using Four-Wheel Drive............................207 Driving in Special Conditions With
Four-Wheel drive (4WD).......................... 209
How Your Vehicle Differs from Other Vehicles............................................................ 208
Operating Four-Wheel drive (4WD) Vehicles with Mismatched Tires.............208
Operating Four-Wheel Drive (4WD) Vehicles With Spare Tires.......................... 207
Using MyKey With Remote Start Systems...........................................................67
Using Snow Chains.....................................366
Using Stability Control...............................226 Electronic Stability Control - Base
Model................................................................ 226
Electronic Stability Control - ST Model ........................................................................\
..... 226
Using Summer Tires...................................366 Using Traction Control...............................224
Switching the System Off............................... 224
System Indicator Lights and Messages......................................................... 224
Using a Switch.................................................... 224
Using Voice Recognition...........................435 Apps....................................................................... 440
Automatic Blower Motor Speed Reduction......................................................... 441
Climate................................................................... 437
Entertainment.................................................... 436
General.................................................................. 435
Navigation............................................................ 439
Phone
..................................................................... 438
SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link.................. 440
Voice Settings...................................................... 441
Utilizing the Mediation/Arbitration Program (Canada Only)........................308
V
Vehicle Care
...................................................343
General Information......................................... 343
Vehicle Identification Number.................391
Vehicle Storage............................................348 Body....................................................................... 349
Brakes.................................................................... 349
Cooling system................................................... 349
Disconnecting Your 12 Volt Battery.............349
Engine.................................................................... 349
Fuel system......................................................... 349
General.................................................................. 348
Miscellaneous..................................................... 350
Plugging in Your HYBRID................................ 349
Removing Vehicle From Storage.................350
Tires........................................................................\
350
Vehicle Wi-Fi Hotspot................................425
Ventilated Seats
...........................................159
Automatic Climate Controlled Seats..........159
Ventilation See: Climate Control......................................... 139
VIN See: Vehicle Identification Number.............391
Voice Control
...................................................82
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