2021 FORD EXPLORER maintenance schedule

Rotating your tires at the
recommended interval will help
your tires wear more evenly,
providing better tire performance
and longer tire life. Sometimes
irregular tire wear can be
corrected by rotating the tires. See
Scheduled Maintenance (page
485).
Tire Rotation Diagram
Rear-wheel drive and Four-wheel
drive vehicles, front tires at left of
diagram. USING SUMMER TIRES
Summer tires provide superior
performance on wet and dry roads.
Summer tires do not have the Mud and
Snow (M+S or M/S) tire traction rating on
the tire side wall. Since summer tires do
not have the same traction performance
as All-season or Snow tires, we do not
recommend using summer tires when
temperatures drop to approximately 45°F
(7°C)
or below (depending on tire wear
and environmental conditions) or in snow and ice conditions. Like any tire, summer
tire performance is affected by tire wear
and environmental conditions. If you must
drive in those conditions, we recommend
using Mud and Snow (M+S, M/S),
All-season or Snow tires.
Always store your summer tires indoors at
temperatures above
19°F (-7°C). The
rubber compounds used in these tires lose
flexibility and may develop surface cracks
in the tread area at temperatures below
19°F (-7°C)
. If the tires have been
subjected to 19°F (-7°C) or less, warm
them in a heated space to at least 41°F
(5°C) for at least 24 hours before installing
them on a vehicle, or moving the vehicle
with the tires installed, or checking tire
inflation. Do not place tires near heaters
or heating devices used to warm the room
where the tires are stored. Do not apply
heat or blow heated air directly on the tires.
Always inspect the tires after storage
periods and before use.
USING SNOW CHAINS WARNING: Do not exceed 30 mph
(50 km/h)
. Failure to follow this
instruction could result in the loss of
control of your vehicle, personal injury or
death. WARNING:
Do not use snow chains
on snow-free roads. WARNING:
Only fit snow chains to
specified tires. WARNING:
If your vehicle is fitted
with wheel trims, remove them before
fitting snow chains.
366
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Wheels and TiresE142548

MOTORCRAFT PARTS - 2.3L ECOBOOST™
Part Number
Component
FA-1884
Air filter.
FL-910-S
Oil filter. 1
BAGM-48H6-760
Battery. 2
SP-578
Spark plugs. 3
FP-89
Cabin air filter.
WW-2616 (driver side)
Windshield wiper blade.
WW-2113 (passenger side)
WW-1110
Rear window wiper blade.
1 If a Motorcraft oil filter is not available, use an oil filter that meets industry performance
specification SAE/USCAR-36.
2 See your authorized dealer for correct replacement.
3 For spark plug replacement, contact your authorized dealer. Replace the spark plugs
at the appropriate intervals. See Scheduled Maintenance (page 482).
We recommend Motorcraft replacement parts available at your authorized dealer or at
fordparts.com for scheduled maintenance. These parts engineered for your vehicle meet
or exceed our specifications. Use of other parts could impact vehicle performance,
emissions and durability. Your warranty could be void for any damage related to use of
other parts.
388
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Capacities and Specifications

MOTORCRAFT PARTS - 3.0L
Part Number
Component
FA-1884
Air filter.
FL-2062
Oil filter. 1
BAGM-48H6-760
Battery. 2
SP-578
Spark plugs. 3
FP-89
Cabin air filter.
WW-2616 (driver side)
Windshield wiper blade.
WW-2113 (passenger side)
WW-1110
Rear window wiper blade.
1 If a Motorcraft oil filter is not available, use an oil filter that meets industry performance
specification SAE/USCAR-36.
2 See your authorized dealer for correct replacement.
3 For spark plug replacement, contact an authorized dealer. Replace the spark plugs at
the appropriate intervals. See Scheduled Maintenance (page 482).
We recommend Motorcraft replacement parts available at your authorized dealer or at
fordparts.com for scheduled maintenance. These parts engineered for your vehicle meet
or exceed our specifications. Use of other parts could impact vehicle performance,
emissions and durability. Your warranty could be void for any damage related to use of
other parts.
389
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Capacities and Specifications

MOTORCRAFT PARTS - 3.3L
Part Number
Component
FA-1947
Air filter.
FL-500-S
Oil filter. 1
BAGM-48H6-760
Battery. 2
SP-520
Spark plugs. 3
FP-89
Cabin air filter.
WW-2616 (driver side)
Windshield wiper blade.
WW-2113 (passenger side)
WW-1110
Rear window wiper blade.
1 If a Motorcraft oil filter is not available, use an oil filter that meets industry performance
specification SAE/USCAR-36.
2 See your authorized dealer for correct replacement.
3 For spark plug replacement, contact your authorized dealer. Replace the spark plugs
at the appropriate intervals. See Scheduled Maintenance (page 482).
We recommend Motorcraft replacement parts available at your authorized dealer or at
fordparts.com for scheduled maintenance. These parts engineered for your vehicle meet
or exceed our specifications. Use of other parts could impact vehicle performance,
emissions and durability. Your warranty could be void for any damage related to use of
other parts.
390
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Capacities and Specifications

Less Cost to Properly Maintain Your
Vehicle
Ford Protect extended service plan also
offers a Premium Maintenance Plan that
covers all scheduled maintenance, and
selected wear items. The coverage is
prepaid, so you never have to worry about
the cost of your vehicle
’s maintenance.
Covered maintenance includes:
• Windshield wiper blades.
• Spark plugs.
• The clutch disc (if equipped).
• Brake pads and linings.
• Shock absorbers.
• Struts.
• Engine Belts.
• Engine coolant hoses, clamps and
o-rings.
• Diesel exhaust fluid replenishment (if
equipped).
• Cabin air filter replacement every
20,000 mi (32,000 km) (electric
vehicles only).
Interest Free Finance Options
Just a 5% down payment will provide you
with an affordable, no interest, no fee
payment program allowing you all the
security and benefits Ford Protect
extended service plan has to offer while
paying over time. You are pre-approved
with no credit check or hassles. To learn
more, call our Ford Protect extended
service plan specialists at 800-367-3377.
Ford Protect Extended Service Plan
P.O. Box 321067
Detroit, MI 48232 Ford Protect Extended Service
Plan (CANADA ONLY)
You can get more protection for your
vehicle by purchasing a Ford Protect
extended service plan. Ford Protect
extended service plan is the only service
contract backed by Ford Motor Company
of Canada, Limited. Depending on the plan
you purchase, Ford Protect extended
service plan provides benefits such as:
•
Rental reimbursement.
• Coverage for certain maintenance and
wear items.
• Protection against repair costs after
your New Vehicle Limited Warranty
Coverage expires.
• Roadside Assistance benefits.
There are several Ford Protect extended
service plans available in various time,
distance and deductible combinations.
Each plan is tailored to fit your own driving
needs, including reimbursement for towing
and rental. When you purchase Ford
Protect extended service plan, you receive
added peace-of-mind protection
throughout Canada, the United States and
Mexico, provided by a network of
participating authorized Ford Motor
Company dealers.
Note: Repairs performed outside of Canada
and the United States are not eligible for
Ford Protect extended service plan
coverage.
This information is subject to change. For
more information; visit your local Ford of
Canada dealer or www.ford.ca to find the
Ford Protect extended service plan that is
right for you.
481
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Ford Protect

GENERAL MAINTENANCE
INFORMATION
Why Maintain Your Vehicle?
Carefully following the maintenance
schedule helps protect against major repair
expenses resulting from neglect or
inadequate maintenance and may help to
increase the value of your vehicle when
you sell or trade it. Keep all receipts for
completed maintenance with your vehicle.
We have established regular maintenance
intervals for your vehicle based upon
rigorous testing. It is important that you
have your vehicle serviced at the proper
times. These intervals serve two purposes:
one is to maintain the reliability of your
vehicle and the second is to keep your cost
of owning your vehicle down.
It is your responsibility to have all
scheduled maintenance performed and to
make sure that the materials used meet
the specifications identified in this owner's
manual. See Capacities and
Specifications (page 383).
Failure to perform scheduled maintenance
invalidates warranty coverage on parts
affected by the lack of maintenance.
Why Maintain Your Vehicle at Your
Dealership?
Factory-Trained Technicians
Service technicians participate in extensive
factory-sponsored certification training to
help them become experts on the
operation of your vehicle. Ask your
dealership about the training and
certification their technicians have
received. Our Genuine Replacement Parts
Dealerships stock our genuine
manufactured or our authorized
re-manufactured replacement parts.
These parts meet or exceed our
specifications. Parts installed at your
dealership carry a nationwide 24-month
or unlimited mile (kilometer) parts and
labor limited warranty.
If you do not use our authorized parts they
may not meet our specifications and
depending on the part, it could affect
emissions compliance.
Convenience
Many dealerships have extended evening
and Saturday hours to make your service
visit more convenient and they offer one
stop shopping. They can perform any
services that are required on your vehicle,
from general maintenance to collision
repairs.
Note:
Not all dealers have extended hours
or body shops. Please contact your dealer
for details.
Protecting Your Investment
Maintenance is an investment that pays
dividends in the form of improved
reliability, durability and resale value. To
maintain the proper performance of your
vehicle and its emission control systems,
make sure you have scheduled
maintenance performed at the designated
intervals.
Your vehicle has an Intelligent Oil-Life
Monitor system; a message appears in the
information display at the proper oil
change interval. This interval may be up to
one year or 10,000 mi (16,000 km), hybrid
vehicles may exceed
10,000 mi
(16,000 km).
482
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Scheduled Maintenance

When the oil change message appears in
the information display, it is time for an oil
change. Make sure you perform the oil
change within two weeks or 500 mi
(800 km) of the message appearing. Make
sure you reset the Intelligent Oil-Life
Monitor after each oil change. See
Oil
Change Indicator Reset (page 327).
If your information display resets
prematurely or becomes inoperative, you
should perform the oil change interval at
six months or
5,000 mi (8,000 km) from
your last oil change. Never exceed one year
or
10,000 mi (16,000 km) between oil
change intervals,
Your vehicle is very sophisticated and built
with multiple, complex performance
systems. Every manufacturer develops
these systems using different
specifications and performance features.
That is why it is important to rely upon your
dealership to properly diagnose and repair
your vehicle.
We have recommended maintenance
intervals for various parts and component
systems based upon engineering testing.
We rely upon this testing to determine the
most appropriate mileage for replacement
of oils and fluids to protect your vehicle at
the lowest overall cost to you and
recommends against maintenance
schedules that deviate from the scheduled
maintenance information.
We strongly recommend the use of only
our genuine manufactured or our
authorized re-manufactured replacement
parts engineered for your vehicle. Additives and Chemicals
This owner's manual and our Workshop
Manual list the recommended additives
and chemicals for your vehicle. We do not
recommend using chemicals or additives
not approved by us as part of your vehicle
’s
normal maintenance. Please consult your
warranty information.
Oils, Fluids and Flushing
In many cases, fluid discoloration is a
normal operating characteristic and, by
itself, does not necessarily indicate a
concern or that the fluid needs to be
changed. However, a qualified expert, such
as the factory-trained technicians at your
dealership, should inspect discolored fluids
that also show signs of overheating or
foreign material contamination
immediately.
Make sure to change your vehicle ’s oils and
fluids at the specified intervals or in
conjunction with a repair. Flushing is a
viable way to change fluid for many vehicle
sub-systems during scheduled
maintenance. It is critical that systems are
flushed only with new fluid that is the same
as that required to fill and operate the
system or using our approved flushing
chemical.
Owner Checks and Services
Make sure you perform the following basic
maintenance checks and inspections every
month or at six-month intervals.
483
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Scheduled Maintenance

Check Every Month
Engine oil level.
Function of all interior and exterior lights.
Tires (including spare) for wear and proper pressure. Windshield washer fluid level.
Holes and slots in the tail pipe to make sure they are functional and clear of debris. Check Every Six Months
Battery connections. Clean if necessary.
Body and door drain holes for obstructions. Clean if necessary. Cooling system fluid level and coolant strength.
Door weatherstrips for wear. Lubricate if necessary.
Hinges, latches and outside locks for proper operation. Lubricate if necessary. Parking brake for proper operation.
Seatbelts and seat latches for wear and function.
Safety warning lamps (brake, ABS, airbag and seatbelt) for operation.
Washer spray and wiper operation. Clean or replace blades as necessary.
Multi-Point Inspection
In order to keep your vehicle running right,
it is important to have the systems on your
vehicle checked regularly. This can help
identify potential issues and prevent major
problems. We recommend having the
following multi-point inspection performed
at every scheduled maintenance interval
to help make sure your vehicle keeps
running great.
484
Explorer (CTW), enUSA, Edition date: 202007, Second-Printing Scheduled Maintenance