You ever sit in a car and feel like you're in a spaceship, but then you try to change the radio station and realize the spaceship's computer is kind of a mess? That's the 2013 Ford Explorer interior experience in a nutshell. It’s a mix of "Wow, this is fancy" and "Wait, why isn't this button clicking?"
Back in 2013, Ford was trying to prove they could do luxury. They wanted to move away from the plastic, utilitarian boxes of the early 2000s. The 5th generation Explorer was their big bet. If you climb into a 2013 Explorer today, the first thing you’ll notice isn't the engine or the sleek exterior—it’s the sheer amount of soft-touch material. Honestly, it feels way more premium than a 2013 Honda Pilot or a Toyota Highlander from that same era. But it isn't perfect. Not even close.
Why the MyFord Touch System is Still a Talking Point
If you're looking at a used 2013 Explorer, you have to talk about the MyFord Touch system. It was ambitious. Ford basically got rid of almost every physical knob and button on the center console. In their place? Capacitive touch pads.
These pads look sleek. They make the dashboard look like a high-end smartphone from 2012. But here’s the reality: they can be incredibly frustrating. Because there’s no "click" or tactile feedback, you end up staring at the screen instead of the road just to make sure you actually turned the seat heater on. If you’re wearing gloves in the winter? Forget about it.
The 8-inch screen was powered by Microsoft software at the time. It’s notoriously laggy compared to modern standards. However, a lot of people don’t realize that Ford released several software patches over the years. If the one you’re sitting in feels like a brick, it might just need a firmware update to version 3.8. It won't turn it into an iPad, but it’ll stop it from crashing every time you plug in an iPhone.
Seating and the "Living Room" Vibe
The seats are where the 2013 Ford Explorer interior actually wins some points back.
Ford went with a "command seating" position. You sit high. The glass is big. Visibility out the front is great, though the thick A-pillars—the bars between the windshield and the side windows—create some pretty massive blind spots when you're turning left at an intersection.
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In the Limited or Sport trims, you get these perforated leather seats that are surprisingly durable. I’ve seen these trucks with 150,000 miles where the driver’s bolster isn’t even cracked yet. That’s rare for a domestic SUV from that period.
Then there’s the space. It's a three-row SUV, but let’s be real about that third row.
- The Front Row: Room for days. Massive center console. You can fit a whole laptop in the armrest bin.
- The Second Row: Plenty of legroom for adults. Some models have the "PowerFold" feature, but even the manual ones flip forward easily enough.
- The Third Row: This is for kids. Or people you don't particularly like. The floor is high, so your knees end up near your chin.
One weirdly cool thing? The 2013 model offered inflatable rear seatbelts. It was a huge safety sell back then. They feel a bit thicker and chunkier than normal belts, but they’re designed to spread the force of a crash across a wider area of the chest. It’s a detail most people forget until they’re actually buckled in.
Materials, Quietness, and the "Thud" Factor
Does it feel cheap? Sorta, in a few specific spots.
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The top of the dash is squishy and high-quality. The door inserts are nice. But then you look down at the plastic around the cup holders or the lower door panels, and it’s that scratchy, grey plastic that reminds you it’s still a Ford.
But man, is it quiet. Ford used a lot of sound-deadening material in the 2013 refresh. They used acoustic glass and heavy carpeting. When you shut the door, you get a satisfying "thud" rather than a tinny "ping." On the highway, you can actually have a conversation with someone in the third row without shouting. That’s a massive deal for families on road trips.
The Storage Situation
If you’re a "stuff" person, the 2013 Ford Explorer interior is your best friend.
- There are bottle holders in every door.
- The glovebox is deep enough for a small tablet and all your manuals.
- Under the cargo floor in the back, there’s a deep well where the third row folds into. Even when the seats are up, you can fit several bags of groceries in that "pit" so they don't roll around while you're driving.
Common Interior Glitches to Watch For
It’s not all leather and quiet rides. There are some genuine gremlins.
The "Rear Inflatable Seatbelts" mentioned earlier can sometimes trigger a warning light on the dash if the wiring under the seat gets tugged too hard by a stray toy or a heavy bag.
Then there's the climate control. Since most of it is controlled through the MyFord Touch screen, if that screen freezes, you might be stuck with the AC on full blast in October. It’s always smart to check the physical "defrost" button, which is usually one of the few hard buttons left on the bezel.
Also, the power-folding third-row seats. They are awesome until they aren't. If you hear a grinding noise when you press the button in the trunk, the plastic gears inside the motor are likely stripped. It’s a common fix, but an annoying one.
How to Modernize a 2013 Explorer Today
A lot of owners are choosing to keep these SUVs because the engines (especially the 3.5L V6) are workhorses. But that 2013 tech feels ancient.
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The best move? Swap the head unit. There are companies that sell "Sync 3" upgrade kits. It’s a bit of a project, but it replaces the old Microsoft-based screen with the newer Ford system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Once you do that, the 2013 Ford Explorer interior feels ten years newer instantly. You get the comfort of the old seats with the navigation of a 2024 model.
Actionable Steps for Potential Buyers or Owners
If you are looking at buying one or currently own one and want to keep it nice, do these three things:
- Check the Sync Version: Go into the system settings and look for the software version. If it's not 3.8, go to the Ford owner website, download the update to a USB drive, and plug it in. It fixes dozens of "phantom" touchscreen bugs.
- Condition the Leather: Because the 2013 uses real leather on the seating surfaces of higher trims, it needs moisture. Use a quality conditioner once every six months to prevent the "Limited" seats from cracking at the seams.
- Inspect the Sunroof Drains: If the interior smells musty or the carpet is damp, it’s not the door seals. The 2013 Explorer is famous for clogged sunroof drains. Use a piece of weed-whacker line to gently clear the tubes so water doesn't back up into the headliner.
The 2013 Ford Explorer was a transition car. It was Ford trying to figure out how to be high-tech before the hardware was really ready for it. If you can handle the quirky touch controls, you’re getting an interior that—even by today's standards—is remarkably quiet, spacious, and comfortable for the long haul.