P0301 on a Ford Explorer

What P0301 usually means on a Explorer

P0301 isolates the misfire to cylinder 1, making the diagnosis more targeted than a random misfire. On the Explorer the usual causes are that cylinder's ignition coil or spark plug, with an injector fault or, more rarely, low compression behind stubborn cases. The classic confirmation is to swap the cylinder-1 coil to another cylinder and see whether the misfire follows. Because it is one cylinder, the repair is usually focused and inexpensive.

Most likely causes on this model

1. Failed coil on cylinder 1

   Individual coil failure is the leading single-cylinder misfire cause across Explorer engines. Move the coil and retest to confirm.

2. Worn or fouled spark plug

   A cracked or worn plug on cylinder 1 misfires under load and is inexpensive to replace.

3. Injector fault on cylinder 1

   A dirty or leaking injector on the direct-injected EcoBoost skews fueling to cylinder 1 and causes a persistent misfire.

4. Low compression on cylinder 1

   A burnt valve or worn rings produce a misfire no ignition part will fix; a compression test reveals it, and on a 4.0L SOHC a jumped timing chain can drop compression.

What it costs on a Explorer

A single coil and plug for cylinder 1 is an inexpensive repair on most Explorer engines. Costs rise only if the cause is an injector or compression problem, and on the 4.0L SOHC a compression loss tied to timing-chain wear points back to the larger, labor-heavy chain repair. Confirm the cheap ignition items first.

Fixing it

Swap the cylinder-1 coil with a neighbor and recheck. If the misfire follows, replace the coil; if it stays, check the plug and injector, then compression, keeping the 4.0L SOHC's timing chain in mind.

For the full step-by-step diagnosis order (any vehicle), see the main P0301 guide.

Other codes we cover on the Ford Explorer

Related symptoms

Ford Explorer problems & recalls by year