Links to the LED Bulbs I Used
Here are Amazon links to the bulbs I used for my upgrades. All were a straight swap with no issues and completed in about half an hour. I agree with blwnsmoke that quality is important. I look at the Amazon reviews and try to infer a consensus conclusion. Some negative reviews are based on the customer saying the bulbs won't fit in the housing of their vehicle; that's not applicable for usage in this vehicle. NOTE: if you use the Amazon product finder for the 2020 Explore, it will tell you that none of these are the correct bulb. That is wrong. It's possible they haven't updated their finder for the 2020, plus I have found it's not always 100% accurate as to other cars I've owned. These will fit.
License Plate Lamps
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NCGFNB0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
These are a straight swap for T10, 168, 194, and W5W (W5W is the spec for the Explorer). If you look at the illustration in the link, you will see that they are flat and project on only side, which is ideal for lighting license plates and trunk/cargo interiors. They are pure (6000K) white.Full disclosure: these bulbs are
bright. See the photo included in the link. They light up the whole lower portion of the liftgate. I think this is great as it really defines the view of the vehicle from behind, especially out on the interstates at night. The lamp housings are tucked up out of the way (use a small flat-blade screwdriver to carefully push back the locking tab under the valance panel and pop out the housing), and should not cause problems for following drivers (other than they can't claim they didn't see you). As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I've used these same bulbs on my Fusion for several years now with no issues.
Turn Indicator Lamps
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J5TJV5P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Turn signal bulbs can get very complicated very quickly if you've ever had any experience with this. In short, these bulbs are a direct fit. The owners manual lists "3757NAK, PY27/7W." These are a type 3157 equivalent bulb and will fit without modification. I'm not gonna get bogged down here in technical differences but in short, a 3157 bulb will fit in a 3757 socket (though not vice versa).
Since this is a turn signal application, swapping an LED bulb for incandescent requires a resistor to avoid the dreaded "hyperflash" condition. The good news is that these bulbs include a resistor prewired into the assembly. If you have any experience with converting turn signals to LEDs, you know what an advantage this is. The bulb is integrated into its own "universal" rubber socket that snaps into the Explorer housing like it was custom designed. The other end of the wiring has a 3157 plug end that fits into the Explorer turn signal socket. You could seal that connection with electrical tape; I left it alone as it plugged in snugly and everything seems well protected from the elements on the backside. There is enough room on the backside of the housing to tuck in the resistor and pigtail wiring. I used some electrical tape to hold it in place for reassembly.
Since the purpose of a turn signal is to communicate your intention to other drivers, I think the extra brightness really drives that point home, especially during the day.
Reversing Lamps
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077NYN5QJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The manual lists W21W (similar to other Fords, and previous Explorer models apparently). 7440, 7441, 7443 and 7444 bulbs are equivalents for the W21W and these fit nicely. They are a projector style and pure (6000K) white. They really add to the view as seen in the rearview camera. I have used a similar style (but not this brand) in my Fusion for several years and they work great. And again, another benefit of the extra brightness is communicating to pedestrians and other vehicles that you are in reverse gear, again especially during the day.
The owners manual instructions (page 330) are pretty clear about removing the taillight housing. I'll just add: (1) you need an 11mm socket to remove the holddown bolt (behind the access cover on the interior trim panel - use a small flat-blade screwdriver to pop it off from the top), (2) a T-27 Torx screwdriver or socket driver is needed to remove the trim/securing plate on the tailgate jamb, and (3) there is a locator pin on the forward end of the housing that has to pop out of the socket on the body side, but it will come out with a little wiggling using fingers only. Don't pry or use any tools for that step. There is also a locating tab and slot on the bottom of the housing (above the bumper) and a rubber gasket on the tailgate jamb side that will need to be pressed back in place, but none of this is difficult. I decided to leave the taillight/stop lamp socket engaged in the housing (you could remove it, but I decided to keep it simple), so I carefully balanced the housing with my leg and one arm, and swapped out with the other arm and both hands. If anybody needs any additional input, I'm happy to help to the extent I know.