Replacing USB hub in 2023 Explorer XLT

[goestohollywood]

I have a 2023 Ford Explorer XLT. I'm trying to connect a 7th Gen iPod Classic via either the USB-A or C port, but the car stereo does not recognize the device. There's no aux ports in the SUV, so USB is my only option (I tried a few Bluetooth transmitters but no luck there either). I took the SUV into the dealership to have them look into the issue, and their technician tried swapping out the USB hub with one from a 2018 F-150 which worked just fine. Ford said they could either replace it for me (around $300 for parts and labor) or I could do it myself with aftermarket parts. My questions are:

A) Where would I find the part numbers for both my vehicle's USB hub and the F-150's?
B) Are there any recommendations for aftermarket USB hubs that would be compatible?
C) Has anyone replaced their hub? It it something I could potentially do myself as someone who's not very car-savvy?

EDIT: I believe this is the part in my vehicle, and this is the one the tech is suggesting I replace it with.

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum.
Re Edit; Both parts show as not fitting your vehicle. It looks like they are charging you around $240 for labour. Also, remember that this could affect the warranty on associated OEM parts that fail and are traced to the mod.

Peter

 

[J_C]

I looked around and saw conflicting info.

The one you linked as the part in your vehicle, it is strange to have several openings in back yet I only see 1, micro USB2.0 connector there. This could work, but then why the other empty sockets in the back?

The 2nd one for the F150, I see that micro USB connector, but also one of the other sockets has a single row of 4 pins. Why?

I looked for auxillary connector for your model year and it only shows the bezel, so if there is no part # for it, I can understand the suggestion to use the F150 part #, but does it mechanically fit (mount) in the same rectangular hole, or will that have to be modified?

When you wrote "their technician tried swapping out the USB hub with one from a 2018 F-150 which worked just fine.", do you mean that it worked connected to your vehicle, or that it had worked fine in the F150?

Have you had this module out of the vehicle and observed whether it has a sticker on it with the part #, like the one you linked for the F150? If you have it out, it would then be good to observe what the cable connecting to it looks like, if it is the micro USB plug matching the sockets pictured, and whether the connector looks like it would physically latch into the ones pictured.

If the hole for the bezel is not the right size, then if too small, you'd want to make sure there is clearance to make the hole larger and carefully enlarge the hole. If too large, then you'd want to mount a plate onto it, with the right size hole.

Another option is look for a similar model year Explorer in a junkyard and harvest the part from it, or of course considering what I wrote, you found one for sale (only 1 in stock though!), so I would pull out the one in your vehicle and see if it looks exactly the same. If it does, odds are it is compatible, compatible meaning mechanically since as stated previously it's about the connector and mounting hole dimensions, assuming yours has a micro USB cable connection to plug into the back of it.