2014 Ford Explorer Complaint Log

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that the front windshield trim had detached. The contact stated that the full windshield trim had detached. In addition, the detached trim was currently being held in place by duct tape. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Steering became very difficult, car would not track straight and turning was delayed. The dealer said teeth in the steering box had broken off. Also had a broken suspension strut - front right.

While driving on highway the trim on the side of the windshield flew off .

Windshield trim flew off while we were driving on the highway. It hit the windshield flying backwards and almost hit a driver behind us. It startled us and almost caused an accident while we were going 75MPH with our kids in the vehicle.

Front windshield trim coming off at highway speed.

Backup camera works intermittently

My Ford Explorer had a rear suspension toe link Recall, and in December I took my vehicle to the Ford dealership to get it fixed. At that time, they did a full vehicle inspection, fixed the part, and told me everything looked great. Shortly after the service, we had a snow storm, and my SUV would fishtail in Icy/snowy conditions. Every time it'd snow, it made me so scared to drive, because I'd essentially not have control over my vehicle. The issue wasn't present when the roads were clear. Within the two months since that service, my back tires have gone completely bald, down to the wires. I recently got in a car accident because my car wouldn't complete a turn and ended up t-boning a Tundra on a residential street. Luckily I was going slow so the damage to the other vehicle was minimal, and no obvious injuries have resulted from the accident. I was able to remove some of the plastic pieces around the fender, in order to still drive it, so I took it to the Ford dealership that originally serviced my car for an inspection. Now that the dealership has inspected my vehicle, they're claiming that it's not on their liability and that they're not responsible for any of the damage. Now the alignment is off on both the front and back, and the strut is bent (whether that's from the accident or not, we don't know). The Manager admitted that when servicing my vehicle they were only allowed to perform a rear alignment, but a front alignment was never suggested or offered to me. When aligning a vehicle (especially in the winter) the whole vehicle should be aligned, not just half. They of course claim zero liability or responsibility, even though I was having issues with it fishtailing shortly after it being serviced at their shop, for a part on the suspension, which affects alignment.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver monitoring camera system was inoperable. The contact stated that the driver monitoring camera system did not display, and the sensor was inoperable. In addition, the camera sensor warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed driver camera monitoring system and that the driver camera monitoring system needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the camera system was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

The steering gear failed. The vehicle's steering wheel was locked in the fully right hand turn position and could not be moved. Luckily, this happened in my driveway. If this happened on the road, a crash could have occurred, possibly causing injury to myself or others. The problem has been confirmed by my mechanic. The component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. There were no warning lamps but the steering was jerky about 1 week prior to completely locking up.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after stopping at stop sign, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that after driving a short distance the vehicle regained power steering functionality. The contact stated that whenever the vehicle came to a stop the failure would reoccur. The contact stated that a message to check the charging system was displayed. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer to diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard a popping sound and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle however, the engine shut off. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, she noticed that coolant was leaking onto the ground. The oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rotor fractured, and coolant leaked into the engine and the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

Driver’s side windshield molding detached while driving 70 miles per hour on highway, unknown if object hit another car. Was unaware what happened, heard loud noise. I have a picture, unable to upload below.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the steering wheel inadvertently turned to the right and then seized. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The drivers side pillar molding piece along the windshield flew off the car while driving down the highway. It could have struck the car behind us but luckily it missed them. The piece seemed a little loose when scraping ice off the car but didn’t seem like it would just fly off like that.

This is about my 2014 ford explorer passenger side "windshield trim panel ",it fly away when I driving at speed around 70mph at I275 ,it did make some noise before fly away,and i found out it's the trim panel when i home. already bought a replacement but not sure when will happen to the driver side.

Water pump leakage

While driving on my local highway I heard a large clunk and scraping noise as the windshield trim flew off my vehicle and scrapped down the side and flew behind me. It was very startling and dangerous.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. In addition, while reversing out of a parking space, the failure recurred with the ABS warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle then lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where and diagnosed with power steering failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on several occasions while making a right or left turn, there was a loud sound coming from the steering wheel. The contact stated that the failure persisted. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the steering rack assembly needed to be replaced; however, the parts for the repair were on backorder. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting the parts for the repair. The contact was informed the vehicle was inoperable. The contact was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 99,000.

While driving down 1-10 highway in Arizona, the left side windshield black pillar flew off my 2014 Ford Explorer.

Plastic Trim piece, which covers the windshield rubber seal on driver side “A” pillar, fell off my 2014 Ford Explorer Limited. Incident happened about 2018.

Lost all power steering while driving with absolutely no warning. Took to dealer and it is the electronic steering assembly. After further investigation and talking to people this seems to be a major issue with this year of explorers. And it is very expensive to fix.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while accelerating at slower speeds, the vehicle hesitated while shifting gear. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the power transfer unit (PTU) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

My 2014 Ford Explorer Sport backup camera has begun showing mirror image and the review guidance markers have disappeared when in reverse. The camera works it simply show a mirror image in the camera. I believe the camera issue is the same for newer models that have been recently identified on TV news and newspapers. I would like to add my vehicle to the recall.

Power steering will fail sporadically when at Highway speeds or City speeds and show error code. Advance Trac AWD system disabled, traction control disabled, unsafe.

The water pump started leaking into the engine. Car overheats. Now it has to be replaced or the engine will seize and need to be replaced. The cost to replace this part and the timing belt is $2,685. I have always done all the recommended services and oil changes and I am frustrated that this was not noticed sooner. This seems to be a very common problem with water pumps and many folks had their car seize while driving.

While driving at low speed, the vehicle EPAS shut down creating an unsafe condition with the steering system. The error cleared from the dash and no warning lights remained though the EPAS remained disabled.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the security light was illuminated, and the battery was drained. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the security panel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. While driving, the lights failed to turn on, and the horn was inoperable. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where it was determined that the electrical system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that there was no longer a dinging sound when the doors were ajar. The interior lights were dim, and the horn was inoperable. The rubber trim was detaching. The moon roof failed to close. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, who determined that water had entered the vehicle through the sunroof and that the wires were wet. The dealer added plastic and glue to the sunroof. Additionally, the vehicle failed to start. There was an abnormal clicking sound while attempting to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the compressor needed to be replaced because the compressor was clogged. The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

My rearview camera goes in and out sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t. Have to use my side view to back up . This is definitely dangerous. Don’t know what is wrong with it, it will beep when you get to close but no picture.

2014 Ford Explorer XLT with 102,858 miles. All previous recalls have been repaired. Over a period of past 2 weeks, I noticed a steady increase in an intermittent lurch as I drove. It happened more often, so I took to Mountaineer Ford on Jan. 13, 2023. They determined the transmission was failing, saying a new replacement would cost $7,500. Unable to afford that, I declined for the time being. On the way home, it suddenly got so much worse - grinding and lurching - I was not sure I'd make it before it failed completely. Thankfully, I made it but I consider the car no longer drivable.

Back up camera failing to load image. Image is reversed when backing up, so objects coming from the left are showing up on the right side of the screen and vise versa. Backup guiding lines are no longer visible and screen has a fish bowl effect.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V435000 (Suspension). The technician then became aware that the front alignment needed to be adjusted due that the rear alignment adjustment. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but declined to perform the alignment. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Airbag light is activated and controls do not work.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on multiple occasions while accelerating at 30-40 MPH, the vehicle started to sputter and the engine misfired. The contact then stated that on other occasions while accelerating approximately 60-65 MPH, the vehicle failed to properly respond. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the torque converter failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V427000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the contact with Customer Satisfaction Program: 20N07 and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.

My ford Explorer has a 3.5L V6 motor. This motor was designed with the water pump installed in the crank shaft. As a result of this when the water pump fails and leaks coolant can leak into the motor and mix with the oil costing thousands of dollars in damages.

Check engine light came on at approximately 79000 miles for timing components that will cost over $4000 to repair.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH and making a left turn, the steering wheel suddenly became very difficult to turn, causing the driver to nearly lose control of the vehicle. During the failure, the “steering assist fault" message was displayed. The vehicle was later driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the power steering control module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was 36,000. The VIN was not available.

rear camera fails 1/3 times

Premature power steering failure. Danger to operator and others on the road.

Rear backup camera is faulty on my 2014 Ford Explorer. It works intermittently or not at all. Sometimes the image on my display is flipped, meaning if I should see grass on the right side of my vehicle while backing up, the image is displaying grass on the left side. There is a recall for newer models of Ford Explorers related to the backup camera, but I believe there is an issue with older models as well.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rubber around the front windshield had become loosened. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The dealer informed the contact that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000. VIN tool showed no open recall.

REAR BACK UP CAMERA IMAGE IS REVERSED NOT ALWAYS IN COLOR CAMERA STAYS ON ONCE VEHICLE IS IN DRIVE FOR SOMETIMES UP TO 20 SECONDS IMAGE IS NOT DISPLAYED AT ALL TIMES WHEN IN REVERSE AND WHEN THIS HAPPENS, WITHIN 24 HOURS THERE IS A 'SYSTEM UPDATE' THAT AFFECTS INFOTAINMENT SCREEN INCLUDING BLUETOOTH

Rear view camera either is dark or reverses view (left is right and right is left). The camera either doesn’t work, works correctly or provides a horizontally flipped image so the driver side and passenger side views are reversed (this is the most dangerous view and the view that happens most frequently). I recently noticed that there has been an official recall for the 2015 Explorer but not the 2014. I wanted to bring it to your attention that more years are affected and need attention. The dealer claims not to know the problem and wants hundreds of dollars to “diagnose”.

At Christmas we noticed that there was something flapping from the side of the windshield & hitting the windshield as well as bilateral front windows. Further inspection revealed what appears to be a rubber seal keeping the body trim flush with the windshield was disintegrating. This could even be holding windshield in place. This problem is reproducible & occurs anywhere over 30mph. The faster you go, the more the trim starts to detach from the vehicle. With the seal disintegrating, the trim body pieces that cover the arm of the door (black) is becoming loose/flimsy. Photos enclosed show you there is about a 1/2 inch gap between the trim & windshield without the seal causing easy movement & potential for air to lift/detach the trim. We are fearful this is going to fall off the vehicle. It appears that this seal was keeping this body piece in place. A huge safety concern arises anytime there is a part of a vehicle that is beginning to fall off at any speed. The seal itself could fall off in pieces as you will see in photos hitting not only other vehicles & causing them to lose control, it could also hit a motorcyclist causing them to crash, it could even go to the extent of hitting a pedestrian & causing major physical harm. The body trim that appears to be affected by this seal were to detach itself while moving it will definitely cause some major issues. Given this is more solid & bigger in size, this could cause significant motor vehicle damage, significant injury to motorcyclist and/or motorcycles, Injury to pedestrians, & even potentially cause a fatality. There are no warning lights or alarms from the vehicle alerting us of an issue. The Ford dealership is unable to see us for over a month to diagnose this issue let alone an oil change. This problem has not been reproduced by an inspection facility or license dealership because of scheduling at this time period there is an appointment set for February 10th however Injury or worse could occur until then.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving various speeds, the vehicle was jerking and losing traction. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle was difficult to steer. The contact stated that the wheels continued to spin but the vehicle was jerking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering assist gear needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the parts were on back order. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

I took my vehicle in for a recall repair for the toe kicks and a noise in the front of my car when I and upon inspection was told that I need a new left front tie rod replaced and a 4 wheel alignment after the job is completed. I came home and parked it , then when I was backing out of my driveway the camera stopped working it was black. I found it strange but thought maybe it has to reboot or something, I accidently hit the park assist button and the light came on see dealer. I called the dealer told them what was happening and they asked that I bring it in. I did and they did a diagnostic saying it was the sensors that need replacing. Fast forward I'm picking up my granddaughter at school and I hear a horrible noise when I turn the steering wheel. My granddaughter asked my why car was making that noise, I said I don't know but that I was not turning music or anything on just in case we need to pull over. I immediately take it to my mechanic on my way home, luckily he's a block away, I dropped it off and walked home. They found that its the Electronic Rack & Pinion Power Steering rack. They said they have seen so many of these with the same problem and that unfortunately the recall falls short of my year Explorer 2014 which should have been included, its not safe to drive and will be an expensive fix . The recall was only for the 2011-2013. This frightened me, because he said they don't have the capability to fix it because once the new rack is installed it needs to be programmed and the dealer is pretty much the only one that can do that. This is a dealer repair only and for my safety he recommended getting this done. It will lock while driving or break and has resulted in many accidents. Ford Motor Company should be held accountable for this ongoing safety issue with their faulty Steering Rack as this goes beyond the 2011-2013 model years. I'm petrified to drive this vehicle after researching this, knowing I'm not alone in this deadly problem with my vehicle.

Electric power steering assist failed. This was a danger to myself, children and other motorist. Power steering assist fault appeared on dash. I have fault codes u3000-96 , u2001-49. Ford has issued recalls for ealier and later model years but not this one. I have done some research and it appears to be a known problem for this model and model year. Thank gosh my family wasn't injured because of this failure. I hope you can do something about this known issue. Ford customer service told me there is nothing they can do for me.

Steering has become “sticky” and did not feel right, felt completely unsafe to drive. Steering made a grinding type of noise when turning the wheel. Took my vehicle to my mechanic for inspection. Mechanic inspected and confirmed the “steering rack” needs replacement. I will be replacing the steering rack asap. No warning lights.

I was driving on the highway on December 17, 2022 when the right windshield trim panel came off the vehicle. I didn't know what it was at the time but there was a loud noise. When I got to my destination I noticed the trim panel was gone. The panel flying off could have hit another vehicle. I just saw the article on Fox Business that others were having this issue so I wanted to report my issue as well.