NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2014 Ford Explorer. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the driver’s side exterior A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); but the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 165,000.
ABSModule part number DB5z2C219B. Part not available from supplier due to issue that has not been resolved. Vehicle not driveable due to possible break failure could occur.
While driving on the highway, it was noted that the steering had started to feel a bit different, sluggish. We were able to pull off the highway, where complete loss of electrical assist on the power steering occurred. Warnings for loss of steering, traction control, and the 4WD system were displayed. Checked all fuses for the electric assist system, no problems noted. Being less than 15mi from home, I struggled to maintain the vehicle in the lane, but made it home. A call to my local Ford Service Center, and they tell me that there is no recall. Had this failure occurred at highway speeds it would have been catastrophic.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at slow speeds, the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 102,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH and turning the steering wheel to remain in the lane, the felt that the steering wheel had seized, and the contact was unable to turn in either direction. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stopped the vehicle and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the rack and pinion and steering gears needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that the steering gear teeth were fractured. The mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.
My steering is making a scretching noise when I try to turn it either way. With it being hard to turn I'm afraid for my safety with driving it and I dont have another vehicle to drive. Yes, I have a quote from a repair shop that my steering rack is going out I didn't notice a warning light as of yet.- this happened about a week ago I have found several complaints about the 2014 Ford Explorer Steering issues so I feel for safety purposes that this should have a recall.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's and passenger's side A-pillar trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the independent mechanic provided a temporary repair. The contact stated that the failure had occurred twice, and each time the vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic for a temporary repair. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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 local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the passenger’s side A-pillar trim detached and fell onto the road. The contact stated that the passenger’s side A-pillar trim had struck another vehicle driving behind, but there was no property damage reported. 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, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
See attached document for complaint
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low tire pressure warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that when she inspected the vehicle, she became aware that the steel belts were hanging from the interior of the rear tires. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed as a failure with the rear alignment. The contact was informed that the rear toe link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made of the failure and the contact was referred to NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage approximately was 120,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side front windshield trim detached. The contact stopped at a local store and purchased duct tape which was used to hold the trim in place. In addition, the contact stated that the passenger's side windshield trim was later detached. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,600. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the top half of the front driver-side A-pillar trim detached. 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, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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 while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the front passenger’s side A-pillar trim detached. In addition, several months later while driving approximately 45 MPH, the front driver’s side A-pillar trim detached. The contact was able to retrieve both A-pillar trims and temporarily repaired the vehicle with an adhesive. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for service, he was made aware that the lug nuts were deformed and were unable to be removed without permanently damaging the lug nuts. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while the vehicle was idle, the contact noticed smoke coming out from underneath the passenger's side of the hood. The contact stated upon exiting and inspecting the vehicle, she noticed burning plastic falling from underneath the passenger's side of the vehicle onto the ground, and there was fire. The contact poured water underneath the vehicle and opened the hood and poured water at the fire location. The contact was able to extinguish the fire. There were no injuries sustained. No police report or fire department report was filed. The contact added water to the coolant reservoir and drove to the residence. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics, where it was diagnosed that the A/C fan had caught on fire due to a stuck clutch bearing. The mechanics informed the contact that the radiator was damaged and was leaking due to the fire. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
SAFTY RECALL NOTICE 24S02 / NHTSA RECALL 24V031 received on February 2024 Exterior A-pillar applique trim becoming detached from the windshield, I took the car to the dealer assigned for the repair, they don have the replacement parts, is been a long time now and the windshield is becoming to be a safety hazard, what do you recommend me to do to solve this issue, thank you [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power Steering Failure Approximate date
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while approaching a stop light, the vehicle started to lose motive power and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted, and the vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was not contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
Cabin light does not turn off, it could drain car battery, thereby causing a loss of power and a accident... did not notice this untill car was brought to Dealership,Beiner.They pointed out.Want alot to fix.
Have electric power steering and have had it fixed plus had the rod and piston fixed. Still having issues after less than a year with steering becoming stiff. Been told twice now the problem has been fixed with paying thousands for issue after issue and the steering still having issues.
Backup camera not working. It will show a black screen or yellow triangle instead of the back up camera turning on.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle jerked abnormally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the torque convertor was starting to fail. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed with his 12-year-old child in the vehicle, the steering wheel tightened up, and the vehicle drove straight and crashed into a sand barrier. The air bags deployed. The driver sustained injuries to his chest, head, and shoulder. There was no injury stated for the 12-year-old child who was also in the vehicle during the crash. Medical attention was provided to the driver. A Police report was filed but was not provided to the contact. The vehicle was towed to the Police Precinct. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that prior to the crash, the vehicle was parked and rolled back and struck another vehicle. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension). The contact called an unknown local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired after the crash. The contact stated that the vehicle was totaled; however, the Insurance Provider had not yet rendered a decision on the vehicle. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
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 local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
I finally was able to get an appointment for my toe links. I also recall getting the run around on a seat belt notification for issues with the second row from the dealership when I originally called. Since the vehicle was going to be in the dealer I brought back up the seat belt notification. Both the dealership and Ford customer service claim there is no such recall or Customer Satisfaction Program. I cannot believe a critical safety product they have no record of or that such a safety program would expire. HELP!
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact's husband stated that while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel began to stick intermittently with the "Service Steering Now" message displayed on the instrument panel. Due to the steering wheel failure, the contact's husband used excessive force to steer the vehicle home. Upon restart of the vehicle, the steering wheel seized in place and then failed to move regardless of the excessive force used. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle for the steering. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
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 while driving 75-80 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached. 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 approximately 188,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
My 2014 Ford Explorer has developed a serious problem where the power steering intermittently stops working. I'm now afraid to drive this vehicle since it is almost impossible to steer this SUV without power steering. What happens if the power steering cuts out while I'm driving at 60 or 70 mph in dense traffic? I understand other drivers have reported the same problem. This is a very serious condition and should warrant an immediate recall, investigation, and repair by Ford and the NTSB.
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 while driving 60 MPH, the driver's side windshield exterior A-Pillar trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the exterior A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle and flew off. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. 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 manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 12,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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 while driving 65 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The contact heard an abnormal sound and after arriving to the residence, her husband noticed that the A-pillar trim was missing. The local independent mechanic was contacted and replaced the A-pillar trim. The contact stated that on another occasion, while driving 75 MPH, the passenger’s trim loosened and detached. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired after the most recent failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving out of the driveway, the steering wheel became extremely stiff. Additionally, the power steering sensor fault message was displayed. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to obtain an extended warranty plan, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 75,000. Later, the contact was informed that the mileage was 138,000 at the time of purchase.
The contact owned a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the driver of the vehicle ahead abruptly braked; as a result, the contact collided with the rear of the vehicle ahead. The air bags did deploy; however, the contact stated that the driver's side air bag failed to fully deploy, only inflating to the size of a volleyball, and the front passenger side air bag caused the glove box panel to detach and become a projectile that resulted in injury to the passenger. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact transported herself and her husband to an area hospital, where her husband was treated for various cuts and bruises to his legs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that fluid was leaking into the A-pillars and onto the floorboard. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure). The failure mileage was approximately 152,736.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the "Service Steering Assist" and the traction stability warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway with difficulty and turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to regain power steering functionality. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering gears needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was recurring. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the exterior windshield trim on the passenger's side detached and flew off the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that while it was raining, rainwater was leaking into the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Back up camera malfunctions randomly,shuts off while backing up or doesn't function at all.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver's side trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that parts for the recall repair were not yet available. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the exterior A-pillar trim detached from both sides and flew off the vehicle. An unknown local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the steering wheel seized, and the contact used excessive force to steer the vehicle. The contact stated that the "Steering Assist Fault - Service Required" and "Service Advancetrac" messages were displayed on the instrument panel. Despite the failure, the contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence at slow speeds with the hazard lights flashing. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the steering failure was a common failure with similar vehicles. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls or Extended Warranty on the vehicle related to the power steering. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
Dealer says they can't get parts .. been 2 years waiting .. no delivery daye
Fred Beans Ford of Mechanicsburg serviced this vehicle 2 times in the last 3 years, and did not perform the mandatory recall's needed on the vehicle. They also did the same on my other vehicle. I am reporting them for this because they're going to get someone killed some day by not fixing recalls when they have the cars in their shop.
I was driving down the interstate when my driver side EXTERIOR A-PILLAR APPLIQUE TRIM CLIP ATTACHMENT broke off in two pieces at around 75-80 mph nearly missing the car behind me, with both pieces. The clip that holds it looks to be broken at one of the anchor points,and the adhesive that also hold it on seems to have lost it's tackiness.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the windshield frame dislodged, and the contact was able to perform a self-repair with sealant. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to inquire of a recall. The dealer did not find a recall associated with the VIN related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after refueling and had placed the vehicle in park (P) and had turned the vehicle off. The contact stated that she was at the rear of the vehicle on the passenger side by the gasoline port, she had inserted the fueling nozzle into the gas filler tube when the vehicle began to roll backward. The contact stated she pulled the fuel nozzle out of the port and then attempted to enter the vehicle through the front passenger door but was unable to get into the vehicle. The contact said that the vehicle rolled backward down the inclined gas station driveway rolled into the roadway and stopped. The contact stated that she was shaken and was not sure if the front passenger door had struck her. The contact stated that she felt pain on her right side from the right side of her face to her hip, but she had not received medical attention. The contact was asked if she had set the parking brake and she reported that she had not. The vehicle had not been taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed failures with the camshaft position sensor and the ABS. The vehicle was not repaired. Later, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge began to indicate that the engine was overheating. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the coolant level was abnormally low. The vehicle was taken back to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant was leaking into the engine, resulting in damages to the engine, and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 151,000.
My vehicle has been experiencing the "death wobble". I've done research online and I've seen other people complain about the issue as well as videos. Whenever I drive my vehicle, I hear noises coming from the front end such as scraping and my steering wheel wobbles and it's excessive while on the freeway. I've gotten the wheel bearings replaced, tires rotated, replaced front passenger tire, breaks and rotors replaced. My axel and car were lifted in the air with no damages.
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 the local dealer was contacted in August 2024 for a technician to inspect the vehicle however, the parts to repair the vehicle remained unavailable. The A-pillar trim had detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026