2015 Ford Explorer Complaint Log

The molding on the front passenger side windshield flew off while driving at highway speeds.

Water pump died at 80,000 miles. Seems in my research this is a common probably with class action lawsuits

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear passenger's side seat belt buckle retractor was stuck and failed to release as needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the passenger’s side pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while attempting to engage the parking brake, the parking brake failed to respond. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the parking brake assembly was replaced. The contact was informed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V464000 (Parking Brake) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included. The approximate failure mileage was 82,900.

I was driving my explorer in the snow and had put it in 4 wheel snow mode..as I was driving down a hill and began braking to make a turn the car slid a little bit and I thought nothing of it. I parked and drove again in snow mode a few miles and noticed that after I put the car back into regular drive the brake pedal seemed harder than usual. I parked, waited a minute, turned my car back on, touched the brake pedal and it seemed ok or better. A few hours later, I leave work and brakes seem harder than usual again. I had not put it in snow mode nor were any warning lights on. I only make it a mile or so when I find myself in the left lane of a highway attempting to drive up hill and my car barely goes 20mph. Something is seriously wrong at this point, with my 4 way flashers on, I had to navigate heavy rush hour traffic on a highway until I could find a safe place to pull off. Still no warning lights. I call my mechanic and he advised me to have it towed to his garage, Meineke. He is able to look at it the next day and finds the brakes are locked up and possibly something wrong with the 4 wheel drive. He's unable to determine for sure what is wrong and I have it towed again to the Ford Dealership. Ford Dealership has it for a few days and they had a tough time determining what was wrong. They checked codes and because no warning lights were on they didn't have much to go on. They determined it wasn't my 4 wheel drive but that it was my ABS module. They replaced it and flushed the fluid (which I was told was not the problem, it showed no signs of being compromised). They also replaced brakes rotors and calipers in the rear which I believe we're damaged in the ordeal. I do believe my safety and the safety of others was at risk. I should have seen a warning light to let me know something was wrong before I was on a highway.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front windshield was detaching. The contact stated that the windshield seal was peeling away and slowly detaching. The contact stated that the trim had detached. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

I was driving at about 50 mph and didn't have control of steering luckily I didn't panic and got safely off the highway. Never showed any signs that it was malfunctioning and it just went out. Took it the dealership and they told me it would be $2300 to repair.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the front passenger’s side window molding detached from the vehicle. The contact notified a local dealer of the failure; however, the vehicle was not yet taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000.

The contact owns a 2015 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 at an undisclosed speed, the front A-pillar trims on the driver’s and passenger’s side detached. The contact stated that the A-pillar trims were temporarily repaired with duct tape. The local dealer was not 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 140,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the front driver’s side A-pillar trim detached and flew off onto the roadway. Upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the front passenger’s side A-pillar trim was loose. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera failed to display a clear image. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was trim was temporary replaced with tape. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the second-row rear inflatable seat belt connector caused the air bag warning light to illuminate. The contact related the failure to TSB-21B11 (2nd Row Inflatable Seat Belt). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the cable was re-routed under the seat and re-enforced with electrical tape; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to use the HVAC system, the heater was inoperable. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The mechanic stated that the water pump had been leaking coolant into the oil pan and could have caused the vehicle to stall. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the contact seat belt warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the seat belt sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle had exceeded the warranty extension and was no longer covered. The contact researched online and related the failure to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 21B11 (Seat Belts). The failure mileage was 64,710.

I was traveling on Rte 25 in Wareham, MA at approximately 65 mph when without warning the passenger side A-pillar trim piece flew off of my vehicle (2015 Ford Explorer). This startled me which caused me to be momentarily distracted. I just thought this was a rare incident so I did not initially report it however I was prompted to report my incident after hearing about other incidents on the news. I have already ordered an aftermarket replacement and would like for Ford to refund me $56.30.

Blower motor heat. Trim in door split.

Window trim pillars have blown off the car multiple times at highway speeds

the steering makes a loud pop noise when turning sometimes locks up

Right and left inside door panel detaching from the door

The backup camera only works intermittently. Sometimes there will be a black screen that says somethings wrong and to contact the dealer but this has been an issue for the past couple years or so. I saw there was a recall for many other for vehicles of this age for the backup camera but not for the Explorer. I was shocked when I didn’t see it was included.

Timing belt broke and caused vehicle to stop running, this was after I took it to a mechanic who did a diagnostic and no issues showed up. Now, because of the timing belt breaking, the engine is irreparable and the entire engine will need to be replaced. It only has 116K miles. Another minor complaint is the front driver's side side windshield panel has come unglued. Luckily, the vehicle was stationary when I noticed it being loose. However, it could pose a safety risk. I have noticed other similar vehicles missing the same piece, so it seems to be a consistent problem with Ford Explorers.

In 2015, when I leased a Ford Explorer XLT, I was never made aware or otherwise notified that a host of Ford models, including the 2015 Ford Explorer XLT had a long known design flaw in which the water pump, encased in the engine block, had a history of prematurely breaking and causing engine coolant to enter the engine and mix with the oil, and also into the oil pan, causing total engine failure, with no advance warning to and at the peril of the vehicle owner or operator, when the vehicle may come to a complete standstill or stop in traffic or in any operation placing the operator at risk of injury or in jeopardy of causing an accident or being subject to becoming an accident victim, plus creating the need to replace a new engine or a rebuilt engine into the vehicle. catastrophic damage in 2011 to 2020 models, with the replacement costs having to be borne by the owner of said vehicle because no recall had been undertaken, despite of their being a host of victimized owners. This incident happened to me and the 2015 Ford Explorer XLT vehicle I was driving. It occurred while I was in traffic and the exception caused total engine failure with no advance warning, no instrument panel warning and the entire engine had to be replaced at my personal cost of over $7,000. I attempted to negotiate with Ford Motor Company to no avail, and I had to expend the funds to acquire and install a rebuilt engine, at my own expense, to be able to continue to use the vehicle for my livelihood. Numerous correspondence with the dealership of origin, Liccardi Ford of Watchung, NJ, and the Ford Motor Company were fruitless. With all of the incidents and all the victims of this design flaw, a recall should have, in my opinion, resulted, but it did not. To my knowledge, which I have not been able to confirm, the design was corrected in newer models, but no assistance was afforded to the owners of the affected vehicles. I have sold the vehicle and it is not available for inspection.

Air Bag system wire harness and components continually fail resulting in inoperable airbag system. Risk of injury to driver and passengers as airbags will not deploy while SRS Error light is occuring.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start as needed. The contact stated that the “Service Required” light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.

windshield trim panels flying off the car while traveling at highway

smell coming into cabin for explorer from vent, leak under vehicle, ford dealer says he didnt see a leak transmission shifted fine but he shut the vents off when he test drove the car to check for noise. took to dealer 3 times. PTU problem needs to be fixed on Explorer, money is tight and with inflation on the rise, i would think Ford wold do better helping customers with their problems, they need a way to work to pay the payment bc they want the car/truck/suv. DO BETTER.HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

My 2015 Ford Explorer is having fumes in the car. The dealership has charged me for an oil leak, cracked exhaust and now wants me to pay for a muffler. There is still exhaust fumes coming into the car making it hard to drive in the cold.

The backup camera flashes intermittently. Sometimes the backup camera will work, sometimes the Ford Sync screen goes black and a message pops up stating "Backup camera not available, please contact the Ford dealership" and sometimes the Ford Sync screen will remain as it looks when driving forward. It is currently a recall for 2020 and 2021 models. The problem has been reported to Ford and a case number has been documented.

My steering column was fine one day, and then very loud the next. We took the car to our dealership. They figured out what was wrong... the steering gear went out which caused the complete steering gear assembly to be replaced. But, then they could not get the part from Ford. They said it was a "known issue" and Ford was not releasing the necessary part to have this repaired. They had my car four weeks before Ford agreed to ship the part. I am guessing they had to make sure the parts in inventory would not have the same issue. They would not release my car back to me because they deemed it "unsafe to drive". Finally five-six weeks later, I have my car back repaired.

Water pump leakage I noted that my Ford was leaking fluid and took it in to be serviced. Upon review it was determined that the water pump needed to be replaced as well as the timing belt. Ford Explorer models from 2011 to 2016 had the most water pump issues. Consumers have continuously reported complaints with a few of all the models having leakage issues. I am not alone in this and it looks like several are indicating a class action lawsuit should occur as Ford knows this is an issue and has not completed a recall. https://www.vehiclehistory.com/articles/all-about-the-ford-explorer-water-pump-recalls The loss of engine coolant through a leak in the water pump can damage the engine. Without the engine coolant, the motor will overheat and lock up, causing the consumer to purchase a new engine. Ford Motor Company has repaired the issues when the consumer brings the vehicle in for service. No recalls have happened, so the customer has to pay for the repairs. Ford engines from this year have the water pump built inside the engine. When the pump fails, the coolant mixes with the oil shutting the engine down. A class-action lawsuit was issued, but there were no recalls. A recall needs to occur and Ford needs to fix for all impacted models and reimburse those who were impacted by this dangerous flaw.

After several instances of intermittent loss of steering, the steering is now suck in manual mode (very stiff if not impossible to turn wheel). Luckily my wife was just pulling out of the driveway and not attempting to make a turn in traffic!! The dealer said it needs a new rack but at my expense!!?? $2500-3200. I am appalled that Ford has not addressed this issue yet. 2013/14 models covered, 2016 models covered. Why not 2015 models?? Its THE SAME EXACT ISSUE!!! Now I have a $12,000 brick sitting in the driveway. HEY, FORD!!! PLEASE HELP!! this is a very scary safety issue!

The rear backup camera on our 2015 Ford Explorer began glitching, reversing the image, or going completely blank in autumn of 2022. We took it to a local Ford dealership on November 17, 2022 for service and was told the camera needed to be replaced. We waited days, then weeks for a replacement, and finally gave up after contacting a different dealership which had the same problem obtaining replacement cameras. We have heard about Ford recalls for this problem and searched online for information. It appears there was an NHTSA recall a few years back covering model years 2019-2020, and now there is a similar recall for model years 2020-2023. I have read of MANY similar complaints from vehicle owners of models 2014 to present. WHY AREN'T MORE MODELS YEARS COVERED BY THESE RECALLS? It appears to be the same problem?

For over a year our 2015 Ford Explorer REAR BACKUP CAMERA malfunctions frequently. Either the image is reversed, streaky, or completely blank and makes backing up difficult and dangerous. A year ago the local Ford dealership was trying to tell us the camera is faulty, but many times the image is clear. They tried to sell us a $1,000 camera replacement, but no cameras were in stock for many months. Later, we discovered there are SIMILAR ISSUES with many other Ford vehicles. Currently there is a NHTSA campaign #23V598 targeting Fords and Lincolns. We feel this needs to be BROADENED to cover the many other Ford models, such as the Explorer. We do not think this is a camera issue, but rather a SOFTWARE issue. Please look into this and include other years and models of Fords in this recall. Thank you very much for your consideration.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, there was a burning odor coming from the vents. The oil pressure warning light was displayed before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the water pump had failed causing coolant to leak into the engine oil, causing the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 168,000.

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******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE IT IS AN INADVERTENT DUPLICATE OF ODI# 11493911*DJR ******* DELETE VOQ *******

******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE IT IS AN INADVERTENT DUPLICATE OF ODI# 11493911*DJR ******* DELETE VOQ *******

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 78 MPH, the front passenger’s side window trim detached from the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

This vehicle has an internal water pump. Failure can destroy engine. Failure can cause vehicle to stop. Repair costs are approximately $3,500.

Driver side windshield trim unexpectedly and instantaneously detached while traveling approximately 65 mph on interstate during daylight hours under dry conditions. It flew off the vehicle creating cosmetic damage to driver door and mirror, landing in lane behind. Part was lost on road somewhere and have not had it replaced or repaired. It could have impacted a vehicle behind causing damage or dangerous condition for driver or other vehicles. It has not been inspected and is in original condition after incident. I became aware of similar complaints and felt need to register. Estimated repair approximately $500.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle decelerated unintendedly, and the contact heard abnormally loud sounds coming from the engine. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the water pump was replaced due to the water pump seal being burned; however, the failure persisted. The dealer diagnosed that the motor pin fixers had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Steering wheel becomes stiff, and at times locks up while vehicle is in motion no matter the speed. I almost lost complete control when the wheel locked briefly while exiting the highway on a curved off ramp. Thankfully my wife nor my teenage daughter where operating the vehicle, I was. Having had experience in vehicle operations while in combat, I was able to regain control without further incident. This unpredictable malfunction should truly be looked into and rectified by manufacturer.

The front door trim panels on both driver and passenger side doors are bowing. The problem is noted by Ford under recalls or a service bulletin for my Vin number. The problem was reported to Ford by me in 2022. Ford will not pay to correct the problem, even though the company lists the door problem for my car. I am the original owner of the car and the door panels are original to the car.

Power Steering Assist Fault on 10/17/2022. Steering wheel would not move (or was very difficult to turn the wheels at all). Had this occurred while driving it would have been near impossible for my wife to steer the car and likely would have caused an accident. Fortunately it happened first thing in the morning when starting the car in our garage. Towed to repair shop and they confirmed the entire steering rack needs replacement (electric steering). Warning light for same problem occurred 11/23/2021, but after restarting vehicle the warning indicator went away and the steering unlocked. Took to service shop but they could not replicate the problem and cleared the codes, and the code did not come back. This time however there is no solution other than to replace the entire steering rack at great expense.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while shifting to park(P), the message that the transmission was not in park(P) was displayed. The contact stated she shifted back to drive and then to park until the shift selector recognized that the vehicle was in park. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the shifter assembly replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V464000 (Parking Brake) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,382.

Rear view camera displays a blank or distorted images when vehicle is in reverse. Rear view camera will display a message that the rear view camera is unavailable. A faulty rear view camera can increase the risk of a crash

Rear backup camera does not function. Either gives a blank image or a flipped/reversed image or a very grainy image. It has been properly inoperable for years, since at least 10/1/2022. Why were Explorers not included in recall 25V57200? The cameras were the same as the Edge and Expedition which were included, and I believe the same for the Mustang.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving on an incline, the engine stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that her uncle who is an independent mechanic, looked under the hood and determined that the water pump had fractured and leaked over the engine and unknown coil and water pump needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for the following month. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

Plastic cover of windshield detached while driving. May pose a hazard to other drivers as it becomes a projectile when detaching. It also startled the driver when it detached, causing swerving.There was no damage done to provoke the problem, it was spontaneous. Have not taken the vehicle to be inspected by dealer.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, she was crashed into head-on by another vehicle which sent the vehicle backward into a guardrail. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact's right shoulder hit the steering wheel and her head hit the pillar on the driver's side door. The contact sought medical treatment after the accident and received an X-ray on her right shoulder; the results showed no broken bones. The other driver was transported to the hospital by ambulance for leg pain. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and she was given a case number; she was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle had yet to be destroyed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 157,000.