2016 Ford Explorer Complaint Log

2016 Ford Explorer at 81,000 miles the steering rack is considered bad. Prior to getting this checked by the dealer there were major steering issues with the vehicle that suddenly would not work. My wife and daughter were in the car at the time of the incident and had to pull over to avoid major collison. The steering went to manual. No error codes or error message prior to this. Just happened out of no where. The ford dealership determined it's was the steering rack that nees to be replaced. Confirmed by dealer.

The contact owns a 2016 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 used duct tape to hold the trim in place. 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.

The contact owns a 2016 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 windshield exterior A-pillar trims had become loosened, and the contact used black duct tape to secure the trims. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was inspected; however, the vehicle was not 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 115,000.

Water pump leaking and needs to be replaced. Can cause engine failure and lead to being stranded on highway. Multiple forums have people with the same issue. No warning lights have come on. I took the vehicle in for another issue and they pointed out the leak to me.

1. Component: Electronic throttle body 2. Our vehicle shut down (limp home mode) on the Interstate traveling at high speeds. We narrowly avoided catastrophic accident with other vehicles on the road. 3. The problem was confirmed at the dealership where it is currently being replaced at our expense of roughly $1,000.00 4. Only inspected by dealership (Crain ford little rock, ar) 5. No warning until the part failed. We received airbag light and service light during shut down on the interstate. I have called ford pleading with them for some assistance with this large bill, which is hard to deal with right before Christmas with 2 children. I was told that my VIN# was not effected even after ford posted a notice for 2016 ford explorers Electronic Throttle Body replacement. Ford customer service ended our call after stating that nothing can be done due to this not being a recall item yet. However I do have a 2016 Ford explorer that does have a ETB issue and I hope that my letter will help others before fatalities start adding up due to this unsafe part. I feel that we should have received a letter as soon as ford realized that my 2016 ford explorer could potentially have this issue. I realize that's not what large corporations practice especially when it would hurt profits, however we are dealing with human lives and families. I have included the ford campaign number for 2016 ford explorer ETB replacement for reference, I truly hope you are able to spare the lives of so many family's trusting safe passage in a 2016 ford explorer. campaign #16B32

The electronic steering went out while driving making stearing very difficult and dangerous. I found out this is an issue that many ha e had and they have not recalled this dangerous part.

My engine sounded strange at startup in the mornings so I asked the ford dealer to look at it because Firestone could not find anything wrong with it and I had two recalls needing addressed. I took it to the dealership in diberville, MS first and scheduled the current recalls to be fixed. I was told my engine needs to be replaced because there is evidence of coolant in the cylinder head causing a random misfire but couldn’t tell me if that was it for sure without breaking down the engine to diagnosis properly. I bought an extended warranty policy incase there was an issue in the future. I was actually told by one dealer to “clear the code and trade it in immediately or wait till the engine blows up”. They didn’t even fix the recall because they had to order the parts… The same problem kept happening randomly this time with the engine light coming on and then going off while I am waiting parts to come in, it was a “cold start” type of engine sound when starting up first thing in the morning. I then took it to the dealership in Gulfport,ms and they said they thought they knew what the problem was and my extended warranty would cover it. Turns out they do not cover the block and that is what the mechanics said the issue was, because it is not a moving part and it seems to be a manufacturer quality of the block. Since it was not caused by moving part damage. How can I get this addressed by ford? I have seen that a similar engine from ford had a recall for this and my engine has the same block as that one. (2.0 ecoboost ford escape) I have the 2.3 ecoboost ford explorer. I also have knowledge of another explorer with the same issues and a total engine replacement through diberville MS dealership. My car still runs but the cylinder no longer builds or sustains the pressure for the engine to run properly causing a safety risk during operation.

I was stopped at a major intersection (very busy) at a red light when my car quit. I tried to restart the car but nothing happened. I was at the bottom of a hill, which has a turn not long before you reach this intersection, the speed limit is 45 mph but its normal for cars to average 50-60 mph. I put my flashers on and called AAA. Cars were piling up behind me trying to get in the other lane, horns were blowing, it was a dangerous situation! I had to remain in my car as it was not safe to get out and try to get to the side of the road. After about 15 minutes I tried to start the car again, I was able to get it going and remove myself from an unsafe situation. The car was not running properly, it was "bucking" and trying to stall, fortunately I was able to get to a safe area to pull over and get it towed. The above was written by my wife, I was not there. I am a retired Staff Engineer for a major OE and have authored many Recalls over my 35 years. This issue is a dangerous pattern failure that Ford issued a Stop Sale for. The failed part, the ETB located on the Throttle body is used on multible models with exactly the same failure. How this hasn't been recalled is amazing. This is a known safety problem, pattern failure of the ETB across madels lines that use that engine (3.5). My car is safe now but what about the ones that will failure tomorrow?

I [XXX] went with my mom [XXX] to buy a vehicle off of [XXX] . It was a 2016 ford explorer. I payed 13,000. The began to lose control when driving on a bumpy road and while braking I took the car to a Ford dealer and had some repairs, but they didn’t find the problem. I used the car sparingly and within two weeks it got much worse. Very unsafe to drive I brought it to another Ford dealership and I paid for substantial repairs for the suspension. The first time I drove it on a bumpy the car lost control again. I managed to regain control and drive it to the side of the road and had someone pick up the car. I went to trade the car in and learned the vehicle had been in two accidents and was reported as a total loss. Per the Carfax report. We were never told it was a salvaged vehicle or we would never purchased it for our family vehicle. The vehicle is too unsafe to put back on the road. I bought a 2017 Ford Explorer at a dealership and traded in the 2016 Ford Explorer at a significant loss. The vehicle was in my possession for approx. two months where it spent most of the time in different Ford repaid shops INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Water pump went out and water and oil mixed started smoking and loss of power then engine just shut off now wont turn over

While driving on the highway, windshield trim flew off (2 different times, passenger and driver side). It scared me at first when it started to come loose because it flapped around and I wasn’t really sure what was going on. And can’t pull over or slow down on highway. When it broke off, it flew up in the air and almost hit another car. I was distracted trying to see what it was and where it landed behind me. So definitely a safety concern. Total repair cost $650

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front windshield exterior trim fractured. In addition, the contact stated that the trim detached and was hitting against the vehicle. The contact feared the trim might detach and cause a crash. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that parts 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 made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 48,500. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Ford has a recall for the A pillar but my B pillar trim flew off. The other side was loose.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. Additionally, the "PTU Failure" message was displayed before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission had failed due to the faulty "PTU". The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 15,000.

Back up camera went out and later came on. Today we have been driving the last hour with airbag indicator on. Camera incident was 10-29-2023.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, exhaust fumes was detected inside the cabin of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact installed a carbon monoxide detector in the rear of the vehicle and was alerted by the carbon monoxide detector of carbon monoxide inside the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The car will give an error “service charging system now” the car will then lose power steering and the ability to give it gas. Eventually , minutes later it will completely lose all power while in use. This has happened on several occasions, started in 2023. Had it checked and nothing was found and again it happened 01/15/2025

My side pillar on the passenger side of my 2016 Ford Explorer door came off and I had to buy a new one. Now my A-Pillar on the drivers windshield has come off as I was on the freeway. This is safety issue for me and other drivers who may be struck. I read that this is a known issue with the 5th generation Explorers. I wanted to see if Ford has acknowledged this and has a fix in place for this issue. Thanks

Passenger Side windshield molding Trim flew off on the highway speed.

I was driving on the highway and heard a loud noise didn’t know what it was until I got home and realized my windshield trim on passenger side was not on there anymore. It had flown off while driving down the highway.

Middle row, passenger side seat belt buckle is broken & will not latch. This is where my 9yr old sits & there is no reason or cause for this to break. My vehicle has the inflatable airbag seatbelts on this row.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was pulled over on the side of the road, the steering wheel became firm. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the electronic steering unit was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the vehicle was not under warranty. The failure mileage 30,476.

Sudden deceleration due to P2112 code, electronic throttle body stuck closed.

The rear toe suspension link failed on my Ford 2016 Explorer Sport for the 4th time on 10/20/2023 while I was driving. I heard a pop and lost total control of my vehicle. My vehicle immediately veered right going down an embankment. Thankfully trees where there to stop the vehicle from going into a roll. My safety was put at risk. I could of died. I have sustained injuries physically and mentally fromt he crash. My children were just in that car, I had just dropped them off at school an hour prior. No warning lamps. The police only did an accident report. My insurance has been contacting me about the noise I heard right before loosing all control. The rear suspension toe link has been recalled and fixed three times prior to this happening. This is the forth time this part has broke on me. This time I am lucky to walk away.

when traveling at highway speed the side fins fly off. i have had them replaced 3 times now at dealership. thank God there was not someone behind me - especially on a motor cycle it could of killed them

I was driving my 2016 Ford Explorer on I-65 October 19, 2023, in the afternoon. I thought something flew off of one of the two semis in front of me and hit my windshield on two separate times, within a few seconds of each other. When I arrived home, I checked to see if I had any damages, and I was surprised to see pieces missing from the passenger side of my windshield. This morning, October 20, 2023, I went to a local Ford Dealership and was informed there is no recall regarding the upper and lower pillars (windshield trim pieces). I called Ford Headquarters and was told they hadn't heard of this issue before, and I filed a claim. I researched and found two articles: January 31, 2023, USA Today and Carscoops, February 03, 2023, regarding NHTSA investigating these same pieces flying off of Ford Explorers, and I found pictures on the internet that look exactly like my vehicle when these pieces flew off.

The steering rack failed while operating the vehicle at approximately 40 mph resulting in a near total loss of steering. It required extreme force to turn the steering wheel to avoid oncoming traffic on a bend in the road before finally moving out of the roadway. The warning message displayed at the time of the fault was "Steering Assist Fault Service Required." The component had to be replaced when it was evaluated by the Ford dealer

The contact owns a 2016 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 driving at an undisclosed speed, the rain was entering into the interior of the vehicle. The contact stated that the rain was entering from the left and right sides of the front windshield. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with a fractured windshield trim and the windshield trim needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirm parts not available.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced the failure while driving approximately 50 MPH when the front passenger side A-Pillar detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.

Leaking coolant. Water pump failure.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and restarted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that PCM needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 56,000.

The contact owns a 2016 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 driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver's side trim fractured and was flapping loosely. The contact used double-sided tape to attempt to hold the windshield trim in place. 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 50,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the passenger side of the vehicle. The contact stated the front passenger side door handle trim was then separated from the vehicle. The door handle trim was replaced by the owner. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 120,000.

The windshield trim on the passenger side of my 2016 Ford Explorer came flying off my car while I was traveling at about 70mph. The piece flew upwards and backwards. I was not able to see if it hit any of the cars behind me. I was not able to stop to retrieve the piece. I've included a picture below. My car is available for inspection upon request. The safety of the drivers behind me was obviously put at risk having to dodge the flying part. I have not brought the car in for the repair yet, so they have not inspected it, nor has the police or insurance company. I just wanted you to know about it. There were no symptoms before the incident occurred.

Last night check engine light turned on. I called the dealer to get an appointment first thing next morning to get it checked. In next 2 minutes engine coolant over temperature sign turned on. i got scared and stopped the car immediately and got it towed to the dealer right away. got a call from the dealer saying that the engine blew up and needs to be replaced. to my question how this could be the case for the engine to blow up within 2 ninutes of the furst check engine sign turning on, i was told by the dealer representative that the engine damage was done before even warning lights got on. This is unacceptable and extremely dangerous! Car failed to provide proper warnings which caused very dangerous to the safety and ireversable damage to the car. Ford denied any liability although the car mileage is still under 50,000 miles. This is clearely Ford liability and very serious question of safety. This needs to be addressed on a very urgent basis. I am not even talking about the high quote of $12000 repair quote for the engine replacement that i have to face at the dealer for the defective vehicle manufactured by Ford! This is unacceptable!

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that there was an unknown fluid leaking from the engine compartment. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty water pump. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 68,480.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle accelerator pedal was stiff. The contact pulled over and noticed abnormal noises coming from the engine. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a defect in the motor. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

The vehicle starting making a clunking noise while doing turns. While making a right hand turn, the steering wheel stuck and I had to yank it back (left) which caused a loud popping noise. Took it straight to the auto shop and next day was notified it was the steering rack and pinion.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that water was accumulating in the rear driver’s side cupholder. In addition, the contact also stated that water was leaking through the rear speakers as well. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a crack in the driver-side roof rack panel which was repaired out of pocket. The contact was assured by the dealer that water pressure tests were performed on the vehicle which showed that there were no present leaks on the vehicle. Upon return of the vehicle, the contact stated that the passenger’s side of the vehicle had experienced the same failure. The failure was later linked to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V316000 (Structure) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The contact was also referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was 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 contact had experienced the failure with both the front driver’s and passenger’s side trims while driving. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure). The contact stated that while diving on several occasions at various speeds, he and his wife observed an abnormal sound coming from the windshield. On one occasion, the contact’s wife observed that the hard rubber had detached and was flopping against the window. The contact stated that the vehicle was inspected, and he became aware that the A-pillar trims were missing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine overheated with the temperature gauge indicating that the engine was hot(H). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the water pump was replaced. The contact stated that several months later while in reverse(R), the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for a diagnostic test and remained with the dealer for months. The contact was informed that the vehicle had failed to accelerate while in drive(D) or reverse(R). The dealer later diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it remained unrepaired. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

Car has inflatable seatbelt in the second row bucket seats. I am unable to find any car seats that are safe to use in this vehicle once you move from tether position Have visited local dealership and called Ford for assistance. None of which are able to assist with this which puts children in great harm as no car seat can be safely used

2016 Ford Explorer V6 Ecoboost with only 63,000 miles, the water pump is leaking. This is a well known failure with hundreds if not thousands of complaints. The repair is extensive and costly for a $70 part that is known to fail. A water pump seal and/or rubber gasket failure will result in water leaking into the engine and the engine either going into limp mode or shutting down. The occupants of the vehicle can be put in an unsafe situation anytime there is an engine failure, for example, an engine failing in an intersection, or on a long drive in adverse weather in the middle of nowhere, or in the dark on an unlit highway. Ford is VERY AWARE of this problem and this water pump design should be on a recall list. I expect NHTSA to require Ford to fix this major problem. I haven't taken it to the shop as I know exactly what is wrong, and I want Ford to fix this problem before I am put in an unsafe situation. There were no warning signs other than the coolant under my vehicle, the vehicle heated up, and I had to add coolant. I was almost that victim with a catastrophic engine failure.

Tires damaged due to a rear toe link not having proper alignment adjustments. I was told to buy aftermarket products because the two ASE certified shops could not align my rear suspension. I've chewed through two pairs of brand new tires in less than 4 months.

The roof rail cover blew off going down the highway on saturday 9/23/23. I'm not sure if it hit any cars. I saw it fly off in my rearview mirror but there was nothing I could do.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle was shifted into drive(D) and the brake pedal was released; however, the vehicle started shuddering and jerking significantly. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to shift into the intended gear while driving. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The check engine and the power train warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the insurance company later informed her of Ford Campaign Number: 20B27, which she related to the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the Campaign. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.

Both Front windshield trims flew off while driving. Each side different days. On highway driving when saw something fly on side of my vehicle and almost hit vehicle beside me. I was forced to pull over check my vehicle and noticed windshield trim missing.

Hello, I have a 2016 Ford Explorer Limited with VIN [XXX] . I have 90k miles on it and my water pump failed like it did for many many people for this model. This is a systemic issue at this point and I don't understand how there is not a recall for this issue with Ford. The cost to repair this issue is at more than $4k. This is a basic design issue that must be addressed by Ford. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became abnormally stiff, and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The power steering malfunction warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with steering gear internal failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall for the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.