2016 Ford Explorer Complaint Log

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on both sides of the windshield started to detach. 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 approximate failure mileage was 90,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked while shifting into gear. The contact stated that upon shifting to drive(D) on several occasions, the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission was replaced. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle shuddered, overheated, and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence, where a mobile independent mechanic diagnosed that the head gasket was blown. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

The problem remedied by TSB 21B11-s2 did not occur in my vehicle while the TSB was in effect. It has now surfaced

2nd time in two years I have to fix the water pump

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact’s spouse stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not able to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the link shaft bracket had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V692000 (Power Train). The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 157,627.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V435000 (SUSPENSION), 24V031000 (Structure), and 25V347000 (STRUCTURE). However, the parts to do the recall repairs for 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (STRUCTURE) were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side A-pillar detached from the vehicle. 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 contact stated that on a separate occasion, while the vehicle was idle and the contact was dropping off her child at school, the rear passenger seat caught on fire. The contact had turned on the seat warning, and when the daughter exited the vehicle, an abnormal burnt smell was coming from the back seat. The contact then noticed smoke was emitting from the seat. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off the engine, and put out the fire. The seat was damaged beyond repair, and the wires were exposed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired for the most recent failure. No Fire and Police reports were filed. There were no injuries sustained. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts are not available.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the trim on the B-pillar on the driver's side had started to loosen, and that the trim on the A-pillar on the passenger’s side was loose. The contact used duct tape to secure the trim pieces to the pillars. The contact had received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure); however, the parts were not yet available. The contact called a local dealer and the manufacturer to ask when parts would be available but was informed that once the parts were available a second letter would be sent to vehicle owners. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

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 while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger’s side A-pillar trim detached, and the front driver’s side A-pillar trim became loosened. The local dealer was 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim had detached and flown off the vehicle while his daughter was driving the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was confirmed that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. 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 not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim was blown off the vehicle by the slipstream. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The contact called the local dealer to determine when parts would be available, but was informed that parts were anticipated in 2026. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the passenger’s side A-pillar and the driver’s and passenger’s side B-pillar trims were loose. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure). The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal, windy sound coming from the front windshield. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that parts were not available to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was the primary vehicle for the contact's wife. The contact stated that the parts had been unavailable for two years. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure); however, the parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the initial recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); had been received two years ago. In addition, the contact questioned how long it would take for the manufacturer to produce clips to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

There have been EXCESSIVE delays with the repair of the A-Pillar trim. This item flew off of our vehicle while traveling down the highway at 70mph. THANKFULLY this piece did not impact the car behind us. This piece has now been missing for over 14 months. Numerous inquiries placed to dealerships and being told that the piece is still not available is not acceptable. Please encourage Ford to do better and make these pieces available for repair.

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 local dealer was contacted. 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 not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Exterior b-pillar applique molding FLEW OFF of explorer. Might have hit people or cars. Has been inspected and confirmed by Ford dealership in December 2024. No warning of problem. Been waiting for part for 8 months, but service department said none are coming in.

As I was driving the vehicle the airbags deployed without a collision. I was in the car with my wife and 2 month old son. Had we been going full speed it could've been much worse than it was. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The car has not been inspected in any way. The insurance company is currently attempting to deny the claim based on pictures alone. There were no warning lamps prior to the airbag deployment regarding the airbags. We did not hit another car. I was able to stop the car in the middle of the onramp.

I own a 2016 Ford Explorer with approx. 61,000 miles on it. In August 2023 the B Pilar cover broke off while I was driving down a local freeway at approx. 70 MPH. I replaced this cover out-of-pocket. In October 2023 the A Pilar cover also broke off at freeway speeds and I also replaced it out-of-pocket. Neither pilar cover showed signs of being loose prior to coming off. In December 2023 the B Pilar cover came off again. On 1/19/2024 the NHTSA issued a recall for the Ford Explorer A/B Pilers coming off. (24V031). I contacted my local Ford Service Center, where I have had all my Ford vehicles serviced for over 35 years, and inquired about getting the A/B Pilers replaced. I was told that they had no parts coming in to do the repairs and that I would need to call then every month the check if they had parts. I did this for a year when I talked with someone who seemed to know more. I was told that the vehicle would need to be brought in, inspected and then it could be placed on their list and I would be notified when the parts were in. I was also told that they have been told by Ford that parts may not be available for months or the end of the year and there was nothing they could do about that. In the meantime the vehicle looks terrible and the gasket that surrounds the windshield is cracking and large pieces are coming off due to the exposure to the sunlight and weather. I received a telephone call today from the local dealership, inquiring if I was interested in trading in or selling my vehicle. I asked if they would fix the A/B Piller issue if they were to buy and then sell it. The person seemed to know where I was going with this and said they had nothing to do with the service department or the recalls, but, yes, the vehicle would have any recalls handled prior to them selling it.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated after the failure had occurred. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that when the vehicle was parked, the engine seized. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed there was water from the water pump on the ground underneath the vehicle. The contact drove the vehicle to a nearby auto parts store. The contact was informed that the failure might be due to the coolant pump failure. The technician refilled the coolant reservoir with water. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000. The VIN was unavailable.

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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the A-pillar on the passenger’s side of the windshield had detached and was secured using packaging tape. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 105,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

When driving the steering would loose power and would not respond. Warning message said power steering failed. Dealer checked and verified that the steering rack and pinion are bad.

My vehicles wrench sign would turn on do a little jerk then I would lose power to my car. Showed malfunction to power train. Took it to mechanic said there was a Crack in the valve gasket and they fixed that and changed spark plugs. A month later car did the same thing. Has done it a total for 4 times very scary when on a high way and it does it and I have to pull over with traffic coming. Took it to another mechanic and he couldn't figure it out either because there are no codes but said he seem something similar and I needed to change all my coils. So I did that. Thousands of dollars later and no one can still figure out the problem. I don't know if it's some safety issue with the engine or transmission. But 3 certified mechanics can not figure out why my car continues to lose power.

Ford has issued two recalls on my vehicle that have not been remedied in a timely manner. The A pillar recall on my 2016 Ford Explorer was issued on November 19, 2024. That replacement part has not been made available more than 16 months after the initial recall. The B pillar recall on my 2016 Ford Explorer was issued in May of 2025, nearly one year ago and that replacement part has also not been made available. My windshield is not sealed now and the car floorboards fill with water after it rains. This situation needs to be remedied by Ford immediately.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the Exterior A-pillar trim detached from 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 98,250. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the passenger’s side A-pillar trims detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and plastic strips were used to provide a temporary repair. 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 was unable to confirm when the parts for the recall repair would be available. The failure mileage was 112,000.

I am writing to formally express my profound disappointment with the excessive delay in shipping parts related to the recall of the A-Pillar trim piece for my vehicle. It has been over two months since the dealer removed these trim pieces from my car in compliance with the recall process, yet the replacement parts have not been provided. This delay is both unacceptable and deeply frustrating, as it has resulted in my vehicle being driven in a state that is visibly unprofessional and not reflective of the quality standards I expected from Ford. I trusted Ford to address safety and recall issues in a timely and efficient manner, as required under federal law. Unfortunately, my experience with this matter has fallen far short of those expectations.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH exiting a residential area. The front wheel axle came apart. The contact's husband removed the shocks. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to her residence. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17E048000 (Wheels, Suspension). The contact called the local dealer, who confirmed there were no associated recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.

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 local dealer was 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.

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 local dealer was contacted. 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 not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure). However, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact's husband purchased the missing A-pillar trim from Amazon. The contact stated that the driver's side A-pillar trim was not the correct size and the driver's side A-pillar trim seemed to be loose. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. 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 not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the driver's side A-pillar trim had partially detached from the vehicle. There was an abnormal sound of wind detected. 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 contact informed another local dealer, Suntrup Ford—Kirkwood Service (10340 Manchester Rd, Kirkwood, MO 63122); 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 issue. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Roof Rack Trim departed vehicle while driving presenting hazard to other vehicles on the road. This item was part of recall 21S22 and completed on Mar/2021. The recall repair of placing adhesive was ineffective at preventing the hazard. Current recall repair procedure is to drill holes in the trim piece and utilize retaining plugs to prevent the trim piece from departing the vehicle. Ford refuses to perform the current recall repair procedure to the vehicle. Recommend all vehicles with adhesive repair be recalled to be repaired with the current procedure. Ford case claim #[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 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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V435000 (Suspension), and the dealer confirmed that the recall repair was performed. However, the contact stated while driving at various speeds on a bumpy road surface, the vehicle jerked significantly, and there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the suspension. The contact stated that the failure progressively worsened, causing the steering wheel to seize. The contact stated that the vehicle had become undrivable. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that the recall repair had been performed. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the recall repair had not been performed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 199,000.

Engine stalls out when accelerating, coolant is leaking into the motor. Got it checked out my mechanic, needs new engine due to improper manufacturing issue

exterior a-pillar trim it came lose and almost hit a car behind me .I spoke to the dealer since it is assumed that there would be parts for that problem no later than mid -2024.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall repair. The dealer performed an inspection on the vehicle and informed the contact that the vehicle had passed the recall inspection and did not need the recall remedy; however, the contact stated that the passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim later detached. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that no assistance could be provided because the vehicle had previously passed the recall inspection. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 95,200.

Transfer case replacement. Open recall on 2016 4x2 ford explorera for faulty transfer case but not recalled on 4x4 models. This is BS as the transfer case used for both models are the exact same. Should be covered under already open recall for transfer case.

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 while driving approximately 50 MPH, the front passenger’s side A-pillar trim detached. Upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the front driver’s side A-pillar trim was loose. The local dealer was contacted. 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 100,000.

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 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 not experienced a failure.

Rear toe link (driver side) just purchased the car from a Police department and i was not aware of the recall. 10/8/24 i made an appointment for other service and was informant by Elk river MN ford dealer and recall is scheduled to be preformed 10/17/24. [XXX] at [XXX] when turning left at approximately 30mph (2 lane country roads) the vehicle became uncontrollable mid turn. vehicle did not hit anything. After stopping found driver rear toe link had broken at the weld joint on the knuckle side. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

One of the Pilar (passenger side )flew off

Other Explorers have a recall for electric steering problems but my VIN is not included in the recall. I only have 52,000 miles on the vehicle with clunking sounds when we back up with the wheels turn to the right. I also have had really bad tire wear on the back with the inside edge completely worn off. Toe in adjustment way off, says that this vehicle already had the fix for that but looks like it was not fixed right. We are still driving vehicle at this time but not sure if we should or not? We just had new tires put on vehicle and they checked for the clunking sound. There are no warning lamps on. I will be taking the vehicle to thr Ford dealer on October 23, 2024.

A engine getting hot light came on in our Explorer and we checked the coolant levels and most of the coolant had leaked out. We filled the coolant but the check engine light was still on.A mechanic did a thorough assessment and found 3 codes were being thrown. He discovered that the coolant was leaking into the combustion chamber. After much research online, we found that there was a class action lawsuit on other ecoboost Ford engines that had the same issue. Out particular Model was not included, but it was the same safety issue. The engine could become overheated and start on fire or the engine could fail and seize up while driving. We personally experienced a few times where the engine would hesitate and almost not go forward but we thought it was a spark plug issue. It was a little scary while driving in traffic and could have caused a rear end situation. We called Ford and they offered no solution. Case #CXH-02862684-P9D9B2

The passenger side knee airbag went off in an accident causing my dad to have severe lacerations to both legs and a sprained ankle. Those were his only injuries from the accident. All caused by one airbag. There is a good chance he will need a skin graft on one of his legs. The emt and firefighters all said that they have never seen an airbag down there and loon like that. What it did to his legs is horrible. And should have never of happened.

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 local dealer was 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 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, while attempting to make a left or right turn, there was a popping sound coming from the steering wheel. Additionally, while driving on the highway at 70 MPH, the vehicle failed to exceed 70 MPH. The contact stated that there was an abnormal burning odor entering the cabin of the vehicle with the TPMS warning light illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 121,000.

Air Bag light on. Per Dealer service center diagnostics, driver side air bag module FB5Z*78043B13*AA defective. Module replaced, however air bag light on persists. Additional diagnostic determined that air bag clockspring component defective.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the steering wheel locked inadvertently. The message "MultiTaction Failure" was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 189,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized with the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering had failed, and the steering wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Transmission slips in and out of gear while driving causing loss of power. Many complaints online about this same issue from others.

There are 2 active recalls for this VIN, both related to pillar body parts. The A-pillar recall was issued in January of 2024. The B-Pillar recall was issued in May of this year. Neither recall has been able to be addressed. Gray-Daniels Ford in Brandon, MS continually states that Ford has not issued a solution yet. This is unacceptable. Multiple pillar parts have fallen off of my vehicle while driving. I have ordered aftermarket solutions to try to remedy, but the inability for a major manufacturer to produce a solution and implement the same, over a period of 19 months and almost 4 months respectively, should not be tolerated. The NHTSA needs to investigate this and force Ford to implement a safe solution for these issues, and quickly.