There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2016 Ford Explorerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Smoke coming from engine bay area. Vehicle in limp mode. Mechanic says piston broke a hole in engine wall.
While driving the crankcase sensor malfunctioned and caused my vehicle to stall without warning, this is a safety issue because of you are driving at highway speeds this will prevent the vehicle from being controlled properly to get to the side of the road. This sensor does not give any engine codes suggesting that it needs replaced until it goes out completely. The check engine light did not come on until after the component failed. I ordered a new part directly through Ford and even they said "yes that part will go out without any warning at all and will shut the engine down completely". When this sensor went out, it also caused pressure to build up in the engine which in turn has led to several other components that now need to be replaced. I have a had a mechanic look at it, and it now requires a turbo intake hose and a new turbo because the pressure that was built up in the engine due to the crankcase sensor going out burst the turbo intake hose and prevented the turbo from working correctly. It's approximately $4,000 in repairs due to a $150 part going out.
Coolant intrusion in the cylinder walls
Coolant leak in the cylinder head grooves that builds up on the seal and leaking into cylinders. Causing coolant loss, white smoke and engine overheating. This issue has left me stranded on the interstate and in danger with potential engine fires. These incidents have exposed myself and the general public to unnecesary safety hazards.
Torque converter issue causes shuddered, can cause driver to unexpectedly adjust speed rapidly.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine overheated, and the temperature gauge had increased to high with the check engine warning light remaining illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the water pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 116,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled after coming from a stop. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The contact stated that the water pump had previously been replaced twice, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was coolant intrusion in engine and the water pump needed to be replaced for the third time. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 177,000.
Took the family SUV in for a standard oil change and 100k service to Ford dealership. Upon performing a coolant flush, the water pump began leaking. It was found that the internal water pump was leaking and needed to be replaced along with the primary timing chain and tensioner items. There were no warning lamps or indicators to let us know this was an issue. The dealer service center replaced the internal water pump, refilled system and test drove. It was re inspected and leak has been corrected. However, this cost us $4, 366.80 for an issue Ford knows is a reoccurring issue in this model of SUV and a huge hazard for families.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was idling rough while shifted into drive or reverse. The contact stated that the vehicle operated normally while moving. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced Technical Service Bulletin: 20-2271; as a possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 111,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 68 MPH, the vehicle shut off unintendedly. After the failure, the engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V925000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined there was water in the engine oil. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall on the VIN related to the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 164,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his sister was driving 55-60 MPH, the engine started to overheat, and there was fluid leaking from the vehicle. The contact stated that there was oil in the coolant overflow tank. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the temperature gauge started to indicate that the engine was overheating, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The engine overheated warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the water pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 125,000.
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 the vehicle was at a car wash, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and replaced the A-pillar trim. The contact stated that after leaving the dealer after the repair, the driver's side A-pillar became loosened. The A-pillar trim was replaced. 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 parked, the contact noticed coolant leaking from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the head gasket. The contact was informed that the water pump and timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired for the most recent failure due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000. 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.
2nd time in two years I have to fix the water pump
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.
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
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 contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge started indicating that the engine was overheating, and the vehicle then lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. The engine overheating warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the water pump, resulting in engine damages. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 114,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was steam was coming from under the hood. There was an abnormal odor entering into the cabin of the vehicle. The check temperature warning light was illuminated. The contact attempted to refill the coolant; however, the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was towed. The local dealer was contacted and advised the contact that the water pump might need to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026