There are 4 stored owner reports matching the lighting leading-label group for the 2016 Ford Explorer in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 4 of 4 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)The current b-pillar trim issue that Ford hasn't remedied. In October 2025 my b-pillar broke off my car while driving, shatteringagainst the car behindme. When it did that the wiring immediately caused my liftgate to think it was open and I have not been able to access that back of my suv since then. In order to do so a piece in the door had to be removed and I have to crawl thru the vehicle to manually find a switch to release it. This has gone on for 5 months with me being unable to use the entire back half of the vehicle. If I open it manually it risks not getting shut fully and popping open. It's ridiculous it has taken this long for a fix.
Issues with headlight housing unit getting moisture in it causing lights to malfunction. Driver headlight won't work and passenger headlight will turn off while driving then back on and off again. It does this continously at random making it dangerous for myself and other drivers at night. I've spoke with Ford explaining there is a recall for some 2016 models but not one under my VIN so they won't fix it since it's not. I'm hoping the recall can be extended to cover my VIN.
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 while driving approximately 30 - 40 MPH, the windshield side A-trim panel detached from the vehicle. The contact stated that the following day the passenger’s side trim and two clips had detached causing the failure. The trim on the bottom of the front and rear doors between the front and rear wheels had become loosened as well. The contact stated that there was a film on the headlights causing the headlights to not illuminate properly. The contact used WD-40 on the headlamps to remove the film for proper illumination. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspected the vehicle and removed the trim cover, as instructed by the manufacturer, to determine if the windshield mounting plate, was an older version. Based on the inspection, the dealer determined that the vehicle had failed and there was no need for the part mentioned in the remedy to be used for a repair. While completing the inspection the trim cover had to be removed and the trim cover became loosened, causing further damage with other trim panels detaching from the vehicle. The contact informed the dealer, and the dealer offered to secure the trim with tape. The dealer also advised the contact to use duct tape to further secure the area. The contact stated that the following day the tape had raised up. The contact called BP Ford of Long Beach (2950 N Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90815) and was informed that the part could be ordered to complete the recall repair. The dealer informed the contact that the trim could be replaced; however, the recall remedy part was not yet available. The headlight and lower trim on the body of the vehicle had not been replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
FORD DESIGNED THE HEADLIGHTS IN THE 2016 FORD EXPLORER SO THAT THE LED LOW BEAM IS BUILT INTO THE HOUSING. SO YOU EITHER HAVE TO REPLACE THE VERY EXPENSIVE HOUSING (1,000) WHEN YOUR LOW BEAM GOES OUT OR DRIVE WITH LESS VISIBILITY. MOST PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE $1,000 JUST LAYING AROUND.
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.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: May 4, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.