2017 Ford Explorer Complaint Log

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the front passenger’s side window trim detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the trim was replaced. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the front driver’s side trim detached. The failure caused the trunk button to open and close the trunk. The message trunk latch ajar was displayed on the instrument panel. 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 75,000.

Exhaust Fumes entering the passenger cabin through the heat/ac vents and causing carbon monoxide poisoning to passengers! Having medical issues due to this issue and it has been found twice and it’s been doing this since day 3 of owning it! Purchased new on February 21, 2018 with only 2 miles and 6 miles when paperwork was signed! On day 5, 02-26-2018, called dealer was told by the salesman Tommy, it was the new smell and it would go away, Never has and never will! I’ve been sick for over 2 years and 90% of my medical issues has came from purchasing this vehicle and it’s still releasing exhaust fumes and causing me problems. I would like to know WHY a recall has never been done and FORD to be made response for their actions and deceit for this major problem!

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was outside in the rain, the contact noticed a moldy and musty odor inside the vehicle. The contact noticed that the trunk and spare tire compartment was wet. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where a water specialist diagnosed the vehicle and informed him that the passenger's side luggage pillar rack was cracked. The mechanic added sealant to the pillars. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred him to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 49,831.

Transmission is giving out has turned off while driving and sometimes it won't go reverse and Or won't go into gears Machine shows code p0731

Driving 70 mph on Interstate -10 the window seal came off and a side panel adjacent to the window flew off of the Explorer. I had to pay for the two parts and labor charges. I had the trim piece and the window seal replaced at a Ford dealership. The Ford Represenative told me, “Ford is aware it's been a problem”. At the present the rubber seal around the doors are coming apart from the frame.

While backing out of our driveway the car started speeding up and the brakes failed. Even with repeated pumping of brakes the car wouldn’t stop. We finally jammed the shift lever into park and even then it continue moving for a short distance. We wiped out our neighbors mailbox. It did the same thing yesterday but we thought my husband accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake. Today we know it was the car.

Water pump failed and coolant leaked into the engine

The gasket or weatherstripping around windshield is falling away from the windshield. This has led to leaking into the headliner to the map light around the frame of the door on body of car and flooded floorboard.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the power steering assist would fail to operate as needed. The contact stated that excessive force was required to steer the vehicle due to the failure. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the tires and battery were the cause of the steering failure. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V530000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact inspected under the hood and noticed that the spark plugs were crossed in the engine. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the spark plugs to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

While driving on the highway the driver side windshield flew off the car into the roadway.

Windshield rubber trim has almost entirely come off. I'm concerned that the plastic trim is next. You can hear the air coming into the car through the gap and now during a heavy rainstorm on 95 I had water coming into the vehicle. I spoke to the dealership where I have the vehicle serviced when it first happened and told them I had read on the Ford Owners forum that this was a known problem and still no recall. At that time I was told it would cost hundreds of dollars to replace. I didn't have the funds then, and I don't have them now but I am forced to repair it at my expense because it is very dangerous and getting worse.

The contact owns a 2017 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 both the driver's side and passenger's side exterior A-pillar and B-pillar trims had started to detach. The contact stated that the driver's side exterior trims had sustained more damages and could be separated from the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that wind was heard blowing through the pillars while driving at high speed. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that recall repair parts were 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 made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Wind pulled the ‘A’ pillar trim off the vehicle, breaking g the plastic trim and rubber gasket. This is a know problem that FORD has not issued a recall on, but should.

While we were driving the door trim on the front passenger side of our 2017 Ford Explorer blew off. We had it replaced by the Ford dealer in Anderson, IN on December 9, 2020. It has again blown off while we were driving in June of 2022. We were on the freeway both times and it could have hit another car.

April 5th 2022 I took my 2017 ford explorer limited to City Ford here in Columbia City Indiana because the steering was sticking. It had been sticking slightly at times for several weeks prior to this. They couldn't find any problem. So in June 2022 my wife and I load up and leave for Virginia for vacation. The slight sticking got worse after several hours on the road, and finally the driver assist went out completely. making it most difficult to steer. A dangerous situation. Also I had no hill descent, no 4 wheel drive, park assist, cruise control. A multitude of warnings. I took it to Barton Ford in Suffolk Va. and was told it needed a rack and pinion steering which cost me over $3100.00 and over $600.00 for a rental during the time it took to complete the job. I noticed that I was charged for new bolts also. I researched and found that there was a previous recall on a select few of these explorers due to bolt failure. My explorer should have been selected, but there is no open recall on this explorer. Barton Ford told me that my vehicle wasn't effected by the recall. I believe Ford Motor Company should reimburse me for what it cost me.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's and passenger's side front windshield A-Pillar trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a detached A-Pillar windshield trim. The contact was informed that the driver's and passenger's side A-Pillar trim needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts were not available. The contact stated that the failure had occurred three years ago; however, in March 2025, the driver's and passenger's side front windshield A-Pillar trim was replaced by the dealer. The failure reoccurred. 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 and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 62,500. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, the vehicle would not properly shift gears while attempting to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the driver's side front door entry keypad molding trim had detached. The contact stated that there was air coming through the unsealed area. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a detached non-repairable entry keypad molding trim. The contact was informed that the driver's side front door entry keypad molding trim needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised that the repair was not eligible to be covered under warranty. The contact stated that the failure had previously occurred two times and the door trim was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Rear bushing has split causing the rear end to sway and rattle loudly. Extreme safety concern. Unable to get in contact with any of the dealerships in Tucson AZ in regards to this matter.

Our Explorer, experienced this in June of 2022. My daughter had just graduated college and we were moving some of her stuff back home 350 miles away. The Driver side area where the codes are put into to unlock the door if locked out, fell off and was hanging while we were driving on the freeway. We had to exit the freeway and my husband had to buy duck tape to tape it up. Our hatchback would not work as well as some of the other electrical things. I refused to drive it the rest of the way home, and we switched cars. It did cause electrical to go out throughout the car, intermittently. My husband had to buy the part online and replace it. The passenger side is going to fall off also, I noticed while washing it. So yes we need this done, asap. And we had to incur charges for having to replace the other one. There were warning lights for electrical, not working. I cannot remember what they were.

The touch screen on the vehicle lags. It takes forever to go to stations. Changes to stations you haven’t pressed. Navigation doesn’t work properly. Phone Bluetooth doesn’t work properly. Informed the APIM NEEDS REPLACED. After researching, it appears a long list of ppl have the same complaints or very similar in nature. I think this should be investigated.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the exterior B-pillar trim on the driver's side detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The local dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that there were no open recalls related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

Ford Eco Boost Coolant Intrusion Issues. If the car sits an idles the coolant light will come on an say the coolant is too hotIf I run the air conditioning it will do the say, or drive it on the freeway. There are no leaks, no were. And you can smell the coolant, it smells really hot. My engine line is on.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after his wife exited the vehicle from the front driver’s side door, while attempting to open the rear driver’s side door, the vehicle began to roll backwards and knocked her to the ground. The contact's wife was taken to the hospital to seek medical attention but was not injured. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 66,281. The contact has stated that they have been in communicate with several Ford dealerships as well as their corporate offices. Neither of them have been able to replicate the issue and resolve it.

On May 9, 2022, sometime during my drive on the HE Bailey Turnpike from Lawton Oklahoma to Oklahoma City, the driver side Pillar Trim of my 2017 Explorer came off; I was driving 70-75 miles per hour, and it was very windy. During the drive, I heard a noise but didn't think much about it until I got out of the car in Oklahoma City. Thats when I noticed the driver Pillar Trim missing. Traffic was very light during the drive and to my knowledge, the Pillar Trim did not hit another car or do any damage to anything. If there had been another person or automobile hit by the Pillar Trim, I feel that it could have resulted in an accident or serious injury to a person. When I contacted the Ford Dealership, I told them that a part of my Explorer had blown off; they knew exactly what had happened even before I told which part was missing.

Our model is a platinum explorer with the panoramic sunroof. Apparently there is a sunroof leak which due to the way the headliner is made , fills the headliner (holds like a bowl) then either spills out at the front of the vehicle or rear depending on going forward , reverse, accelerating, braking, uphill, or downhill etc. The front is worse because of the electrical in the overhead lights, sunroof motors, and lane departure at the rear view mirror. Also everything electronic below on the dashboard and center console. There are high expenses related to replacing these electronics due to water damage in addition to the driver being suddenly started by a wave of water crashing down on them while accelerating or braking.

Vehicle: 2017 Ford Explorer Issue: Hood paint peeling / paint delamination Component: Exterior / Structure / Body / Paint Safety Concern: Corrosion risk and impaired visibility Description: The paint on the hood of my 2017 Ford Explorer is peeling and delaminating down to the bare aluminum, starting at the front edge and spreading across the hood. This is a known and widespread issue on 2013–2018 Ford Explorers involving defective paint adhesion on aluminum body panels. Ford previously issued TSB 17-0062 and Customer Satisfaction Program 19N01 addressing this exact problem. My vehicle is experiencing the same failure pattern described in these bulletins. The paint peels off in sheets, exposing bare metal to corrosion. This creates a safety concern because corrosion in this area can weaken the structure, and loose/chipped paint can detach while driving. Ford dealers acknowledge the issue but state that the program has expired, even though the defect continues to occur. This appears to be a manufacturing defect that affects a large number of Ford vehicles and needs further investigation and manufacturer accountability, dependability and loyalty, positivity and innovation (which happen to be FORD’s Core Values)to solve the manufacturers defect problems. Further service concerns at Michigan City Ford Dealership include: 1. Previously scheduled oil change, nobody present on the building except 1 guy at back desk down hallway watching YouTube videos, didn’t know where my key was, after searching, located my key and unaware that the oil change had not occurred until I brought it up, Ford employee asked if I would like to reschedule without apology, I declined. 2. A pillar recall: only half repaired on 11/17/2025 due to not properly ordering all parts after multiple inspections. Advisor said he would be “stealing” the parts from another customers appointment to finish A pillar recall on 11/19/2025. More time and energy cost to customer due to lack of accountability.

Both turbos failed and so did the water pump. Less than 90,000 miles. When the turbos failed, there was smoke from the tailpipes. Then there was noise under the hood. When the water pump failed, there was water leaking under the vehicle. Yes, the problem was diagnosed and fixed by the Ford dealership. One of the turbos was fixed last year. The water pump was fixed in December. The other turbo is waiting to be fixed because Ford changed the part due to manufacturing issues and we are currently going on 3 months without a vehicle. The turbos or water pump failure would have been a catastrophic engine failure at some point. Apparently this is a known issue with the 3.5L EcoBoost engines, but Ford has not issued a recall. Fortunately I have a Blue Oval Certified warranty on my Explorer, so the repair is covered. There were no lamps or warning lights during the part failures. I did not let the car overheat when the water pump was failing.

I backed into a parking spot, put the car in park and turned the vehicle off. As I was getting ready to get out of the car, it rolled backwards into another car parked to my passenger side rear. My vehicle did not give any warning, no sensor alert, or anything!

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was jerking, vibrating, and transmission was slipping. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the torque arm, engine mount, axle shaft, and catalytic converter were all damaged due to the jerking and vibrations from the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who performed service repairs under an unknown Customer Satisfaction Campaign however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 46,000.

2017 ford 62,000 miles got vehicle brand new. On the freeway water light appears low coolant high temperature. I take vehicle water pump needed to be replaced. Vehicle is 2000 miles over and 5 Months over the warranty

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the coolant temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the water pump weep hole was leaking, causing the water pump to be damaged. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle in for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

The windshield trim has flown off of my car twice. It's happened twice bc I repaired and then 3 mos. later it happened again. The 1st time it flew off I was driving home in rush hour traffic in downtown fort worth, tx and it flew off into the oncoming traffic. I could have seriously injured someone or caused a wreck, having car parts flying off at high rates of speed in the middle of a major city.

The low beam LED light has gone out which consists of replacing the whole headlight assembly. The dealership wants $2000 to replace this unit. Looking online at car forums this is a known issue on these explorers. Our explorer is from 2017 with only 31000 miles on it which means at most the headlight has been on for only 516 hours. LED lights should be lasting for 30000-40000 hours. This is a safety concern as driving without a low beam headlight is a concern to the person driving as well as any other person on the road. The vehicle issue has been confirmed and inspected by the dealer and there were no symptoms or messages of the problem prior to it occurring. Ford should be liable to repair the headlight in these instances as their product is a safety risk and malfunction on their end.

WINDSHIELD TRIM LOOSENED AND DETACHES WHILE DRIVING. CAN CREATE A ROAD HAZARD FOR OTHERS, INCREASING RISK OF AN ACCIDENT. HAVE SEEN IN COUNTLESS OTHER EXPLORERS WITH SAME PROBLEM! THIS IS A MAJOR HAZARD!!!!

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front and rear passenger's side doors failed to open from the outside whenever the door was locked. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was a known issue. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the windshield trim panel started to detach from the windshield and partially separated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, who informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,720.

Frame piece flew off while driving. This put other drivers at risk. I have taken pictures of multiple other Ford Explorers with the same missing piece on either side. Mine came off the drivers side.

A-Pillar exterior windshield trim became detached from the passenger side at highway speeds without warning and no prior indication of damage. This appears to be a very common issue with this generation of models based on a simple internet search, and I am shocked that Ford Motor Co. is doing nothing to resolve this. The loose piece becomes a hazard to other motor vehicle operators where it could potentially strike a vehicle causing windshield damage, startle an operator causing loss of control, or in the case of motorcycles, injure the operator. Even if it does not strike another vehicle or operator, it becomes road debris and is a safety hazard to other vehicles, and to persons attempting to retrieve it. While we were fortunate that it did not cause any further incident, the potential for a serious accident is high with this defect.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the brakes would squeak upon depression of the brake pedal without warning. The contact took her vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was discovered that the rear brake calipers needed replacement. The contact called the dealer where she was given the number to the company that handle vehicle warranty. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and stated that they would not cover the cost of the repair. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 33,038.

The front windshield passenger side trim. Plastic trim flew off the windshield while driving 65 miles an hour in Tennessee on Hwy 111 near cookeville. It flew off but I was able to retrieve it from the side of the road. It could easily have hit a car behind or beside me. A flying object of any type at 65 miles an hour is dangerous. No inspection by a dealer or anyone has been done. I did get a verbal estimate of repair at 600.00 or more by a Ford dealer. They have to remove the windshield to repair it. The only warning I got was when I heard it flap once or twice and then saw it fly off. I believe the cause is due to Ford using plastic A clips and a plastic trim. 8 plastic A clips are one the windshield and then the trim pops on with a little strip of tape. All but 1 A clip is broken and a piece of the trim that attached to the A clip was still attached to the car. When you research this incident you see that it has occurred on many other vehicles and when I spoke to the Ford service center they knew exactly what I was talking about. So Ford is aware of this issue.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while parked she observed paint bubbles, paint chippings, and corrosion on the hood of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the aluminum paint needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

continuous highway cruise speed shudder in 6th gear between 50 and 60 MPH

I purchased 2 2017 ford explorers and they both developed the same problem . The plastic windshield pillar facia trim breaks off at highway speed. Not only is this a dangerous distraction to the driver, the part flying off at 65 mph becomes a projectile that is a hazard to vehicles following behind. Based on forums, you tube videos, and the availability of aftermarket replacement trim, this would appear to be a wide scale problem.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while coming to a stop, the vehicle started to idle very rough. The contact stated that the transmission also shifted hard while driving. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 20N07 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 96,000. THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER OF A RECALL THAT HAS SINCE EXPIRED. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO HAVE THE RECALL REPAIR REINSTATED.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the windshield molding on the passenger's side of the vehicle detached, flew off and hit the windshield of the vehicle behind her. There were no injuries sustained. The contact veered to the side of the road and made sure that the passenger of the other vehicle was safe; then she continued to drive to her destination. The contact stated that the windshield molding on the driver's side of the vehicle was also detaching. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

We are experiencing a clunk in the rear along with some sway at times when driving. We have had a mechanic verify that is a bushing issue that has been recalled (21S32) on this vehicle, but ours was not included because it was determined to be outside of the region of the recall. Ford will not honor the recall.

Driving on Interstate 95 at 70mph, windshield pillar on left side broke away and hit a gentleman on a motorcycle behind me in the face shield of his helmet. I pulled over to apologize profusely. Right side is loose aswell and plastic abs wiper Cowl is dry rotted and flapping making noisy whistling. Under 65K miles. It started at 45K. This is terrifying and now a eyesore. Please investigate this.

I drove the suv to the store, with my kids. On the way back home , the steering wheel stop working and it was hard to steer the suv. We took it in to the dealership in inverness Ford, but they couldn't find anything wrong with the suv. Two days later it turn hard to steer again, but no codes.