There are 4 owner-reported lighting complaints for the 2017 Ford Explorerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Headlight went out due to water intrusion on plug and module.
Driver's side A-Pillar trim fell off while driving at highway speed
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.
THE HEADLIGHTS ARE FAR TOO BRIGHT,EVEN IN DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS.AS AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OF AN EFFORT TO INCREASE THE VISIBILITY OF THE VEHICLE,THEY ARE QUITE CAPABLE OF MOMENTARILY BLINDING ONCOMING DRIVERS.OBVIOUSLY,THIS EFFORT TO INCREASE HEADLIGHT INTENSITY IS OVERLOOKING THE FACT THAT IT MAY BE CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY TO OTHER DRIVERS.
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