What 1,751 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Ford Explorer Gas

Vehicle transmission develops shutter overtime, which causes speeds to fluctuate and can be a safety hazard to the driver or other drivers. As you accelerate from a stop or low speeds the vehicle shutters causing it not to get up to speed as normal causing a safety risk along with extra wear and tear on the motor!

NHTSA ODI 11750724

The specific component or system has not fully failed. However, my vehicle is currently experiencing an intermittent check engine light condition, turning off and on, which was diagnosed at a Retailer producing code P0018 then at the dealership and produced code P0017. The codes relate to the engine control module (ECM) detects that the camshaft on is out of sync with the crankshaft resulting in misaligned engine timing. I have requested that the dealership further review and escalate the diagnosis to determine whether the issue aligns with any known concerns, Technical Service Bulletins, or manufacturer-supported programs. The vehicle and any related components are available for inspection upon request. At this time, the vehicle experiences reduced engine performance, including stalling, and inability to accelerator as needed, which pose a safety risk while driving, particularly in traffic or at highway speeds. The vehicle has been inspected and confirmed by the dealership. I have also contacted the manufacturer, who advised me to work directly with the dealership to have the issue reviewed and potentially escalated. I have since requested that they further evaluate the condition and determine whether it corresponds to any known issues or manufacturer-supported repair programs. At this time, the vehicle has not been inspected by police, insurance representatives, or other third parties. This check engine light and fluctuating RPM directly impacting the vehicles acceleration was the primary indicator of the issue. The manufacturer previously issued two Customer Satisfaction Program notices to address this issue for other model year vehicles. I have attached both notices to this complaint. This demonstrates a manufacturer defect which is a safety hazard for drivers.

NHTSA ODI 11725963

I have always maintained the vehicle and drive the vehicle well. The car just started stuttering when driving and the torque converter for the transmission failed. It doesn’t even have many miles. I’m sure this is a common complaint that needs addressed and recalled because there wasn’t anything done to contribute to this problem. It has been parked since this first occurred in 2024.

NHTSA ODI 11723308

I am filing an official safety complaint regarding my 2015 Ford Explorer Sport 3.5L due to a dangerous and sudden power-steering failure that occurred while I was driving with my children in the vehicle. There were no warning lights, alerts, or symptoms leading up to the failure. The power steering went out instantly and without any indication that something was wrong. The moment it failed, the steering wheel locked up and became extremely difficult to turn, nearly causing multiple accidents. I had children in the car at the time, and this situation created an immediate and severe safety hazard for everyone in my vehicle and on the road. After this happened, I contacted (by phone) Ford directly. Without any inspection, hesitation, or further explanation, I was immediately told that the vehicle “needs a new steering rack and pinion.” The quoted repair cost exceeds $3,000, on a vehicle I am still paying $500 a month for. I have since discovered that there are thousands of other Ford Explorer owners reporting the exact same issue, with the same model years, same sudden failure, and the same required repair. This is clearly not an isolated incident. This pattern strongly indicates a widespread manufacturing or component defect that poses a significant risk of injury or death. I am deeply concerned that Ford has not issued a formal recall for a problem that can cause an immediate loss of steering control at highway speeds and in everyday driving conditions. The number of publicly documented complaints online demonstrates that this is a systemic and dangerous failure that should not be ignored. I am requesting that NHTSA fully investigate this issue and require Ford Motor Company to issue a recall for the defective steering rack/power steering system in the 2015 Ford Explorer Sport 3.5L ecoboost w/o park assist, as well as any related model years or trims using the same components. Vehicle is available for inspection.

NHTSA ODI 11704766

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon placing the gear shifter in park(P) and turning off the vehicle, the message "Transmission Not in Park" was flashing on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up after several attempts. The contact called an independent mechanic, and the vehicle was towed to the shop. The mechanic discovered that the water pump inside the engine was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

NHTSA ODI 11694118

When accelerating and braking, motor rocks forward and backwards. Rpms jump erratically when this happens and when sitting stationary at a light or stop sign. Which causes the entire vehicle to vibrate. Oddly enough, fuel injector cleaner seems to help with the vehicle shaking somewhat.

NHTSA ODI 11693819

When vehicle is on and either in park or at a stop, RPMs will idle at about 800-1000 RPM then randomly shoot up between 2000-2500 RPMs then drop to below 500 RPMs before returning to idle. It’ll do this randomly.

NHTSA ODI 11666213

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly shuddered before losing motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart. The engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the torque converter. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 20N07. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 127,000.

NHTSA ODI 11619212

The vehicle stopped while I was driving and wouldn’t accelerate when trying to push the gas pedal. The warning wrench light then appeared and said power train. Once I pulled over and cut the car off and back on it drove normal for a few miles and broke down again. My safety was impacted because the vehicle literally stopped while I was driving on a busy road.

NHTSA ODI 11608397

When driving the vehicle, my check engine light will come on, the car will shake, start to slow on its own, the steering wheel locks up. If I am on the highway, I better be able to steer the wheel quickly to pull over or else I will be in the middle of the highway. All of this happpens within a minute. The car forces you to turn it off or it will shake uncontrollably. Once you turn it off you have to remove the key, open a door and then start the car again and it drives like nothing is wrong with it. It is like there is a default in the computer system that is powering the vehicle. This has happened to be four times. It’s very scary and extremely unsafe

NHTSA ODI 11593238

Last year the water pump needed to be replaced at 99,500 miles. It cost upwards of $2,000 to be replaced. Fast forward now, a year later the check engine light is on, the car is not accelerating properly and it is back in the shop. The shop called and said it is not as simple as fixing the sensors. They have to look further and thinks it may be the timing chain which would be another $2,000. When it was in the shop a year ago fixing the water pump they said the timing chain at that time looked good. I am so frustrated that the water pump is not a part of a recall since our shop said they are seeing this all the time with Explorers with about 100,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11537463

The Gear Shift Selector would not register when the Gear Shift was in Park. This condition prevented turning the engine off. A costly repair was paid for and it has since been noted this is a common complaint on Ford Explorers. Another failed Ford design for which they should be held accountable. The complete Gear Shift Assembly was replaced May 12, 2017 53,86 miles

NHTSA ODI 11525704

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the front windshield wipers activated independently. The contact removed the fuse to stop the windshield wipers. The vehicle was not diagnosed. On another occasion while starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality with the steering assist fault message displayed. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the message disappeared and the power steering functionality returned. The vehicle was not diagnosed. On another occasion while the contact shifted the vehicle into park(P), the vehicle delayed recognizing that the vehicle was in park(P) and failed to turn off as needed. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 170,000.

NHTSA ODI 11514301

Without any warning, the engine and power system failed while on the highway. There was no system warning lights preceding the event, and the vehicle had be well maintained. We were lucky to have been able to get off the road by safely coasting. Once towed to the mechanics, we were told that a rod had failed and entire would need to be replaced.

NHTSA ODI 11510506

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal noise was heard coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that the noise occurred for several days however while driving 55 MPH, there was an abnormal clunking sound heard as the vehicle jolted forward. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was depressed, and a grinding noise was heard as the vehicle was parked. The grinding noise stopped after the vehicle was placed in the park. The contact inspected the vehicle and found no objects. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the failure as a rear axle bolt fracture. The contact was informed that the driveshaft and bolt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The independent mechanic advised the contact to call the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V255000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The contact called a Ford dealer and was awaiting an appointment for a diagnostic test. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11506046

Body: windshield Trim detached last year and flew off at highway speeds. Didn’t cause damage to my own vehicle but could have bounced off someone else’s. Drivetrain: non serviceable (unable to do a fluid change) on my power train unit. Due to this it started leaking at the front seal and others reported failure during driving. The fix would be to add a drain plug and make it a serviceable unit.

NHTSA ODI 11505560

smell coming into cabin for explorer from vent, leak under vehicle, ford dealer says he didnt see a leak transmission shifted fine but he shut the vents off when he test drove the car to check for noise. took to dealer 3 times. PTU problem needs to be fixed on Explorer, money is tight and with inflation on the rise, i would think Ford wold do better helping customers with their problems, they need a way to work to pay the payment bc they want the car/truck/suv. DO BETTER.HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

NHTSA ODI 11497755

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while shifting to park(P), the message that the transmission was not in park(P) was displayed. The contact stated she shifted back to drive and then to park until the shift selector recognized that the vehicle was in park. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the shifter assembly replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V464000 (Parking Brake) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,382.

NHTSA ODI 11492587

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the water pump was leaking coolant. The mechanic informed the contact that the water pump and timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

NHTSA ODI 11479062

I purchased this vehicle in May 2021. Within a week after purchasing, the power steering went out completely. When this happened, an indicator came on the dash that said "Steering Assist Fault-Service required". Another indicator came on as well that said "Service Advancetrac". Not only did the power steering go completely out, but the selector that allows me to change modes from grass, snow, sand, normal conditions was not working either. It was no longer lit up and would not respond when I tried to change it. This exact same scenario has actually HAPPENED 6 TIMES NOW in the past year, with the most recent happening on June 21, 2022. Each time, it happens when I am going to a relatively slow speed (under 25 mph) and it is VERY difficult to get it off the road due to the power steering being out. I am only reporting now because I didnt' know how to report it, or that it would do any good at all to do so. When this happened that very first time a week after I purchased it, the dealership said that I would need to have something with the steering replaced. I complained that I had only had the vehicle for 1 week, so they took it back to repair it. The repair apparently didn't fix it becuase it keeps happening. I transport my children in this vehicle daily. If the power steering fails again at a higher speed, a collision is very likely. I do not know why the Advancetrac selector goes out as well when this happens, but it happens every time. Each time this happens, I have to get it to the side of the road, turn off the vehicle, let it sit for a few minutes, and it is usually back to normal when I start it back up. When this happens, there are no indications prior to it that something might be wrong. It is completely random when it happens.

NHTSA ODI 11471997

The cars timing chains are being stretched way to early in the mileage. I have a repair that will cost over $3500 to replace the VCTS, guides, chains, tensioners, solenoids and water pump. All of this with under 75,000 miles on the vehicle. This same issue is also on the ford f-150's that has the same issue and the exact same motor is in the explorer but for will cover the f-150 issues and not the explorers.

NHTSA ODI 11460402

I was pulling out on busy road and once i entered the road the car started to shutter. The vehicles power train management. System error flashed on the dash and I lost all power to the engine. I put my foot to the floor and nothing happened. Lucky I was nearly able to get over to the side of the road. I then put the vehicle into park and the engine started to shake violently. I then shut the car off to make sure the engine did not get any further damage. Once turned back on everything seemed normal. This was ver scary. Ford needs to address this issue as it seems to be more common after doing research.

NHTSA ODI 11440353

Vehicle placed in park, driver exited vehicle, vehicle disengaged from park and advanced forward. Vehicle stopped by crash. Ford customer relations was notified and documented concern. Driver injured attempting re-enter vehicle to apply brake. Powertrain assembly or shift linkage possible result of issue.

NHTSA ODI 11438100

Driving on highway at 65 MPH. All the sudden a "Terrain Management" fault error with a wrench icon appeared, and car lost speed and was vibrating. Turned the car off and then on and the fault cleared. The error message is not explained in the user manual and no suggestions how to fix it.

NHTSA ODI 11425254

Power train and control is bad

NHTSA ODI 11423723