Home · 2016 Ford Explorer Gas · Complaints

What 2,428 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Explorer Gas

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (2,428)Crash / fire / injury (77)Body & structure (573)Steering (527)Engine (379)Transmission & drivetrain (213)Electrical system (124)Engine & cooling (114)Fuel system (110)Airbags (99)Speed control (76)Suspension (73)

573 of 2,428 complaints match · Body & structure · clear filters · page 12 of 23

Feb 24, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. While the contact's husband was driving 65 MPH, the driver's side windshield trim clips detached and flew off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was informed that the parts were not yet available to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11644482

Feb 24, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall repair. The dealer performed an inspection on the vehicle and informed the contact that the vehicle had passed the recall inspection and did not need the recall remedy; however, the contact stated that the passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim later detached. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that no assistance could be provided because the vehicle had previously passed the recall inspection. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 95,200.

NHTSA ODI 11644581

Feb 24, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the driver's side A-pillar trim had partially detached from the vehicle. There was an abnormal sound of wind detected. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact informed another local dealer, Suntrup Ford—Kirkwood Service (10340 Manchester Rd, Kirkwood, MO 63122); but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11644607

Feb 19, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the A-Pillar Trim Clip Attachment detached. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11643668

Feb 19, 2025Body & structure

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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11643683

Feb 14, 2025Body & structure

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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where aftermarket A-pillar trims were installed on the vehicle to prevent the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11642784

Feb 13, 2025Body & structure

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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH on the highway, the contact saw something flapping on the windshield. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact merged over to the side of the road and his wife became aware that the trim was raised up and removed the trim. The contact drove to a nearby Auto Zone and bought glue for the windshield. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that parts would be available in two months. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11642635

Feb 5, 2025Body & structure

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 local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11640787

Feb 5, 2025Body & structure

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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11640832

Feb 3, 2025Body & structure

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11640378

Jan 28, 2025Body & structure

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 while driving 50 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and replaced the A-pillar trim. The contact stated that on a separate occasion while driving 50 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired for the most recent failure. The contact stated that the passenger’s side A-pillar trim was loose. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11639194

Jan 27, 2025Body & structure

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 while driving 65-70 MPH at nighttime, the passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim separated from the vehicle and flew off. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,850. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11638890

Jan 24, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 55-60 MPH, the front windshield trim detached from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11638207

Jan 24, 2025Body & structure

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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the A-pillar trims on the driver’s and passenger’s sides of the vehicle had detached. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11638256

Jan 23, 2025Body & structure

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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11638114

Jan 22, 2025Body & structure

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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH on the highway, the contact saw an unknown part separate from the vehicle. The contact pulled over at a rest station and became aware that the A-pillar trim was missing. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 159,944. VIN tool confirms parts are not available.

NHTSA ODI 11637637

Jan 21, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on the passenger’s side of the windshield started to detach. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that parts were not yet available. 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 approximate failure mileage was 90,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11637490

Jan 21, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH, one of the roof rails covers separated and struck the windshield of another vehicle. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where a roof rail cover was installed. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving on another occasion, the other roof rail cover separated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the roof rail cover was replaced. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that one of the roof rail covers had separated again. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 20N11. The dealer was notified of the failure. The contact declined to pay for additional repairs because the repairs were not correcting the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11637288

Jan 17, 2025Body & structure

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 the passenger's side windshield exterior A-Pillar trim had fractured and had partially separated from the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the remaining part of the trim had detached. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11636549

Jan 7, 2025Body & structure

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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving on the highway at 75 MPH, the front passenger’s side A-pillar trim clip detached and separated from the vehicle. The contact was unable to recover the trim clip. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11634636

Jan 6, 2025Body & structure

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 dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11634328

Jan 3, 2025Body & structure

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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11633841

Jan 3, 2025Body & structure

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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11633888

Jan 1, 2025Body & structure

A-pillar trim flew off while driving. Obviously could've caused harm to other drivers. Ford has not notified me of when my vehicle will be repaired. Dealership offered to repair at cost to me.

NHTSA ODI 11633472

Dec 31, 2024Body & structure

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the keyless entry pad driver’s side B-pillar detached. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that the driver’s side B-pillar needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred after two years. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that the driver’s side B-pillar needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred a month later. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the contact was informed that the driver’s side B-pillar needed to be replaced again. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11633325

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How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2016 Ford Explorer Gas verdict →