Home · 2016 Ford Explorer · Complaints

What 2,429 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Explorer

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 (2,429)Crash / fire / injury (77)Body & structure (574)Steering (527)Engine (379)Transmission & drivetrain (213)Electrical system (124)Engine & cooling (114)Fuel system (110)Airbags (99)Speed control (76)Suspension (73)

Newest first · 2,429 complaints · page 15 of 98

Apr 9, 2025Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle hesitated while responding. The contact stated that after several attempts to depress the accelerator pedal, the vehicle responded as intended. The contact stated that a dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V692000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The approximate failure mileage was 168,000.

NHTSA ODI 11653751

Apr 8, 2025Transmission & drivetrain

Transfer case replacement. Open recall on 2016 4x2 ford explorera for faulty transfer case but not recalled on 4x4 models. This is BS as the transfer case used for both models are the exact same. Should be covered under already open recall for transfer case.

NHTSA ODI 11653503

Apr 7, 2025Body & structure

My SUV is leaking water every time it rains ( I live in Toledo so alot ) under the floor mats and down from the drivers side pillar area? I was told by Ford it was a recal for the A - pillars? I have the recal # 24s02 . This was inspected at Yark Ford in Toledo where I bought the car , technically Yark Jeep same owner. I have a case #[XXX] with Ford Customer service because they said they dont know when the parts will be made? Meanwhile I get to drive around in water i guess. Ford has done a customer courtesy for others issue unresolvable such as pay fair market value plus a 15% premium for the replacement of the vehicle . I am a Ford guy I want to buy another Ford that does not leak , sick of sitting in water. NHTSA # 24V031 Please help me out with thi situation it is for sure not safe safe to drive around when its raining , plus it just seems to be unresaonable I have to be rained on inside my car. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11653219

Apr 6, 2025Engine

Engine stalls out when accelerating, coolant is leaking into the motor. Got it checked out my mechanic, needs new engine due to improper manufacturing issue

NHTSA ODI 11653015

Apr 3, 2025Steering

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 144,337.

NHTSA ODI 11652478

Apr 1, 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 repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH and pulling into the line of a car wash, the contact noticed that a windshield exterior A-Pillar trim had separated from the vehicle. The contact informed the car wash manager and made a report of the issue. No further information was 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, but the manufacturer was unable to provide an anticipated date for part availability. The failure mileage was 100,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11652140

Mar 30, 2025Transmission & drivetrainCrash

I have already filed a complaint about the transmission issues of my vehicle a few months ago. Ford will not take credit and help me so we had to keep driving it. Hard shifting, slipping, losing reverse, losing power and jerking into gear. Now not only has it nearly killed us twice when we went to pull into traffic, it has jerked into gear and locked up throwing the car into a guardrail and causing an accident while my fiancée was driving it. I reported it was unsafe and no one did anything, now I have a wreck vehicle, fighting with insurance about the safety of it and it’s sitting at a body shop. We are all afraid to drive it. It nearly killed my family and no one cared to help us. Plus we have no vehicle to drive now. Thank you FORD for nearly killing my family and making us feel unimportant in every way possible. Plus NHTSA did nothing when I filed my first complaint!

NHTSA ODI 11651547

Mar 28, 2025SeatsVisibility & wipers

Driver seat moves all the way forward on its own and the side view mirror moves out of range. This has happened while in the seat and car running. It happens intermittently. It scares the heck out of you and pushes you all the way into the steering wheel which makes it impossible to steer. You have to be quick in order to stop it and because it startles you when it happens the reaction time is not immediate. Very scary indeed!

NHTSA ODI 11651232

Mar 27, 2025SteeringEngine

Water pump

NHTSA ODI 11651128

Mar 26, 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 stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the passenger’s side A-Pillar trim was ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was contacted. The failure mileage was 80,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11650745

Mar 25, 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the driver's side A-pillar trim was loose. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer because the part was not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11650562

Mar 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the driver's side A-pillar trim had detached. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11650270

Mar 21, 2025Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlEngine

My vehicles wrench sign would turn on do a little jerk then I would lose power to my car. Showed malfunction to power train. Took it to mechanic said there was a Crack in the valve gasket and they fixed that and changed spark plugs. A month later car did the same thing. Has done it a total for 4 times very scary when on a high way and it does it and I have to pull over with traffic coming. Took it to another mechanic and he couldn't figure it out either because there are no codes but said he seem something similar and I needed to change all my coils. So I did that. Thousands of dollars later and no one can still figure out the problem. I don't know if it's some safety issue with the engine or transmission. But 3 certified mechanics can not figure out why my car continues to lose power.

NHTSA ODI 11649640

Mar 21, 2025Engine & coolingBody & 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 while the vehicle was at a car wash, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and replaced the A-pillar trim. The contact stated that after leaving the dealer after the repair, the driver's side A-pillar became loosened. The A-pillar trim was replaced. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed coolant leaking from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the head gasket. The contact was informed that the water pump and timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired for the most recent failure due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11649736

Mar 20, 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 11649400

Mar 20, 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 contact stated that the A-pillar trim had detached. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11649501

Mar 20, 2025Body & structure

right side a pillar came off vehicle at highway speed 18 months ago. i bought replacement part i heard of recall so i returned part for refund. ford claims to be working with suppliers to obtain repair parts. this has gone on way too long, they are not taking this seriously! i am a retired millwright and have worked in ALL types of factories my whole career including many car plants. i know what it takes to manufacture these parts. ford is simply not trying! the recall for this is 24so2(ford), and 24v031(nhtsa). please do your best to motivate them to remedy this issue! thank you

NHTSA ODI 11649566

Mar 20, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the temperature gauge started to indicate that the engine was overheating, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The engine overheated warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the water pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 125,000.

NHTSA ODI 11649595

Mar 18, 2025Electrical system

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the sunroof opened independently, and an abnormal burning odor was coming from inside the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was pending a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11649079

Mar 18, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on the driver’s side windshield started to detach. 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 dealer sent a tech to the residence to diagnose the vehicle. The contact was informed that the A-pillar trim retention clips had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11649100

Mar 17, 2025Brakes

I believe the 2016 Ford Explorer that I own was sold to me with the wrong front brake rotors. The issue with the rotors became apparent after removing the tires. Component has not been inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance representative. No warning lights appear on instrument panel. A weird stutter is happening an I think it’s causing issues with the transmission.

NHTSA ODI 11648637

Mar 17, 2025Body & structure

Component Failed - The A-Pillar Trim part detached from driver side and the passenger side if coming off. Safety Risk - Hazard on road Component inspection - No Warnings - No I have been waiting since February 2024 for a repair solution and missing pillar is unsightly

NHTSA ODI 11648662

Mar 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 while driving 55 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and inserted the A-pillar trim back into place. The contact stated that on a separate occasion while driving 55 MPH, the passenger's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was repaired with the trim being taped down. 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 5,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11648713

Mar 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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who removed the trim to determine if the trims were defective; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11648291

Mar 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 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 issue. The contact stated that the driver's and passenger’s side A-pillar trims were loose, and tape was used to secure the trim pieces. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11648107

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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 verdict →