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 18 of 98

Jan 17, 2025

While driving down the interstate, my right exterior a-pillar appliqué trim clip attachment became detached.

NHTSA ODI 11636501

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 15, 2025

Water pump failed at 58,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11636022

Jan 14, 2025Steering

When driving the steering would loose power and would not respond. Warning message said power steering failed. Dealer checked and verified that the steering rack and pinion are bad.

NHTSA ODI 11635916

Jan 12, 2025Engine

2nd time in two years I have to fix the water pump

NHTSA ODI 11635479

Jan 8, 2025Visibility & wipers

The moonroof malfunctions and can be stuck in the open position. The drain plug for the moonroof can easily get clogged causing water to back up into the overhead structure. This causes water to fall onto the driver and passengers. The water flows from the overhead area, the side pillars and onto the floorboards. The electrical components are then compromised and the motor that controls the moonroof stops working. In my situation my moonroof was stuck in the open position for several days. I live in Florida where it rains alot. It is not safe to drive with an open moon roof during a severe thunderstorm. In doing my research this seems to be a very common problem with Ford moonroofs. I've had to have it fixed twice now. Luckily the first time it was stuck in the open position but water continued to pour into the interior of my vehicle while I was driving. This caused me to be distracted as I was driving. I had it repaired both times at a Ford dealership

NHTSA ODI 11634915

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 4, 2025Electrical systemAirbagsSeat belts

The problem remedied by TSB 21B11-s2 did not occur in my vehicle while the TSB was in effect. It has now surfaced

NHTSA ODI 11634063

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

Dec 31, 2024Body & structure

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side windshield trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The contact stated that due to the failure, there was a gap at the base of the windshield, allowing water to enter the engine compartment. Additionally, the contact stated that the passenger's side windshield trim was fractured. The dealer was made aware of the failure however, the contact was informed that the parts to perform the repair were not yet available. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V03100 (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 failure mileage was 109,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11633440

Dec 30, 2024Body & structure

The recall has been in place for replacing an exterior A-pillar trim part - we have tried to get it replaced, but there are no parts nationally. Why haven't the parts been created? It has been over a year

NHTSA ODI 11633042

Dec 27, 2024Engine

At around 50,000 miles the Turbo on the engine was leaking oil. Dealer replaced the turbo and kept the part. It needed to be replaced to avoid a catastrophic failure of the turbo which in turn could cause severe engine oil loss resulting in engine failure and oil contamination of the catalytic converters O2 sensors and possibly a car fire. There was no warning but was caught during a routine oil change. Unknown if the dealer reported it.

NHTSA ODI 11632581

Dec 26, 2024SteeringElectrical systemDriver assistance

Randomly, the power steering, ABS, and traction control went out on my car. There are thousands of others with this issue and previous years of this car have already had a recall relating to this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11632449

Dec 26, 2024Steering

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 45 -50 MPH and attempting to merge towards the left around a curved road, the power steering was seized. The steering assistance failed and to service the steering assist warning illuminated. The contact continued to drive and the power steering self-corrected as they continued to drive. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the power steering assist had failed. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who replaced the power steering unit with an aftermarket part. Approximately one year later, while driving approximately 40 MPH when the failure reoccurred. The contact managed to slightly loosen the steering wheel, however, while continuing to drive, the steering wheel would continue to stiffen causing them to have to aggressively maneuver the steering wheel. The same warning lights had illuminated. After the vehicle was driven home, the steering wheel completely seized. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired a second time. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and filed a case. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11632490

Dec 26, 2024

There is a lot fuel- fumes/odor entering the cab of the vehicle when exceling the speed.

NHTSA ODI 11632495

Dec 23, 2024Body & structure

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on both sides 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 local dealer was not 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 approximate failure mileage was 90,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11632164

Dec 20, 2024Engine & coolingTransmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked while shifting into gear. The contact stated that upon shifting to drive(D) on several occasions, the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission was replaced. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle shuddered, overheated, and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence, where a mobile independent mechanic diagnosed that the head gasket was blown. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11631843

Dec 16, 2024Body & structure

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the passenger’s side A-pillar trims detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and plastic strips were used to provide a temporary repair. 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 but was unable to confirm when the parts for the recall repair would be available. The failure mileage was 112,000.

NHTSA ODI 11631044

Dec 16, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact’s spouse stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not able to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the link shaft bracket had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V692000 (Power Train). The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 157,627.

NHTSA ODI 11631060

Dec 15, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

There has been an ongoing issue with my vehicle since it was last taken to service for a recall. The transmission has premature failure. I have had the entire vehicle powertrain fluids changed and nothing has helped. My boyfriend has been driving the vehicle and will not let me drive it anymore because it is unsafe. The transmission has torque converter issues. It has got stuck in second gear and when we went to pull out into traffic it would not move and we nearly got T-Boned. That happened while I was with him and I'm afraid to use it. He has to drive it to work because I have his vehicle and he wants me and my daughter to be safe. He says its downshifting hard when slowing down. It will downshift hard and loose power when trying to speed up on the interstate or while trying to get on the interstate. It shifts hard into reverse and is delayed shifting. Its lost power due to the transmission slipping. There has never been any check engine lights come on. Ford will do absolutely nothing about it. The vehicle has around 62,000 miles on it now and its gotten worse and is going to cause an accident or kill someone. I have called ford several times and they don't seem to care. They want me to go have it fixed and pay for it. I don't have that kind of money and I should not have to pay for there problem. Its a known issue I found out by searching online, even lawsuits. They need to recall these transmissions and fix the issue with them before someone is killed. If there hasn't already been deaths. Its unsafe. It has put me and my daughter at risk. Other drivers at risk and now with him having to drive it, his life is at risk everyday! Ford does not care about people or their family. They know they put a bad transmission in these vehicles and it cause premature wear. The transmission fluid is black, smells burnt and even metal shavings in it. Its a ticking bomb and its unfair they want me to pay for their mistakes!

NHTSA ODI 11630790

Dec 12, 2024Body & 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. While exiting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the exterior A-pillar trim was missing. The contact stated that water was entering the vehicle through the front windshield after it rained, soaking the driver's side compartment and front passenger's side floor. Additionally, the vehicle made an abnormal slushing sound while driving. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11630377

← NewerOlder →

Working with the data? Download all 2,429 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 22, 2026

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 →