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

The passenger side knee airbag went off in an accident causing my dad to have severe lacerations to both legs and a sprained ankle. Those were his only injuries from the accident. All caused by one airbag. There is a good chance he will need a skin graft on one of his legs. The emt and firefighters all said that they have never seen an airbag down there and loon like that. What it did to his legs is horrible. And should have never of happened.

NHTSA ODI 11617797

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the A-pillar trim detached. Additionally, some of the remaining trims were loosened. 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 142,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11617891

The passenger A-pillar applique trim detached from my vehicle while driving down the freeway. The piece that broke off is not available for inspection. The piece flew off while traveling at a higher rate of speed at night. It hit the front passenger window. I had no idea what it was until we stopped at a safe place and inspected it. The dealer told me they could fix it for $820 as this was before the recall was issued. I declined the repair as I didn’t want to pay that much to fix it. There were no warnings before the piece snapped off. Since the recall has been issued, the Ford dealership is not returning my calls to have my vehicle repaired and I did inform them that the piece has already detached.

NHTSA ODI 11617761

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the A/C unit became inoperable. The vehicle was driven to a dealer and an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a leak in the A/C unit. The contact was informed that the A/C unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

NHTSA ODI 11617773

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

NHTSA ODI 11617529

Air Bag light on. Per Dealer service center diagnostics, driver side air bag module FB5Z*78043B13*AA defective. Module replaced, however air bag light on persists. Additional diagnostic determined that air bag clockspring component defective.

NHTSA ODI 11617066

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 manufacturer opened a case and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11616798

*Premature water pump failure that is housed in the timing chain chamber and driven by the timing chain. Component is not available for inspection as of this complaint because vehicle is being repaired. *Possible sudden catastrophic engine failure due to water pump failure, which will put safety of driver, passengers, and others at risk. *I am not aware if problem has been reproduced or confirmed by dealer or other independent services. Several dealers that I contacted did expressed that it was a "bad design". *I am not aware if component has been inspected by the manufacturer or others. *The only warning sign of premature pump failure was a small puddle of coolant under the vehicle. This happened at around 70K miles and the dealer was informed, but according to the Ford technician, upon inspection, no sign of coolant leak was found. At approximately 82K, the dealer was informed about a sudden coolant leak, and again, the Ford technician did not find the leak. It wasn't until I personally took a video of the coolant leaking and showed it to them, that they "diagnosed the problem correctly".

NHTSA ODI 11616938

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized with the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering had failed, and the steering wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11616595

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud grinding sound. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle seized, and the vehicle started rolling. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road and noticed that the gear box had blown out. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the gear box had fractured and damaged the transmission front assembly. 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 approximately 156,000.

NHTSA ODI 11616637

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 contact stated while driving approximately 30 - 40 MPH, the windshield side A-trim panel detached from the vehicle. The contact stated that the following day the passenger’s side trim and two clips had detached causing the failure. The trim on the bottom of the front and rear doors between the front and rear wheels had become loosened as well. The contact stated that there was a film on the headlights causing the headlights to not illuminate properly. The contact used WD-40 on the headlamps to remove the film for proper illumination. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspected the vehicle and removed the trim cover, as instructed by the manufacturer, to determine if the windshield mounting plate, was an older version. Based on the inspection, the dealer determined that the vehicle had failed and there was no need for the part mentioned in the remedy to be used for a repair. While completing the inspection the trim cover had to be removed and the trim cover became loosened, causing further damage with other trim panels detaching from the vehicle. The contact informed the dealer, and the dealer offered to secure the trim with tape. The dealer also advised the contact to use duct tape to further secure the area. The contact stated that the following day the tape had raised up. The contact called BP Ford of Long Beach (2950 N Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90815) and was informed that the part could be ordered to complete the recall repair. The dealer informed the contact that the trim could be replaced; however, the recall remedy part was not yet available. The headlight and lower trim on the body of the vehicle had not been replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11616354

Rack and pinion failure. Caused me almost to wreck. Cost is $4200 to fix. Ford has to program it and send it back to my mechanic. I’m lucky this didn’t go out while going down a hill that would have been very bad.

NHTSA ODI 11615793

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. 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 failure mileage was approximately 50,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11615654

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 11615383

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 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 that the driver’s and passenger’s side A-Pillar trim panels were not properly secured to the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was 15,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11615141

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge started indicating that the engine was overheating, and the vehicle then lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. The engine overheating warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the water pump, resulting in engine damages. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 114,000.

NHTSA ODI 11615184

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was steam was coming from under the hood. There was an abnormal odor entering into the cabin of the vehicle. The check temperature warning light was illuminated. The contact attempted to refill the coolant; however, the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was towed. The local dealer was contacted and advised the contact that the water pump might need to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11614941

SECOND ROW PASSENGER SEATBELT RECIEVER IS BROKEN AND PART HAS NOT BEEN AVAILABLE FOR OVER 2 YEARS. PART # DB5ZZ786004EB. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND FORD HAS NO IDEA WHEN THEY WILL RESUME MAKING THIS PART. ALSO, PARTS FOR PILLLAR RECALL ARE NOT AVAILABLE. PILLAR FALLS APART, CAUSING DAMAGE TO MOULDING AND NOW WATER HAS ENTERED AND DAMAGED THE VEHICLE. FORD HAS NO ACCOUNTABILITY? PEOPLE ARE FIXING THIS ISSUE THEMSELVES ( LIKE WE DID WITH OTHER SIDE), AND NOW AFTER MARKET PARTS HAVE BECOME SCARCE TOO.

NHTSA ODI 11614441

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger's side windshield trim detached and flew off. 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 and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 65,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11614217

Randomly whilst driving, my dash had multiple error messages pop up and my power steering went out completely. The error messages were as follows: Service AdvanceTrac, Terrain Management System Fault, Hill Start Assist Not Available, & Power Steering Assit Fault. This keeps happening intermittently, while I am driving. This causes a serious safety issue, for my steering wheel to lock up while I am driving! I did get the codes for the errors and they are as follows: U0420-41, C0051-67, U0151-00, U0131-00. My ABS system failed check, as well. This is a known issue with Ford vehicles, as there have already been recalls for previous models. According to [XXX]: "Ford has recalled earlier model year Explorers with power steering problems before. In 2014, Ford recalled certain model year 2011-2013 Ford Explorers, saying these vehicles “may experience an intermittent connection in the electric power steering gear, which can cause a loss of the motor position sensor signal resulting a shut down of the power steering assist.” According to Ford, this issue “may increase the risk of a accident.” In 2015, Ford recalled certain model year Ford Fusion, Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKS, Lincoln MKT, and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. According to Ford, these vehicles had “electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.” As a result, “[i]f the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash”. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11613985

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 approximately 50 MPH, the driver’s side A-pillar trim detached, and the front passenger’s side A-pillar trim became loosened. The contact was not able to retrieve the driver’s side A-pillar trim. The local dealer was not 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 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11613994

I recently went to a mechanic sho0 to have a wheel alignment done because my steering wheel is about 50% tilted to the left. The shop told me they were unable to align the vehicle because there was a problem with my toelinks in the back of my car preventing the wheel from being straight. I called Ford to see if there was anything they could do because I got my toelinks done when there was a recall back in 2019. I have since had issues with my steering wheel not being lined and thought it was just out of balance. I would like for the toelinks to be looked at once again because apparently there is an issue with them.

NHTSA ODI 11613376

Power steering started to make creaking sounds when turning the steering wheel right or left. Speed not a factor. I was concerned that something might be seriously wrong so took to local mechanic. Need to replace the rack and pinion steering gear. Took a week to get the parts. Cost 2500.00 to fix. Now it needs to go back for a redo cause there are issues with the electronics. Must wait another week for replacement parts. Must redo rack and pinion and recalibrate computer. Ford has to do it as local mechanics don’t have the the proper calibration computer. Platinum version. Just shy of 52,000 miles.This should be on fords recall list.

NHTSA ODI 11613415

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11612969

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 while driving approximately 35 MPH, the trim A Pillar on the driver’s side was loose and flapping in the slip stream. The contact stopped the vehicle on the side of the road and used tape to secure the trim. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11613037