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

Steering was acting funny, return of the steering wheel to the straight position was becoming difficult. Electronic rack and pinion system then failed while driving. Luckily the issue occurred while in my driveway. Entire system was then replaced for roughly $2500.

NHTSA ODI 11606341

Steering went out without notice. Unable to turn steering wheel.

NHTSA ODI 11606026

While driving vehicle down the road, steering locked up. Vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed as a bad rack and pinion. This vehicle has 84,000 miles and should not already have issues with the rack and pinion. This incident, could have put my family and many other people's lives/vehicles at risk.

NHTSA ODI 11605951

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while turning the steering wheel to the right, the front end of the vehicle made an abnormal popping sound. The contact stated that the failure occurred while the vehicle was idling and while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion steering gear had failed. The dealer determined that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided because the vehicle was out of warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.

NHTSA ODI 11605585

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 at approximately 70 MPH, the front driver and front passenger side A-pillar trims detached. The contact was able to retrieve both A-pillar trims and temporarily replaced the trims with adhesive. Additionally, during rainy weather, rainwater was leaking through the front windshield into the interior of the vehicle. 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 made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11605635

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 65–70 MPH, the trim detached and struck the windshield of another 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 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 failure mileage was approximately 60,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11605029

The electric powered steering was making scraping-clicking noise when turning to the right. The steering rack over-extension stop came apart inside the rack enclosure. This can result in a tire scraping on metal parts inside the fender enclosure. I have 46,000 miles on this Explorer and I drive conservatively. I have learned that Ford vehicles have issues with these steering units and this part including labor is extremely expensive. Due to the safety factors I believe a recall repair or replacement for this part is in order.

NHTSA ODI 11605104

The water pump failed causing all loss of antifreeze. After doing extensive research, this is a known issue and ford refuses to fix the issue. To fix the issue a large part of the engine has to be torn down to access the water pump.

NHTSA ODI 11605258

I brought my vehicle in for a recall that replaced the rear toe links. The factory adjustable toe link was replaced with a solid non-adjustable toe link. This dealer stated there is no way to adjust the toe. My vehicle feels like the rear is “dancing” when I hit most road imperfections. In the rain, it gets significantly worse. I will be taking my vehicle to an independent shop, but the recall work has unintentionally created a dangerous condition due to no longer being able to align the rear of the vehicle. The recall done was Safety Recall 20S62. I feel at a minimum, Ford needs to cover the costs incurred by owners paying to have the new toe links removed and replaced with aftermarket adjustable toe links, as well as paying for the alignment. I have reached out to both the dealer and Ford. The dealer stated they performed the recall as described by Ford. However, the recall states to align the rear as the last step, but the dealer states the toe link is a single piece, which is therefore not adjustable. Ford customer service told me there is no updates to the recall at this time and to bring my concerns to my local Ford dealer. Thanks.

NHTSA ODI 11604711

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,558.

NHTSA ODI 11604216

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the steering was seized and failed to return to center. The tire sensor warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the tie rod and steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 148,996.

NHTSA ODI 11604240

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while attempting to leave her residence, it was difficult to maneuver the steering wheel. The contact continued to drive the vehicle when several unknown warning lights displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a power steering rack failure and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11604372

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was tight while turning. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the failure was due to the rack and pinion. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11603991

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the front driver’s side and front passenger’s side A-pillar trims detached and fell on the road. 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11603828

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Pre-Collision Assist Unavailable" and "Cruise Control" messages were displayed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the cruise control module; however, the dealer was unable to diagnose a failure with the Pre-Collision assist failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 90,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11603446

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 113,000.

NHTSA ODI 11603162

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle sputtered with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that coolant was leaking into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.

NHTSA ODI 11603251

July 17, 2024 A little over a week ago steering system on my 2016 Ford Explore started making grinding noises when turning steering wheel. Steering started to feel " tighter " or stiffer when turning. There were no warning lamps or messages or other symptoms prior to the failure. Took it to the dealership where vehicle was purchased. Service advisor came out and verified there " seems " to be a problem but can't get the vehicle in until August 5. I am concerned about the danger of the steering system locking up while driving and asked him about it and advisor only said " just have it towed in " . In my opinion this is an extremely dangerous defect !!! If the steering locks up it certainly could cause the vehicle to veer into on coming traffic resulting injury or death. Who then is responsible for this defect and it IS a defect in the rack and pinion. I have been doing research about this problem and have found not just a few but many, many, customers with the same problems with repair costs ranging from $2,500.00 - $5,000.00 and apparently a huge shortage of parts 2016 Explorers.

NHTSA ODI 11602882

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, exhaust fumes was detected inside the cabin of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact installed a carbon monoxide detector in the rear of the vehicle and was alerted by the carbon monoxide detector of carbon monoxide inside the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11603002

Steering wheel stated making weird noise when turning. Got harder to steer and started jerking while driving. The explorer jerked from side to side and almost caused me multiple wrecks. I took it to the shop and it was my steering rack and pinion that needed replacing and may also have to be reprogrammed, which is an extra $600.00. I have had several cars and never had an issue like this! Not to mention it was almost $3000.00 fix. There were no warning lights for this and this is very dangerous especially since it happens so fast and could be deadly on the interstate! This needs to be recalled, there are many owners I read have had this problem. It is unacceptable and deadly! Not safe!

NHTSA ODI 11602803

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering failed to function as intended. The contact heard a squeaking sound while steering the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle became undrivable. The contact stated that the failure had occurred twice. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with power steering assist assembly failure. The contact was informed that the power steering assist assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts were on back order. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.

NHTSA ODI 11601520

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle made a loud rattling sound. The contact stated that several unknown messages were displayed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became abnormally stiff, and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with rack and pinion failure. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to call the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 149,700.

NHTSA ODI 11600811

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became abnormally stiff, and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The power steering malfunction warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with steering gear internal failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall for the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11600826

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the exterior A-pillar trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or local dealer. 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 failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11600832

Took my 2016 Ford Explorer in to get A/C fixed and investigate "clunking" noise heard when turning. Dealer service rep informed me that the entire rack and pinion steering assembly needed to be replaced at a cost of ~$3200. When I asked if I could just ignore it and not get the work done (as this is quite expensive), I was told that I didn't have to get the work done but, I would be in danger of losing steering control of the vehicle. Upon doing research, online, to see if this was a normal cost, I found that there were many consumers who had the same issue. Some of these dated clear back to 2017 with low mileage. This is only a year after this vehicle was released. Even if that was the 1st complaint made, Ford has had 7 years to investigate this issue and, one would hope, issue a voluntary recall to fix it since it is a major safety issue.

NHTSA ODI 11600916