Home · 2016 Ford Explorer · Complaints

What 2,423 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 (2,423)Crash / fire / injury (77)Body & structure (570)Steering (527)Engine (379)Transmission & drivetrain (212)Electrical system (124)Engine & cooling (114)Fuel system (110)Airbags (99)Speed control (76)Suspension (73)

114 of 2,423 complaints match · Engine & cooling · clear filters · page 3 of 5

Jan 6, 2023Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, she noticed a white cloud of smoke coming from the exhaust. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that oil had leaked through the exhaust. The contact was informed that the turbos and catalytic convertor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was denied a claim and transferred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000

NHTSA ODI 11500513

Jan 3, 2023Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that exhaust fumes were entering the cabin of the vehicle while driving. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact was concerned for his safety and discontinued driving on the roadways. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

NHTSA ODI 11499884

Dec 22, 2022Engine & coolingElectrical system

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N01 (High Speed Fan Motor Relay) the dealer diagnosed that the water pump was faulty, causing the air conditioner fan to fail to deactivate. The dealer declined to perform the repair because the vehicle was out of warranty. 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 41,785.

NHTSA ODI 11498554

Dec 21, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there was fluid leaking underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the water pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The mechanic advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11498366

Dec 15, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, she noticed water leaking under the front of the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11497565

Dec 3, 2022Engine & cooling

This vehicle has 70000 miles and the water pump went bad already. Read hundreds of complaints and still no recall. This part is definitely faulty and Ford should have recalled it long ago.

NHTSA ODI 11495873

Nov 16, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated she noticed the heat in the vehicle was not operating as needed. The contact also noticed that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir, and the engine was overheating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the mechanic stated that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 95,000.

NHTSA ODI 11493848

Nov 8, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for routine services, she was made aware that the water pump needed to be replaced. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle remained with the independent mechanic awaiting the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,300.

NHTSA ODI 11492813

Oct 28, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started overheating with the high temperature warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over on the side of the road and notice that there was no coolant in the engine due to a coolant leak. The contact added more coolant and the vehicle started to operate normally. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic, and he stated that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed by the dealer. The failure mileage was 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 11491335

Oct 14, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that he noticed a puddle on the ground of his driveway. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant had leaked from the water pump and into the engine block. The contact was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that no recalls were affiliated with the VIN and no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11489279

Oct 6, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle began to sputter as if the vehicle was going to stall. The contact stated that "Shutdown Engine" warning light was illuminated and the temperature gauge was extremely high. The contact pulled off the road, stopped the vehicle, and opened the hood. The contact observed that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. The contact left the vehicle and returned with coolant and refilled the reservoir. The contact drove the vehicle to her residence. The contact checked the coolant reservoir and stated that the coolant was bubbling in the reservoir. The contact stated that a puddle had formed underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had been an ongoing failure. The contact stated that she had mistaken prior puddles underneath the vehicle for condensation from the air conditioning drain hose. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.

NHTSA ODI 11488236

Sep 23, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the engine coolant warning light was illuminated with the engine overheating. The dealer was contacted and stated that the water pump and timing belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was out of warranty and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 64,000.

NHTSA ODI 11486116

Aug 22, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated and the engine temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The vehicle was immediately taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the failure was due to a faulty water pump and suggested that the vehicle be taken to the local dealer for servicing. The local dealer was contacted and the service appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 88,278.

NHTSA ODI 11480536

Aug 5, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the coolant temperature warning light and "Engine Coolant Over Temperature" message were displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who performed a pressure test; however, no coolant leak was found. The mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

NHTSA ODI 11477755

Aug 4, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to a dealer for an oil change, the contact was informed that there was a leak in the water pump. The contact was given an estimate for the repair. The contact also stated that the parking brake had failed to operate as needed. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the parking brake was replaced; upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V464000 (Parking Brake). The manufacturer had yet to be notified about the failure. The water pump had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

NHTSA ODI 11477631

Jul 14, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, a low coolant warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective water pump. The dealer was then notified of the failure where they acknowledge that the failure was common with her model vehicle. The contact was then provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11473862

Jun 9, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at a low rate of speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was hot. A message on the instrument panel to turn off the vehicle was displayed. The contact shut off the vehicle and waited for a few minutes before restarting the vehicle. Once the vehicle was restarted, the contact was able to resume normal driving. A friend of the contact's son inspected the vehicle and discovered that the water pump was defective and needed to be replaced. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11468427

May 26, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while in for routine maintenance it was discovered that water from the radiator or water reservoir was leaking. Later a red-colored liquid from the vehicle was present in the driveway. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.

NHTSA ODI 11466243

May 5, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, her husband noticed that there was a fluid leak underneath the vehicle onto the ground. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the water pump needed to be replaced and the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension) that she had received. The dealer informed the contact that she would be responsible for the cost of the water pump replacement. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the water pump, timing chain, valve cover gaskets, spark plugs, and camshaft sprockets were replaced and the anti-freeze coolant life was extended. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. Consumer would like a reimbursement incurred for repairs for the recall.

NHTSA ODI 11463526

Apr 26, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated and the vehicle stalled with the engine coolant temperature message displayed; and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact called the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 95,174. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11462268

Apr 22, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, he was alerted by two people that there was water leaking from the vehicle onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with a water pump failure. The mechanic informed the contact that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11461822

Mar 17, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the high engine temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was parked and the contact saw engine coolant leaking from the bottom of the engine. The contact was able to refill the radiator with coolant and drove the vehicle to his residence. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and found that the water pump was leaking and had to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and was towed to another independent mechanic. Additionally, the front axles made a loud banging sound while the vehicle was turned to the right or the left. The contact stated that the steering wheel shook as if it was detached. The contact stated he drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who could not diagnose or repair the failure. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11457156

Mar 14, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that he noticed coolant was leaking onto the garage floor. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed him that the water pump needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 52,000.

NHTSA ODI 11456639

Jan 20, 2022Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormally strong odor coming into the cabin of the vehicle. The contact stopped the vehicle and rolled the windows down. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that Carbon Monoxide was leaking into the vehicle. After researching, the contact became aware that there were similar vehicles that were experiencing the same failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance; the contact was instead referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

NHTSA ODI 11448239

Oct 18, 2021Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the contact noticed that the engine coolant temperature warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle started to shudder. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and waited a few minutes before restarting the vehicle and continuing driving however, the failure persisted. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but consumer feels it should of under a recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

NHTSA ODI 11437243

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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 →