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

My side pillar on the passenger side of my 2016 Ford Explorer door came off and I had to buy a new one. Now my A-Pillar on the drivers windshield has come off as I was on the freeway. This is safety issue for me and other drivers who may be struck. I read that this is a known issue with the 5th generation Explorers. I wanted to see if Ford has acknowledged this and has a fix in place for this issue. Thanks

NHTSA ODI 11554907

My Explorer engine blew a head gasket while I was driving and I had to maneuver quite a bit to avoid having multiple accidents. I had it towed to a shop and they said the engine was bad and caused by a known problem with Ford Ecoboost engines.

NHTSA ODI 11554766

The steering rack failed while operating the vehicle at approximately 40 mph resulting in a near total loss of steering. It required extreme force to turn the steering wheel to avoid oncoming traffic on a bend in the road before finally moving out of the roadway. The warning message displayed at the time of the fault was "Steering Assist Fault Service Required." The component had to be replaced when it was evaluated by the Ford dealer

NHTSA ODI 11554383

In 2021, driving down the highway, our driver side windshield trim partially broke free and started smacking against the driver side window before breaking off and flying behind the vehicle. Then in July 2023, the passenger side windshield trim broke free on the highway. Appears the rubber seal disintegrates allowing the wind to grab it and rip the plastic trim piece off the vehicle. Currently, the rubber seal on the engine cowl windshield trim is disintegrating also.

NHTSA ODI 11554161

Passenger Side windshield molding Trim flew off on the highway speed.

NHTSA ODI 11553537

All of the moulding, seals & rubber windshield trim/gasket around the windshield has failed. It has cracked, broken off and much is now missing off the vehicle. Now when I drive the vehicle it makes scary noises due to the cracked/missing moulding/seals. This has created some scary driving situations that almost caused accidents while on highways. Now I worry my windshield will leak and damage the interior. This does not seem to be something that should be happening to my Ford Explorer and why isn't this a recall issue.

NHTSA ODI 11553408

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle, and the vehicle was shifting hard. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the gear position sensor. 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 12,000.

NHTSA ODI 11553498

Back up camera went out and later came on. Today we have been driving the last hour with airbag indicator on. Camera incident was 10-29-2023.

NHTSA ODI 11553254

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was pulled over on the side of the road, the steering wheel became firm. The power steering assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the electronic steering unit was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the vehicle was not under warranty. The failure mileage 30,476.

NHTSA ODI 11552595

Middle row, passenger side seat belt buckle is broken & will not latch. This is where my 9yr old sits & there is no reason or cause for this to break. My vehicle has the inflatable airbag seatbelts on this row.

NHTSA ODI 11552161

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that there was an unknown fluid leaking from the engine compartment. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty water pump. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 68,480.

NHTSA ODI 11552020

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked and independently shut off while on the freeway. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was depressed to the floorboard during the failure. The contact pulled to the side of the road and was able to restart the vehicle after 45 minutes. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the canister purge valve needed to be changed. The vehicle was repaired. After a several months, the failure had reoccurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure could be due to a faulty throttle body. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

NHTSA ODI 11552067

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving uphill, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the torque converter was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall or warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11551869

The driver side panels on my front windshield flew off while driving on the highway and then the passenger side broke and the lining ripped out slapping the side window. I know at least 4 other people whose Explorers have done the same and see them all the time driving around broken and gone. How is this ok? It could have hit another car or person when it flew off.

NHTSA ODI 11550939

I was driving my 2016 Ford Explorer on I-65 October 19, 2023, in the afternoon. I thought something flew off of one of the two semis in front of me and hit my windshield on two separate times, within a few seconds of each other. When I arrived home, I checked to see if I had any damages, and I was surprised to see pieces missing from the passenger side of my windshield. This morning, October 20, 2023, I went to a local Ford Dealership and was informed there is no recall regarding the upper and lower pillars (windshield trim pieces). I called Ford Headquarters and was told they hadn't heard of this issue before, and I filed a claim. I researched and found two articles: January 31, 2023, USA Today and Carscoops, February 03, 2023, regarding NHTSA investigating these same pieces flying off of Ford Explorers, and I found pictures on the internet that look exactly like my vehicle when these pieces flew off.

NHTSA ODI 11551074

Sudden deceleration due to P2112 code, electronic throttle body stuck closed.

NHTSA ODI 11551127

The vehicle starting making a clunking noise while doing turns. While making a right hand turn, the steering wheel stuck and I had to yank it back (left) which caused a loud popping noise. Took it straight to the auto shop and next day was notified it was the steering rack and pinion.

NHTSA ODI 11550913

The windshield trim on the passenger side of my 2016 Ford Explorer came flying off my car while I was traveling at about 70mph. The piece flew upwards and backwards. I was not able to see if it hit any of the cars behind me. I was not able to stop to retrieve the piece. I've included a picture below. My car is available for inspection upon request. The safety of the drivers behind me was obviously put at risk having to dodge the flying part. I have not brought the car in for the repair yet, so they have not inspected it, nor has the police or insurance company. I just wanted you to know about it. There were no symptoms before the incident occurred.

NHTSA ODI 11550691

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being serviced, coolant leaked into the engine. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty water pump that needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired due to parts not being available. The contact stated that the dealer had the vehicle for a month because of the part being on back order. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that parts were on back order. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11550453

Both Front windshield trims flew off while driving. Each side different days. On highway driving when saw something fly on side of my vehicle and almost hit vehicle beside me. I was forced to pull over check my vehicle and noticed windshield trim missing.

NHTSA ODI 11550471

Leaking coolant. Water pump failure.

NHTSA ODI 11550312

Water pump failure, engine coolant leakage from water pump

NHTSA ODI 11549893

Last night check engine light turned on. I called the dealer to get an appointment first thing next morning to get it checked. In next 2 minutes engine coolant over temperature sign turned on. i got scared and stopped the car immediately and got it towed to the dealer right away. got a call from the dealer saying that the engine blew up and needs to be replaced. to my question how this could be the case for the engine to blow up within 2 ninutes of the furst check engine sign turning on, i was told by the dealer representative that the engine damage was done before even warning lights got on. This is unacceptable and extremely dangerous! Car failed to provide proper warnings which caused very dangerous to the safety and ireversable damage to the car. Ford denied any liability although the car mileage is still under 50,000 miles. This is clearely Ford liability and very serious question of safety. This needs to be addressed on a very urgent basis. I am not even talking about the high quote of $12000 repair quote for the engine replacement that i have to face at the dealer for the defective vehicle manufactured by Ford! This is unacceptable!

NHTSA ODI 11549712

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle accelerator pedal was stiff. The contact pulled over and noticed abnormal noises coming from the engine. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a defect in the motor. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

NHTSA ODI 11549144

My check engine light came on and began blinking. I had the car towed to a local shop to avoid any additional damage to the engine. The shop determined the car had significantly overheated due to a faulty water pump and the engine would have to be replaced. Leading up to this my check engine light never came on and the temperature gauge never spiked; there was no indication it was over heating. After being quoted $9k to replace the engine, I called the dealership looking for help. They are aware of the extensive issues I’ve had with my vehicle but were unable to help me because I’m over 100k miles (I opted for the extended service plan) and suggested I call the Ford Customer Service line in hopes they could assist. I was denied a claim due to my mileage and instructed to write a letter to the Ford Customer Relationship Center to escalate my case. I was told my Case would remain on file and I would be notified if a recall was issued at a later date. I asked if a recall was issued would I still have to be in possession of the vehicle to receive any monetary reimbursement, she advised that I would need to have my original receipt from the purchase of the vehicle AND the recall would have to specifically state that they would reimburse those who paid out of pocket to get their vehicles repaired. I am without a car until I figure out how to pay for the repairs or buy a new vehicle; I was not expecting my trade-in value to be $0 and Ford couldn’t care less.

NHTSA ODI 11548425