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

On September 11th, 2019 we had to replace (while still under warranty) the seat belt buckle assembly on the rear (middle seat, driver side) because it would no longer buckle. On January 23rd, 2023 we returned to our local Ford dealership because the other rear (middle seat, passenger side) seat belt buckle assembly would no longer buckle. Upon inspection by the dealership's trim technicians, it was discovered that the other previously replaced seat belt buckle assembly is also about to fail again as well. So I now have 1 completely broken seat belt buckle assembly and a 2nd one seat belt buckle assembly that is about to fail in the middle row of my Explorer where my children are passengers. This is a repeat safety deficiency and we are very upset about it. We were under the impression our children were safe in their seatbelts in the back seats of our car. We contacted Ford Motor Company about this safety deficiency and were assigned the following case # of [XXX]. We were also assigned the following individual to handle the financial cost of the required repairs: CXS [XXX] Customer Experience Specialist, SUV Team [XXX] |www.ford.com office: [XXX] ext.[XXX] Our Assistant Service Manager at AutoNation Ford sent all the requested repair information and pictures requested by [XXX] at Ford. Our Assistant Service Manager at AutoNation Ford is: [XXX] Phone: [XXX] Unfortunately today, we received a phone call from [XXX] at Ford indicating that we do not qualify to have the repairs of the seatbelts covered by Ford. We find this completely unacceptable that Ford is not going to fix a safety item in a car that is less than 10 years old and in excellent condition. This is the second time these items have failed. Not only are the belts failing to connect, but they are also fraying. We do not believe we should have to pay for this vital safety equipment to be repaired. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI 11504487

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on multiple occasions while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel seized. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the steering wheel seized. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving, the steering became difficult to maneuver the vehicle and veered to one side. The contact then stated that he heard a grinding sound while making left or right turns. No warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that a steering module panel that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

NHTSA ODI 11504498

Rack and pinion making crackling noises My safety still at risk if I continue driving Yes the dealer ordered the part but is unavailable due to back order. The vehicle has not been inspected besides the dealer.

NHTSA ODI 11504296

Purchased vehicle used in November 2022 that had been inspected by the dealer i bought it from. On January 20, 2022 I had routine and recommended service completed, along with multi-point inspection at local Ford dealer. All components tested ok and was told vehicle is in good condition. One of the recommended services I had performed was a coolant flush due to mileage of 105,500. I drove home approx. 18 miles from where I had it serviced. I did not notice a leak when i picked it up because the vehicle was brought out too me from the service bay and i got in the driver's seat and drove off. I didn't notice anything wrong until the next day (Saturday) when i noticed an oily spot on my driveway. I thought during the oil and filter change the day before that oil had spilled on the frame and had dripped down on the driveway while parked. I drove approx 5 miles to pick up pizza and back home. When i arrived back home there was a fast drip of coolant dripping under the vehicle. I sent video to service department, and even though it was a Saturday evening one of the Service Reps called me back. He said they'd come pick up the vehicle if needed, and it was probably just a loose fitting or hose. From Saturday afternoon until Monday morning the vehicle sat unused due to the leak. I drove the vehicle back to Ford Service on Monday morning and dropped off first thing. It did not overhead on the drive, but it was still leaking fluid when i parked it in the service lane. I was called around noon and told the water pump failed, in no part due to the coolant flush of course, and would have to be replaced at a cost of approx. $2,200 due to the engine having to be dropped to access. I had just spent $555 in routine and recommended service so this was an inconvenience to say the least. Was told by service that these water pumps usually fail around 150,000 miles and due to location the engine has to be dropped to repair the water pump causing huge labor charges.

NHTSA ODI 11503562

As I was driving my electronic power steering system went out causing me to be unable to steer my vehicle. I was luckily able to get it off the road but had I been going any rate of speed it could have caused a major crash as you cannot steer.

NHTSA ODI 11503341

Ford issued a customer satisfaction program 21B11 regarding the 2nd row seat belt worn or damaged electrical connection which results in the air bag light illuminating. My vehicle is doing this after arguing with the dealership because they did not want to fix it. Only to get my vehicle scheduled on 01/24/23, and this expired on 1/21/23 so Ford will not pay to fix the problem

NHTSA ODI 11503342

Left for work steering locked up with no warning luckily not at a bad part of my morning commute I was doing 55mph was able to come to safe stop tried steering wheel back and fourth after a few attempts it started to tun but was very hard to turn so I turned around and on my way back home numerous lights came on on dash hill assist unavailable terrain management system fault loss of steering and I can't remember the other 1 but I was able to make it home

NHTSA ODI 11501931

I was driving my 2016 Ford Explorer to the end of my driveway when the steering system locked up. The wheel would not move to either side, and I was forced to stop the vehicle before entering the roadway since this posed a serious safety risk. Fortunately, this issue was identified before entering the public roadway where an accident could have easily occurred. No warning light or safety message was displayed by the vehicle when the issue occurred. I initially tried to identify if the steering wheel locking mechanism was to blame, but this was ruled out since the vehicle was actively in "drive" and no other issues were noted with the steering wheel. This steering issue developed on a particularly cold day in December (less than 20 degrees out), however, it is unclear if this issue was related to the colder weather. The steering did not free up for approximately 30 minutes of idle time and multiple attempts to restart the vehicle. The vehicle would always go into drive but had no steering. This issue occurred on the three (3) subsequent days until the vehicle had idled for a period of time. Since this occurrence, the steering has had a grinding sound when moving the wheel. I took the vehicle to a licensed Ford Dealer and was told that the electronic steering rack would need to be replaced. This came as a shock since the vehicle only has 63,000 miles on it. I was told this part is on back-order and it took approximately a week for the replacement steering rack to arrive. This steering issue appears to be a blatant safety issue where a driver could unexpectedly lose steering control while actively driving and have no safety message or indicator alerting them to the serious issue. Given the lower mileage of my vehicle, this significant repair both from a safety and monetary standpoint would indicate this is a defect of the 2016 Ford Explorer, and it is unclear why this isn't the subject of a manufacturer recall based on other owner experiences found online.

NHTSA ODI 11502011

I went into the store, came out 10 minutes later started the vehicle and it said service electric power steering, this also affected the stabilitrac, hill climb assist, 4wd, and traction control. If this would've happened while I was driving I would've caused an accident as the roads were icy. I brought it to a Ford dealership and the parts needed are on backorder with no lead time! You can't even get aftermarket parts! So now I have a vehicle with only 70k miles on it that I've had for less than a year that I cannot drive and have to continue making payments on because it's not worth anything to trade in. The repairs are going to cost just shy of $3000! Ford needs to recall this now!

NHTSA ODI 11502046

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the third -row passenger’s side seat was not properly secured to the floor of the vehicle. The contact indicated that an unknown part used to attach the seat to the floor had fractured and the seat was no longer secured to the floor. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who indicated that the unknown part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11501500

"Steering Assist Fault" and Lane Keeping Sys. Malfunction" faults appeared on my dash display. The vehicle is available for inspection if requested. When the faults lit up, I was unable to steer the vehicle. It was as if the steering was completely locked up. Fortunately I was driving down the driveway at the time and was able to stop before entering the roadway. If this would have faulted while on the road at any speed I'm sure an accident or death would have resulted from not being able to steer the vehicle. I took it in to a repair shop where they said to fix it would require the rack to be replaced and programmed. They recommended taking it to a dealership to be repaired. This appears to be a known problem to the vehicle manufacture but no recalls have been put out. Parts alone I was quoted $2,500 not including labor and programming costs. Vehicle has only been inspected by a repair shop. Symptoms prior to failure - I bought the car used from a dealership. Took the car back to the dealership a few weeks after purchase because I kept hearing a grinding sound coming from the front end while traveling at highway speed. They test drove it and inspected and said they could not find anything wrong. They ended rotating the tires. This did not help. Drove the car for a year feeling like something was wrong under the hood. Summer of 2022 the air vent control actuator went out and the car would not switch off from defrost mode. I had that replaced by a repair shop. December 22, 2022 as I pulled into the driveway I heard a popping sound coming from the front end as i turned into the driveway. The next morning, Dec 23, 2022 while heading down my driveway the faults appeared and I was unable to steer.

NHTSA ODI 11501536

The power steering on my 2016 Ford Explorer completely stopped working while driving with two children in the vehicle. This is completely unacceptable for a 6 year old car with just over 100,000 miles. Ford Corporate refuses to honor this as a safety recall or safety issue despite the substantial complaints filed with the NHSTA. Are they really going to wait until there is a loss of life or severe injury to address this? On top of Corporate's unwillingness to acknowledge this is a manufacturers defect for which the safety of their customers and their families is at risk, they will not even consider a financial assistance program to partially fund the approximately $2,500-$3,000 price tag of rectifying; not to mention the backorder on the part needed. How many complaints regarding the very same issue have to be filed before NHSTA forces Ford to do something to prevent severe injury or death as a result of this known manufacturing defect?

NHTSA ODI 11500785

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

Steering rack failed and I was unable to steer the vehicle. The safety of me and my family could have been put at risk if the steering failed on the highway. Upon research, I found this issue with Ford Explorers is a very common one. My mechanic was required to have the vehicle towed to him. I was unable to move the steering wheel at all! There was a light which stated the advance steering or something failed. There was no advanced warning. We are lucky the family was not traveling fast on a highway.

NHTSA ODI 11500535

I just bought this vehicle and only had the chance to drive it for a few days now. I was told all recalls were repaired. I have not had the chance to bring it to a certified garage yet. The problem is when the vehicle is going at say walking speed like turning into a parking spot the whole vehicle is jumping to the point where I could have no control and jump into another vehicle or someone walking nearby. As the wheels are turned it's much worse. I believe it's the transfer case.

NHTSA ODI 11500193

Airbag light came on. Took the vehicle to local Ford Dealer, we we told it was a failure of the second row seatbelt inflator connectors. Initially told this would not affect the front airbags, so repair was unnecessary. We were going to forgo repair. When my son noticed the light was not "off", he questioned it. Learned that repair was necessary because all air bags on a "loop". After spending over $1000.00 for repair, we learned there is a TSB alert specifically for the 2016 Explorer, apparently the way Ford configures the wires causes them to fail.

NHTSA ODI 11500195

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

Went out to leave in Explorer. Placed Explorer in reverse and steering wheel wouldn’t turn. Several messages appeared on the display such as driver assist failed, traction control on light enabled, traction control off light enabled, uphill assist message, and several others. Basically the car had no power steering.

NHTSA ODI 11499755

2016 ford explorer, our family vehicle, my spouse was driving back home with kids in the back, approximately 20/25 miles per hrs, the steering all the sudden seized up, and no power steering assistant, since the steering system all electric rack and pinion, the dash board gave a message, no traction control, all terrain system not available, service steering assist. Luckily it happened in residential area, no body got hurt, as well as my familly, I was Able to tow it to the ford dealer in Illinois, diagnosed it a week after as electric power steering failure, cost is around $3000 to repair, and part is on national.back order, This has been a common safety issue for part failure for the 2016 Ford explorer and up , but ford refuses to open an recall , its all over the internet same part issue and same model cars people have been suing and reporting it to Ford , dealer quote to repair is $3000 plus tax to repair, on today's date 01/01/2023 and no transportation since 12/26/2022, its more of safety concern than just a part failure if it happens on a highway speed/road and steering seizes than just a part failure without a warning.

NHTSA ODI 11499703

Water pump failed at 80,000 miles and cause the car to stall mid intersection putting out life at risk. This is a known issue that should be recalled . Not to mention the repair is $4,000-$6,000 mostly labor to fix. Whole motor has to be taken out to replace the water pump.

NHTSA ODI 11499220

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for routine maintenance, he was informed that the Power Train Unit (PTU) was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the Power Train Unit (PTU) installed on the vehicle was not the original part and would not be repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was opened. Additionally, the manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11498974

My power steering, traction control, and terrain management all stopped working in my 2016 Ford Explorer due to a faulty steering gear. This is a known design flaw, which has impacted several hundreds 2016 - 2018 Ford Explorer owner/operators. Losing power steering capability while the vehicle is being operated is a major safety concern, which could lead to a motor vehicle collision, especially if being driven at highway speeds. Ford is aware of this issue but still fails to recall this problem. NTSB can rectify this problem by forcing Ford to do the right thing and permanently repair this issue. I am being forced to pay $2,381.50 for something that they know is a safety problem but they refuse to acknowledge. Gibbs Law Group is opening a class action lawsuit in this matter so clearly there are red flags that are being ignored. Please force Ford to do the right thing. 920-918-6266.

NHTSA ODI 11498856

Same issue as NHTSA campaign number: 22V150000 The problem: The brake master cylinder may allow brake fluid to leak from the front-wheel circuit into the brake booster.

NHTSA ODI 11498502

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

Rack and pinion power steering rack stopped working while my wife was driving back home with our two kids that are 4 years old and 9 months old. Thankful she didn't crash because she was unable to steer the vehicle. No warnings or signs of the part going bad. Ford should be held responsible for issues like this. Numerous people are having the same issue.

NHTSA ODI 11498358