What 2,423 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Explorer

The rear toe suspension link failed on my Ford 2016 Explorer Sport for the 4th time on 10/20/2023 while I was driving. I heard a pop and lost total control of my vehicle. My vehicle immediately veered right going down an embankment. Thankfully trees where there to stop the vehicle from going into a roll. My safety was put at risk. I could of died. I have sustained injuries physically and mentally fromt he crash. My children were just in that car, I had just dropped them off at school an hour prior. No warning lamps. The police only did an accident report. My insurance has been contacting me about the noise I heard right before loosing all control. The rear suspension toe link has been recalled and fixed three times prior to this happening. This is the forth time this part has broke on me. This time I am lucky to walk away.

NHTSA ODI 11556061

The contact owned a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 65 - 67 mph, the contact lost control of the vehicle when the rear driver side toe link fractured. The vehicle ended up in a ditch and crashed into several trees. The contact was transported to the hospital by ambulance but his wife, who was a passenger, did not receive medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a towing yard and deemed totaled by the insurance company. The contact stated that the rear toe link had fractured a month prior to the collision and was replaced by an independent mechanic. The dealer and manufacturer were made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 91,000.

NHTSA ODI 11423212

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V435000 (SUSPENSION). THE VEHICLE TAKEN LOCAL DEALER KEVIN'S ROYAL FORD OF COOPERSTOWN (5069 NY-28, COOPERSTOWN, NY 13326:(607) 547-9924) AND HAD THE RECALL COMPLETED. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, WHEN THE VEHICLE'S TOE LINK DETACHED AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL AND DROVE INTO A DITCH. ALL 5 AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT DID NOT SUSTAINED ANY INJURIES OR SEEK ANY MEDICATION ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DEEMED THE VEHICLE A LOSS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A JUNKYARD. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V675000(SUSPENSION) ON NOVEMBER OF 2020 AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 42,300. *JS

NHTSA ODI 11386786

TWO SEPARATE FAILURE WITHIN A FOUR DAY TIME SPAN. COMPANY SOLD ME THE VEHIXAL SAID IT WAS A TIE ROD AND FIXED THE RIGHT PASSENGER REAR WHEEL. THE VEHICAL WAS REAL EASED TO ME TODAY WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE REAR SUSPENSION WAS FULLY REPAIRED. I HAD A HIGH SPEED ACCIDENT AFTER THE LEFT REAR TIR ROD BROKE AT A SPEED OF 80 MPH. DUE TO THE SUSPENSION BREAKAGE, THE CAR WENT OFF THE INTERSTATE AT HIGH SPEED. THE REAR END SUSPENSION HAD COMPLETE FAILURE AND THE AUTO DEALERSHIP RELEASED THE VEHICLE TO ME WITH THE FULL WITH ASSURANCE THE ISSUE WAS FIXED. THIS WAS A VERY SERIOUS INCIDENT WITH A POTENTIAL DEADLY OUTCOME.

NHTSA ODI 11363338

I HAD THE REAR TOE LINKS REPLACED DUE TO A SAFETY RECALL DECEMBER 2, 2019. ON 09/27/20, I WAS RETURNING HOME AFTER DROPPING MY KIDS OFF TRAVELING 70 MPH ON A HIGHWAY, WHEN THE RECAL PART I HAD REPLACED LESS THAN A YEAR AGO BREAK. THIS CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL AND HAVE AN ACCIDENT. I NOTIFIED FORD OF THIS 09/28/20 AND I WAS INFORMED THAT THE RECAL WAS COMPLETED, NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I INFORMED THEM THE PART BROKE AT THE WELD WHICH IS A DEFECTIVE PART. AGAIN, I WAS TOLD OT THEIR PROBLEM. THIS HAS CAUSED MY VEHICLE TO TO BE TOWED , DAMAGE TO THE REAR BUMPER AND MYSELF BUYING A NEW PART OUT OF POCKET TO GET VEHICLE ON ROAD AGAIN TO GO TO WORK. THIS IS ALSO ANY OTHER PROBLEMS THAT IT MAY HAVE CAUSED DUE TO STRESS ON VEHICLE, LIKE OTHER TOE LINK, TIRES, BRAKES, OTHER SUSPENSION PARTS. ENCLOSED IS PART AND PART NUMBER THAT WAS THE RECAL PART REPLACED BY A FORD DEALERSHIP AND DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. I WAS LUCKY I DID NOT HIT THE OTHER VEHICLES AROUND ME, HIT HEAD ON WITH CENTER DIVIDER OR GUARDRAIL, ROLL THE VEHICLE OR HAVE SERIOUS INJURY.

NHTSA ODI 11361496

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY 65 IN HAM LAKE, MN SEVERAL WEEKS AGO WHEN I SUDDENLY LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE VEHICLE LUNGED TO THE LEFT TOWARDS THE DITCH. I WAS ABLE TO FISHTAIL IT BACK ONTO THE ROAD, ALMOST ROLLED THE VEHICLE AND BARELY KEPT IT UNDER CONTROL. I GOT OVER TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER AND CALL THE ANOKA COUNTY SHERIFF FOR ASSISTANCE. A DEPUTY ASSISTED BUT I DON'T BELIEVE A FORMAL POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THIS WAS SUNDAY JULY 19TH. WE WERE ABLE TO GET TO LOCAL MECHANIC WHO LOOKED AT IT THE FOLLOW DAY AND DETERMINED THAT THE TOE CONTROL LINK HAD BROKEN. THEY REPAIRED IT WITH A NEW PART FROM THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND THE VEHICLE SEEMED FINE. LAST NIGHT THE NEW PART THAT THEY INSTALLED BROKE AS WELL. I LOOKED ONLINE AND SEE THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT PART, THE TOE CONTROL LINK ON 2011-2017 FORD EXPLORERS. I CHECKED THE VIN ON THE NTSB WEBSITE BUT IT INDICATES THAT OUR CAR IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. WE HAD BROUGHT THE CAR INTO METROPOLITAN FORD IN EDEN PRAIRIE EARLIER IN THE YEAR FOR OTHER RECALL ISSUES. HAD THE RECALL BEEN COMPREHENSIVE, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT AND FIXED. AT 65 MPH, MY DAUGHTER AND I SHOULD HAVE BOTH BEEN KILLED IN THE ORIGINAL INCIDENT. IT HAD BEEN SEVERAL WEEKS SINCE THE (NEAR) ACCIDENT AND WE ARE STILL SHAKEN UP BY IT. FORTUNATELY, LAST NIGHT'S INCIDENT WAS AT MUCH SLOWER SPEED. I AM FEARFUL THAT THERE ARE OTHER FAMILIES WHOSE LIVES IN DANGER AS WELL. I HAVE A PHOTO THAT I TOOK OF THE CURRENT (SECOND) BREAK THAT OCCURRED THAT IS ATTACHED.

NHTSA ODI 11348930

THE RECALLED TOE LINK ON THE REAR SUSPENSION BROKE 3 MONTHS AFTER IT WAS REPLACED AND CAUSE A CRASH WHILE DIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, SLOWING FOR A SPEED ZONE FOR A TOWN. INVOLVING BODY DAMAGE. AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND 1 WEEK AFTER GETTING IT BACK FROM THE DEALER THE LINK BROKE FOR A SECOND TIME, WHILE ON A CURVE WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON ROAD CONDITIONS WERE DRY BOTH TIMES.WE HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR 6 WEEKS TOTAL AND HAVE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE FOR 2 OF THEM.

NHTSA ODI 11315894

MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY TOTALED IN AN ACCIDENT ON 10/21/19. I RECEIVED VERY SERIOUS MULTIPLE BRAIN BLEEDS, FACIAL LAC, FACIAL & HEAD FX'S & A SEVERE TBI. MY MOM REC A CONCUSSION, FACIAL LAC CONCUSSION & A FX CLAVICLE. WE STOPPED AT THE STOP SIGN & MOVED TO THE CENTER BETWEEN THE 4 LANES & STOPPED AGAIN & WE WERE HIT BY A LARGE ROLL ON ROLL OFF ROCK CARRYING DUMP TRUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LANES. THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY TOTALED & I WAS IN A COMA & AIRLIFTED TO A TRAUMA CTR APPROX 40 MINS AWAY, BUT I WAS IN RESP ARREST & NOT EXPECTED TO LIVE. IT IS UNKNOWN EXACTLY WHAT CAUSED THE UNSAFE CONDITIONS, HOWEVER I NEVER CROSS STRAIGHT ACROSS THE TRAFFIC & WE HAD BEEN ON A VERY VERY BUMPY INTERSECTION THE FRI BEFORE THE ACC ON MONDAY & THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE THAT 5 HR TRIP OF EXTREMELY BUMPY ROUGH ROAD CONDITIONS ON INTERSTATE 95 COMING THROUGH PART OF NC, ALL OF SC & PART OF GA.

NHTSA ODI 11307049