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What 1,668 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Ford Explorer Hev

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 (1,668)Crash / fire / injury (61)Body & structure (643)Engine (234)Transmission & drivetrain (122)Electrical system (90)Engine & cooling (76)Steering (74)Visibility & wipers (73)Wheels (60)Suspension (55)Fuel system (49)

234 of 1,668 complaints match · Engine · clear filters · page 10 of 10

Jul 29, 2017Engine

EXPLORER WITH 2.3L ECOBOOST PRODUCES AN EXHAUST SMELL DURING MODERATE TO WOT THROTTLE RUNS. GENERALLY SEEMS TO OCCUR AFTER LIFTING OFF THE THROTTLE AND RETURNING TO CRUISING THROTTLE POSITION. VEHICLE MUST BE VENTED TO PREVENT ILLNESS TO PASSENGERS, HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. OCCURS MORE OFTEN WHEN VEHICLE IS UNDER SIGNIFICANT LOAD (SUCH AS CLIMBING A GRADE).

NHTSA ODI 11011436

Jul 28, 2017Engine

STRONG EXHAUST ODOR IN THE CAB OF THE VEHICLE. THIS USUALLY OCCURS DURING ACCELERATION AND WHEN THE AC IS ON. THE ODOR IS SO STRONG, WE USUALLY HAVE TO PUT THE WINDOWS DOWN FOR RELIEF.

NHTSA ODI 11011237

Jul 20, 2017Engine

I WAS DRIVING ON THE NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE AT 4:00 PM . I WAS TRAVELING IN THE SECOND TRAVEL LANE AT APPROX 68 MPH SURROUNDED BY LOTS OF TRAFFIC AND MANY LARGE SEMI TRAILER TRUCKS. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STARTED BEEPING AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THE DASH BOARD TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON, IT SAID" TRANSMISSION IS NOT IN PARK" WITHIN SECONDS I LOST ALL POWER. THE SCREEN WENT BLACK AND THE ENGINE HAD DIED . I HAD NO POWER WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL. AS MY CAR WAS SLOWING DOWN I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE SAFELY BEFORE THE CAR CAME TO A STOP. I HAD MY DAUGHTER AND YOUNG GRANDDAUGHTER IN THE CAR ALSO. THANK GOOD WE WERE NOT HIT BY ANY CARS OR TRUCKS ON THE TURNPIKE. AFTER SHIFTING TO PARK WHEN THE CAR CAME TO A STOP, THE DASH SAID " STEP ON THE BREAK TO RESTART". LUCKILY THE CAR DID START SO THAT WE WERE NOT STRANDED ON THE TURNPIKE. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND FORD NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS IMMEDIATELY

NHTSA ODI 11006644

Jun 19, 2017Engine

WHILE DRIVING EXHAUST FUMES ENTER CABIN WHILE EXCELERATING AND WHEN AIR CONDITIONER IS ON

NHTSA ODI 11000080

May 28, 2017Engine

STRONG EXHAUST SMELL IN THE ENTIRE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE UPON EXCELERATION SO MUCH SO YOU HAVE TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS TO EVACUATE THE SMELL. IT'S AN ON GOING PROBLEM AND JUST NOT A ONE TIME EVENT. I HAVE A FOUR OLD DAUGHTER THAT SITS IN THE 2ND ROW THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.

NHTSA ODI 10992026

May 10, 2017Engine

WHILE DRIVING, USUALLY DURING FAST ACCELERATION NO MATTER THE SPEED, THERE IS THE SMELL OF EXHAUST IN THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE ALREADY TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT AND THEY SAY THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THE SMELL OF EXHAUST IS PRESENT ALMOST EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 10984741

Apr 21, 2017Engine

ON JANUARY 27TH, 2017, MY WIFE AND I LEASED A NEW 2017 FORD EXPLORER. EVERY TIME WE OPERATE THE VEHICLE, WE GET EXTREMELY SICK (SOME SYMPTOMS WE EXPERIENCE ARE SORE THROAT, RUNNING NOSE, HEADACHES, AND NAUSEA THAT LAST HOURS AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE). THIS OCCURS ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES WHILE DRIVING/OPERATING THE VEHICLE. THE HEATING SYSTEM WAS SET TO 75 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND THE WINDOWS WERE CLOSED. AFTER WE FELT SICK WE DID SHUT OFF THE HEATING SYSTEM AND OPEN THE WINDOWS BUT THERE WAS A SLIGHT ODOR IN THE CABIN AND WE STILL FEEL SEVERAL ALIMENTS. DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR MYSELF AND MY 6-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER THAT WAS IN THE VEHICLE (THIS BEING MY MOST SIGNIFICANT CONCERN). FORD MOTOR CORP INSTALLED A NEW EXHAUST SYSTEM, REMOVED THE REAR BUMPER AND RESEALED ANY LEAKS, CHECKED CABIN PRESSURE AND TRIED TO RESEAL ANY CRACKS THAT MAY ALLOW EXHAUST TO RENTER THE CABIN. FORD STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FIXED, AFTER BEING BROUGHT TO THEM FOR THE THIRD TIME (THEY SAID THEY FOUND MORE LEAKS AND RESEALED THEM), BUT REFUSED TO GIVE ME ANY DOCUMENTATION STATING THAT THE VEHICLE IS SAFE FOR MY FAMILY AND MYSELF TO BE IN. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF SERVICE SEVERAL TIMES, A FORD SERVICE TECHNICIAN LOCATED AT SAYVILLE FORD TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE WITH ME AND CONFIRMED THE SAME AILMENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP FROM SERVICE AFTER FORD STATED IT WAS FIXED FOR A 3RD TIME AND WE WERE STILL GETTING SICK WHEN WE DROVE THE VEHICLE. WE CONTACTED FORD AGAIN AND WE ADVISED THEM OF THE SITUATION FOR A 4TH TIME AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS 'BY ITS VERY NATURE, NEW CAR SMELL IS DUE TO PLASTICS AND ADHESIVES IN THE VEHICLE. IT COULD BE AN IRRITANT TO SOME. UNFORTUNATELY, YOU MAY HAVE TO CONSIDER OTHER OPTIONS THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE TO YOU.'

NHTSA ODI 10979869

Mar 7, 2017Engine

EXHAUST GASES ENTERING THE PASSENGER CABIN, CAUSING BAD SMELL, USUALLY UNDER LOAD, DURING HILL CLIMBING, MODERATE TO HARD ACCELERATION WHEN JOINING INTERSTATE OR FASTER ROADS, AC IN USE, WITH OR WITHOUT RECIRCULATION ON, SYMPTOMS OF SORE RUNNY EYES AND HEADACHE AND NAUSEA IN CHILDREN AND OTHER OCCUPANTS. CONFIRMED TODAY BY DEALER WHO HAS IMPLEMENTED AN ATTEMPTED FIX. THIS IS A 2017 MODEL XLT. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS SINCE VEHICLE FIRST PURCHASED. INITIALLY BELIEVED IT WAS SMELLS FROM OTHER VEHICLES, HOWEVER AS SYMPTOMS CONTINUED WITH OCCUPANTS SEARCH REVEALED KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE CONFIRMED BY DEALER TODAY AND ATTEMPTED FIX UNDERTAKEN.

NHTSA ODI 10959172

Oct 17, 2016Electrical systemEngine

AFTER A STOP, THE CAR WAS AT STATIONARY, WAS NOT ABLE TO START THE CAR BY PUSHING THE START BUTTON, GAVE ME ERROR ON THE DASHBOARD "FULL ACCESSORY POWER ACTIVE". TRIED TO TURN IT OFF, AFTER MULTIPLE TIMES OF TRYING, WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR, IT HAS 606 MI ON IT.

NHTSA ODI 10916675

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Working with the data? Download all 1,668 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 14, 2026

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 2017 Ford Explorer Hev verdict →