Home · 2017 Ford Explorer Hev · Complaints

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)

4 of 1,668 complaints match · Transmission & drivetrain · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Mar 14, 2026Transmission & drivetrainEngineCrash

The car was up on ramps, to replace a sensor, in park and slipped out of gear rolling backwards with force. Someone could have been under or behind the vehicle. Other vehicles could have been behind, property could have been damaged. The cars door caught the building and pulled it all the way back against the front fender.

NHTSA ODI 11724328

Jul 31, 2025Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngineCrash

intermittened starting problems, vechile wont start, clicks, then starts and power train light comes on. Waiting at a red light, press the gas and the car does not go, also when speeding up transmission slips.

NHTSA ODI 11677550

Jun 15, 2022Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemBackup camera & sensorsCrash

I backed into a parking spot, put the car in park and turned the vehicle off. As I was getting ready to get out of the car, it rolled backwards into another car parked to my passenger side rear. My vehicle did not give any warning, no sensor alert, or anything!

NHTSA ODI 11469449

Aug 2, 2020Transmission & drivetrainBody & structureCrash1 injury

ABOUT A WEEK AGO MY VEHICLE WAS IDLING, BACKED STRAIGHT INTO THE TURNAROUND IN MY DRIVEWAY WITH THE CAR IN PARK. THE TWO PASSENGER SIDE DOORS WERE OPEN. MY DAUGHTERS AND I (UNBUCKLED) SAT THERE ABOUT TEN MINUTES WHILE THE ENGINE WAS CRANKED BUT IN PARK, WAITING ON MY HUSBAND TO FINISH UP GRABBING THINGS FOR THE VACATION WE WERE GETTING READY TO LEAVE ON. MY TWO YEAR OLD HAD MOVED TO THE DRIVER'S SEAT, AND I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. MY DAUGHTER REACHED OVER AND PRESSED THE PUSH TO START BUTTON AS SHE HAS A HUNDRED TIMES AND KILLED THE ENGINE, BUT THIS TIME, WHEN THE ENGINE TURNED OFF, SOMETHING OBVIOUSLY CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO DISENGAGE AND WE WERE SENT ROLLING DOWN THE HILL BEHIND MY TURN AROUND. I TRIED TO CLIMB OVER AND HIT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. WE WERE FINALLY STOPPED WHEN OUR BACK END SMASHED INTO THE SECOND TREE WE HIT. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS INJURED BESIDES ME, AND IT WAS RELATIVELY MINOR WITH JUST BRUISING, PARTICULARLY SINCE I'M 7 MONTHS PREGNANT. MY CAR IS NOW COMPLETELY TOTALED AS A RESULT.

NHTSA ODI 11342868

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 →