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

Vehicle was brought in to Magic city ford for a state inspection and was informed that there was a recall on the suspension to replace the tow link in the rear. Vehicle was inspected and tire tread level documented etc . Vehicle was driven 3,000 miles over the next 60 days, including a family trip to the beach. It was then noticed that the rear tires were completely bald on outer half of the tire with one showing cords. Vehicle was taken to Ford dealership who claimed that the vehicle had been aligned before it left the shop and that where was due to the rear control arms. Owner requested a printout with the before and after alignment information required. Dealership spent an hour trying to find the information and then provided a sheet lacking any of the identifiable information dated 5/1/2026, when the vehicle was there on 4/30/2026. It's truly scary to think what would have happened had I not noticed the tires condition. I do not believe that the rear tires were ever aligned. This is an all-wheel drive vehicle, so internal damage is possible. Ford is refusing to cover anything because it's been 60 days.

NHTSA ODI 11748045

My Explorer had Recall 21S32 completed at the dealership on April 1st. The remedy for recall 21S32 was insufficient. Within a month and a half I began hearing a metal clanking noise coming from the rear of the Explorer when I went over bumps. Very quickly the clanking became a lot of frequent loud squeaking. I brought it back to the dealership and they immediately heard the noise and were able to diagnose the problem as coming from the driver side rear wheel knuckle bushing. The service manager and the master technician both agreed that the suspension problem are a direct result of the recall work that was completed. While the Toe-link recall work was done correctly, the new torque placed on the knuckle bushing directly relating to the recall work has caused it to fail. It is obvious that the underlying defect caused the rear wheel knuckle to fail, leaving the vehicle unstable. Ford corporate is refusing to resolve the secondary structural damage caused by their defective safety component and their Safety Department refuses to provide a timeline for assistance.

NHTSA ODI 11747719

Rear suspension toe links have failed after prior recall repair in Canada in May of 2022. The vehicle is now registered in the US and the recall repair has failed causing driving, suspension, and extreme tire wearing.

NHTSA ODI 11743282

I had the rear toe links replaced under recall 21s32 on April 1, 2026. Within a month I started hearing a clunking noise from the back drivers side wheel whenever I hit a bump. My local mechanic looked at the Explorer and said the problem is the knuckle bushing. I contacted the Ford service department and asked them to fix it under customer satisfaction program 22N01. They told me I wasn’t eligible but for $185 they could do a diagnostic test and I’d be responsible for the full cost of any needed repairs.

NHTSA ODI 11742044

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on both sides of the windshield started to detach. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 26V101000 (Suspension); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not available. The contact was informed that parts had been used to repair other vehicles after the contact had scheduled an appointment. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 142,000.

NHTSA ODI 11734141

Steering is difficult and makes noises when turning

NHTSA ODI 11727872

I was driving 30 MPH down a country road and the drivers side toe link broke about putting me in the ditch

NHTSA ODI 11727135

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after the completion of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V675000(Suspension), the vehicle started experiencing suspension failures. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle vibrated and made an abnormal clunking sound. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle felt like the front end suspension was fighting with the rear end suspension, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle, and the vehicle crashed into a pole. The pole was damaged and bent. The vehicle sustained front-end damage. No police report was filed. The contact sustained seat belt burn and bruising on the right shoulder by the collar bone. The vehicle was driven to Sweets Auto Repair, where suspension repairs were performed. The contact stated that since 2023, the front and rear wheel hub assembly, the rear driver's side upper control arm, the front driver CV axle, the front stabilizer, and the front driver lower control arm and ball joint assembly had been replaced. Additionally, the sway bar link was replaced three times, all four tires were replaced due to premature wear on one occasion, and the front tires were replaced at 4,000 miles due to premature wear on another occasion. The front-end alignment was performed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to another certified independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the front passenger's side struts were loose and nearly detached, the front driver's side struts were finger tight, the front and rear sway bar links were internally worn out, and all four tires were prematurely worn out and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure on several occasions. The failure mileage was approximately 138,871.

NHTSA ODI 11726738

Cars rear end sways all over the place almost spun out on highway. I did some research and saw numerous recalls on the toe link in the rear of vehicle and have a good feeling its faulty again. I see it was replaced numerous times do to recall. Was wondering if there's like a warranty on recall work done

NHTSA ODI 11703125

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while accelerating from a complete stop from a traffic light, the vehicle made an abnormally loud popping sound. The contact exited and inspected the vehicle but could not determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that upon attempting to resume driving, the steering wheel was uncontrollable, the suspension seemed to have failed, and the vehicle was sliding. The message "Terrain Management System Fault" was displayed. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

NHTSA ODI 11678163

Delayed in transmission in gauging when going down hills especially going up them and causing vibration slowing down while vehicle moving.This is Ford Explorer XLT model 2.3 motor type 6 Speed automatic VIN:[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11674662

AFTER REAR TOE LINK REPLACEMENT DUE TO SAFETY RECALL, THE CAMBER CAUSES THE WEAR ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE REAR TIRES TO INCREASE DRASTICALLY. EVEN AFTER SEVERAL ALIGNMENTS THE CAMBER CAN NOT BE ADJUSTED SO THE WEAR CONTINUES.

NHTSA ODI 11647058

The transmission stops switching gears after going 70 mph on the highway no acceleration was possible Just stopped working. I had my kids with me I had a tractor trailer behind me and in front of me and beside me on a very busy highway going 70 mph and the transmission just stopped working no gas was it was just redlining when it was supposed to be accelerating no gears were reached I had to throw it in park throw it back into sports mode they're back into drive they're back into sports mode they're back in the drive before it kicked in and would go all while in the middle of a busy highway and not able to get off the road and declining in speed. The manufacturer or Ford did purchase the vehicle from me and made me roll over my negative equity from that car into a new car was my only option or paying 10 grand to get it fixed. Nothing no lights were displayed no lights came on at all no warning signs nothing Just happened. When I took it in to get it looked at the mechanic immediately told me that I need to trade the car in and that I shouldn't have this vehicle it's transmission has been having multiple issues over four times in one year it was in the shop for transmission issues they told me nothing was wrong and they drove my car 200 mi they gave it back to me not even two weeks later this happened no lights and nothing was pulling on the codes The mechanic Harper from Malloy Ford is the one that told me that I should need to trade it in he contacted the Ford company they offered $2,000 to help with the cost to get the car fixed but it wasn't going to fix the problem from happening again and it was traumatizing to have to go through that with my kids I didn't want to put my kids back in that vehicle because we literally could have died. PLEASE REACH OUT WITH ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS with my phone or email .. THE CAR HAS HAD TRANSMISSION ISSUES SINCE I BOUGHT IT.THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO TAKE THE CAR BACK AFTER I PURCHASED IT TO PUT ME IN SOMETHING ELSE

NHTSA ODI 11630775

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle became difficult to control. The contact then noticed that the tire wear was uneven. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front and rear alignment had failed and needed to be performed again. The vehicle received the front alignment, but the rear alignment was not performed. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer for additional assistance. The dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was provided an estimate for the rear alignment. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

NHTSA ODI 11627261

Brought vehicle in for a recalled issue concerning the rear toe. After the repair, had accelerated tire wear in a month. Replaced the tires 3x in 2 years and the issue is still there. Currently tires are needed again for 4th time in 2 years.

NHTSA ODI 11623258

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side rear toe link fractured. The contact stated that the rear end of the vehicle swerved to the left. The contact stated that it was difficult to control the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact exited the vehicle. The contact stated upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the driver's side rear suspension was on the ground underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a fractured driver's side rear toe link. The contact was informed that the driver's side rear toe link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact was informed that the ABS and the wheel bearing needed to be replaced prior to the recall repair being performed. The contact had received notification NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension); however, the contact was advised that the ABS and the wheel bearing needed to be replaced prior to the recall repair being performed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 92,500.

NHTSA ODI 11622988

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V675000 (Suspension). The contact stated that while his wife was driving 45 MPH, the driver lost control of the vehicle and ended up nearby a ditch. The contact stated that while his wife was driving straight, the vehicle veered off independently. There were no injuries during the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 113,000.

NHTSA ODI 11611120

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle ran over a pothole and the contact attempted to turn and the tires slid. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 21V537000 (Suspension), but the failure persisted. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to a tire shop to get the tires replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure occurred which over time caused the tires to wear out and need to be replaced. Due to the failure consistently occurring, the contact replaced the tires on the vehicle nine times since the vehicle was first purchased the vehicle at the end of 2022. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle had a slotted tire adjustment. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

NHTSA ODI 11606762

Rear toe joint arm used to replace recalled rear toe joint arm is causing the tires in the back to tilt leaving vehicle at risk of roll over accident from tire, axel, or suspention failure. The suv becomes increasingly unstable and difficult to control. The mechanic said it was a miracle that my suv had not flipped. When I took this issue to the dealership, the service manager was aware of the issue and had a "high percentage" of cars that had the recall service done returning with the same problem. Despite this information being passed on to ford by its dealership service departments, Ford is continuing to place drivers at risk by using the toe joint arm that is too small. Pictures: rear vs front tires purchased same time, allign.before new toe joint placed with report, then after, recall work done and , allign report, toe joint arms used for recall. Date below is when my car was taken out of service for safety. Most driving speeds 25 to 35 mph zones.

NHTSA ODI 11567407

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear axle assembly needed to be replaced. The parts needed to repair the vehicle were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. No additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 11543772

Thr manufacturer did not put rear tire links on my vehicle. I purchased brand new tires 3 months ago and my two rear tires are already showing sings of wear and tear. I went to a mechanic to see if I could get a full alignment on my vehicle. When they started on thr alignment, they informed me that they could not proceed because the vehicle was missing the manufacturer rear toe links. If I decided to let them order rear toe links and do the alignment, it would cost me almost $600. This is completely unacceptable for ford to drop the ball again and we the consumer are stuck paying for something that they should.

NHTSA ODI 11543671

I bought the SUV Used in January/2023 from a Ford dealer. It had brand new tires on it. 6 months later and the outer tread of the tires are bald, that’s when I realized the toe angle was pointed in. I went to Discount Tire to get new tires and an alignment. They put new tires on and then they told me they couldn’t do the alignment on my truck because it has a recalled part on the rear suspension. The toe angle rods are not adjustable. He showed me what they are supposed to look like on his computer for him to do the alignment. He then proceeded to tell me how dangerous it was because if the rod cracks, my wheel will fall off. I called ford, but they are claiming there is no recall for that part, but that can’t be true.

NHTSA ODI 11537761

Driver's side rear suspension, toe-link arm broke while driving at approximately 30mph and I nearly lost control. After towing vehicle home, I found the toe-link broke completely off at the weld closest to the wheel hub.

NHTSA ODI 11533935

Before the safety recalls for the rear suspension the vehicle made a loud noise almost like helicopter blades from the rear. It stopped after the recall was fixed but has started again. The air bag light has been on since about a month after I bought the vehicle. After about 9 attempts of taking it to the ford dealership for them to look at it with no luck I believe it’s due to a broken seatbelt in the rear that nobody has a part for.

NHTSA ODI 11527542

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH in a rainstorm, the rear of the vehicle started to violently fishtail from side to side. The contact stopped and inspected the vehicle but found no failure. The vehicle was later re-inspected, and the contact discovered that the rear tires showed severe treadwear. The contact stated that the failure had occurred previously while his wife was driving the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was contacted, and a service appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 38,000. The contact stated that the vehicle needed an alignment and two new rear tires. The vehicle was repaired and the contact has it in their possession again.

NHTSA ODI 11526924