Home · 2017 Ford Explorer Police Intercept · Complaints

What 1,671 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Ford Explorer Police Intercept

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 (1,671)Crash / fire / injury (61)Body & structure (645)Engine (235)Transmission & drivetrain (122)Electrical system (91)Engine & cooling (76)Steering (74)Visibility & wipers (74)Wheels (60)Suspension (55)Fuel system (49)

Newest first · 1,671 complaints · page 19 of 67

Mar 18, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormal amount of white smoke coming from the engine and the exhaust. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the turbo and the engine had experienced coolant intrusion and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V925000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) as a possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 165,000.

NHTSA ODI 11649094

Mar 17, 2025

Engine coolant leak. Come to find out it is the internal water pump, which several mechanics stated is a "common motor design flaw" with these vehicles. The repair for this is $3500! Not a small amount for a average person with low income. If Ford is aware of this common issue, why is nothing being done to protect their customers like me. I'd like to hear from someone in regards to this, as I have always been a loyal Ford consumer, but this will change after this.

NHTSA ODI 11648815

Mar 17, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11648868

Mar 16, 2025Body & structure

Recall information stated repair/parts would be available later 2024. It is now March 2025, my A-pillars are not being held on all the way and need to be replaced before a safety violation happens. I can’t even take my vehicle through a car wash in fear they will be ripped out.

NHTSA ODI 11648548

Mar 13, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the passenger's side and driver's side windshield exterior A-pillar trims had detached and were vibrating significantly while driving, causing the contact to be distracted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was inspected, but the dealer informed the contact that the recall parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11648059

Mar 13, 2025Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the transmission skipped gears. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

NHTSA ODI 11648075

Mar 12, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, there was a loud thud striking the roof of the vehicle. When the contact returned to the residence, the contact noticed that the thud was coming from the trim on the passenger’s side of the windshield that detached, and the metal frame was exposed. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 43,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11647898

Mar 11, 2025Body & structureVisibility & wipers

The top and bottom rubber of the windshield is corroded, falling off, and flapping against the windshield. It is also making a whistling noise and wind is coming into vehicle from the top. I was told that the recall would fix that but once they came to fix it they only did the left and right side of windows and left the rest the way it was. I expressed my concerns on a few occasions but they refused to fix it. I’m an elderly wheelchair bound female whose only transportation method is this vehicle. I have my daughter driving me to doctor’s appointments and the whole time I’m in the vehicle I’m afraid the windshield will fly off. The noise is so loud and hard to hear. The sun roof appears to be leaking as well so air could be seeping though there too. The windshield wipers go off by themselves even when it’s off or not raining. Even when the wipers are on there’s a big delay to wipe windows which makes it hard to see. I’m not sure if any of these issues are related but they have been brought to the attention of the manufacturer with no response.

NHTSA ODI 11647645

Mar 11, 2025Body & structure

I am the owner of a 2017 Ford Explorer that has a safety recall notice I received exactly ONE YEAR AGO TODAY! With this said, my A-pillar applique trim clip attachment was not properly engaged due to improper assembly! IF, this is the case, my A-pillar trim lasted for 6 years before it became detached and flew off and almost hit a vehicle behind me! They flashed their lights and pulled me over and told me that they were almost hit by something that flew off my vehicle! SO, why can't the same A-pillar trim be replaced and why can't I be reimbursed??? After many, many, many, many contacts with the dealership, and again and again and again they told me that the part is STILL NOT AVAILABLE! The original contact/notice from FORD was in February 2024 and month to month after that up until now and the part is STILL NOT.AVAILABLE! , 'I paid a lot of money for this vehicle and up until ·now have had no complaints. But now I have thought about trading it in ·but without my recall being replaced I have no choice but to wait. After my last contact with the dealership, I was told I can pay for the replacement, but FORD WILL NOT REIMBURSE ME! THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS AND I WAS TOLD AND MISINFORMED ABOUT THE PARTS BEING AVAILABLE TOWARD THE LATTER HALF OF 2024. I AM HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING MY VEHICLE REPAIRED IN A REASONABLE TIME (OVERY A YEAR) AND WITHOUT A CHARGE AND EXPECT THIS ADMINISTRATION TO DO SOMETHING IMMIDEATLY AND MAKE NOTE THAT I AM A VERY UNHAPPY FORD CUSTOMER DUE TO THE MISHANDLING OF THIS CLAIM!

NHTSA ODI 11647574

Mar 11, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered that there was coolant underneath the vehicle inside the garage at the residence. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

NHTSA ODI 11647689

Mar 10, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver’s and passenger’s side A-pillar trims detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11647435

Mar 10, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11647379

Mar 10, 2025Body & structureTires

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the A-pillar trim on the driver's and passenger’s side of the windshield was loose at the top. Additionally, the contact stated that the TPMS warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 125,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11647404

Mar 10, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the windshield trim was removed. The contact was informed that parts to perform the recall repair would be available within two weeks. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11647445

Mar 10, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed heat around the exterior of the front of the vehicle. In addition, the contact noticed an abnormal odor around the exterior of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer, however the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer where it was unofficially diagnosed with a failed coolant pump. The vehicle was taken to another dealer to confirm the failure, and the vehicle was diagnosed with a failed coolant pump. The contact was informed that the coolant pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,400.

NHTSA ODI 11647486

Mar 9, 2025Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemSeat belts

Passenger seatbelt frayed, inside electrical goes haywire when cold weather, transmission slipping was rebuilt under warranty lasted one week and is slipping again shifting hard, B panels falling off A panel was recalled but panel wasn’t?

NHTSA ODI 11647199

Mar 7, 2025Body & structure

When driving home on a windy day the A-pillar applique trim fell off hitting my vehicle and just missed hitting the vehicle behind me. Before getting a recall notice on this I had and paid for a new A pillar applique trim replaced at a local Ford dealership which was over $200.00. After getting the recall I called them several times to get the other side replaced to keep this from happening again but never was responded back to. I finally reported this to Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on !0/18/24 claim number 11620594 but they never did anything about it. Please respond so I can have this recall taken care of!

NHTSA ODI 11646904

Mar 7, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11646947

Mar 7, 2025Engine

The engine block (2.3L ecoboost) has a coolant intrusion into cylinder 3 causing it to miss fire and overheat. This problem almost left my wife and child stranded on the side of the road. If she hadn't had a safe place to pull over to allow the vehicle to cool down it could have had a catastrophic failure while driving. The dealer pressure tested the coolant system and showed leak in the coolant system. They then removed the number 3 spark plug and scoped the cylinder finding coolant inside cylinder. This coolant leak caused the miss fire and the overheating. Prior to failure the only thing that happened was that the number 3 cylinder had a miss fire. At this time the spark plugs and ingnition coil pack was replaced only to have the problem start up again a few days later. The number 3 and 4 ignition coil pack was then switched and codes cleared. The miss fire for number 3 then showed up again. At this time we set an appointment up with the dealer to look at the issue. Two days before the apointment the engine overheated. We were able to get the vehilce to the dealer and they diagnosed the coolant intrusion into the number 3 cylinder. Prior to the over heat the only warning was the miss fire for number 3 cylinder. No other warnings or codes were available for the engine. Upon researching this issue I found that it was a known issue and that Ford had an extended powertrain warranty for some customers under the customer satisfaction program. However, upon contacting Ford they said that my vehicle was not listed as a candadate for this extended warranty option.

NHTSA ODI 11647025

Mar 7, 2025Suspension

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

Mar 6, 2025Engine

At 115,000 miles, had a total engine failure. The engine was a 3.5 twin turbo eco boost. Engine not repairable and would need replacing. The blue book of the vehicle was 15K. The engine replacement cost from Ford was 18K. Overheard the mechanic call these engines on the Explorer, EXPLODERS. Apparently this is common and should have been a concern, but not mentioned to the consumers. Any other details can received from Bill Utter Ford Denton Texas.

NHTSA ODI 11646703

Mar 5, 2025Engine & coolingEngine

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after the battery had been replaced, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was jumpstarted several times. The contact stated while driving 60-70 MPH and attempting to overtake another vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact returned to the initial lane. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in front of the residence, the contact noticed that coolant had leaked from the vehicle onto the ground. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was overheating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a Chevrolet dealer, where the contact was informed that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir and the mechanic determined that the water pump was leaking. The dealer added coolant and water to the vehicle. The contact stated that the engine continued to overheat while driving. The vehicle was taken to Christian Brothers, where it was diagnosed that the water pump and the timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the water pump was replaced. The vehicle was towed to another independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the timing chain and the water pump needed to be replaced at the same time. The vehicle was being repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the independent mechanics and the dealer had informed the contact that the failures were common. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11646433

Mar 5, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on both sides of the windshield started to detach. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and the dealer stated that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11646584

Mar 3, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side windshield trim detached and flew off. In addition, the contact stated that later the driver's side windshield trim fractured and was loosely flapping. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that the parts were on backorder. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11645967

Feb 28, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, "The Engine Coolant Low" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact's husband inspected the vehicle and noticed that there was no coolant inside the reservoir. The contact's husband added coolant to the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with coolant intrusion into the A/C compressor and that pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was repaired two more times. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ODI 11645590

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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 Police Intercept verdict →