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

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the air bag warning light intermittently illuminated while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with air bag light row #2 inflatable found on higher wire circuit installed, and the was fuse replaced. Additionally, row #2 buckle, rear center row passengers seat, rear driver seat would not buckle, and that the passenger seat buckle was internally fractured, and the buckle assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the parts were on backorder. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

NHTSA ODI 11645633

Ford motor company and my car dealership have failed to perform the necessary repairs to my vehicle related to a safety recall for the A-pillar Trim pieces. I have tried several times to have this fixed and each time the dealership stops communication and says they are unable to get the necessary parts from Ford.

NHTSA ODI 11645661

The car has a hard time with acceleration and I hear clunking noises

NHTSA ODI 11645218

the transmission has gone out for a second time 3 years ago the transmission was replaced as part of fords customer satisfaction and after 3 years of driving the car started acting weird stalling or not wanting to go- now it will not start after taking to the ford dealership they informed me it was the same problem they had previously fixed, and it was no longer under warranty I would have to pay for a whole new transmission- to be honest I still owe money on this car and could not afford a repair of over 7000 -It was already fixed just 3 years ago how is the Transmisson faulty for a second time? there needs to be recall on this part/

NHTSA ODI 11645302

I was driving my 2017 Ford Explorer on 10/14/22 and the engine started shaking aggressively randomly. So, I took it to our local Mechanic shop . They said that from the engine shaking, it had broken the engine mounts, and it had an internal problem. I had paid $200 to fix the engine mount. So, they had a service bulletin and said Ford should fix it for free because it’s a known problem. They had provided me with the service bulletin 22-2287. My husband took the copy of the bulletin to ford, and brought the car. Explained that it already had other recalls on it that needed to be fixed and showed him the service bulletin. He asked if it would be covered and the guy said “It should be”. Then, we proceed to get a call the next day that it’s not covered because it hasn’t “officially” been recalled and it would be$4200 to fix. Even though the engine is going to ruin the parts in a few years because it’s the engine causing the other parts to overheat. So, I told them I wanted to get a second opinon, and they charged me “diagnostic fee” of $213.76, even tho they told my husband the diagnostic fee if it wasn’t covered would be $80. So, after months of fighting ford to make things right,I had the car towed to a local transmission shop , and had them repair it for 4,655.. I go to pick it up, and it’s still shaking. So bring it back, and they fix it again, Well, it’ still not fixed. Then, they fix it again, and I pick it up, the transmission isn’t running correctly.I have been without a working car since 10/14/22. So, now they are fixing it again and putting another brand new transmission in. Ford needs to be held responsible. This is a known issue, and could lead to someone getting into a terrible accident when the engine falls through the car, and could kill someone. The engine itself it heating up other components of the car, and ruining it. As of today, 02/27/2025 the transmission is starting to have problems again! When I am driving and come to a stop it wont accelerate

NHTSA ODI 11645367

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 75 MPH, the passenger’s side A-Pillar trim detached. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and reattached the A-pillar trim using duct tape. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact purchased an aftermarket part to repair the vehicle himself. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11644829

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 while driving 60 MPH, one of the A-pillar trims detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and replaced the A-pillar trim. 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 approximately 50,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11644526

Check engine light came on while driving on highway. I had a OBD reader with me and plugged it in. Came back with a cylinder misfire. Took it to a local mechanic to get new plugs and coils. Mechanic cleared the code but the light came back on. I took it to another mechanic that I trust who found coolant in the oil due to cracked heads. Mechanic gave me information about this 3.5l motor being known to have this problem to take back to dealer. 3 months of waiting and having to argue that despite being out of warranty, they knew this motor was bad and should replace it. Ford finally put a new motor in. Drove for 6 more months and just had the check engine light come back. Cylinder misfire again. They shouldn't be allowed to sell this motor knowing that it can leave people stranded. This is criminal. Will never buy a Ford again. They KNOW this motor is trash but keep letting unsuspecting consumers foot the bill be cause they assume it's a one off. Shame!

NHTSA ODI 11644312

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 front driver's side and passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trims had detached. The contact used duct tape on the front driver's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim. The local dealer was contacted and advised the contact to apply duct tape on the trims. 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 failure mileage was approximately 91,994. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11644089

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 while driving at 55 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim had detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on another occasion, while the vehicle was parked, the contact stated that the passenger’s side A-pillar trim was loose. The local dealer was not contacted. 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 not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11644115

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. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that previously while driving at an undisclosed speed, the windshield trim panel started to detach from the windshield and had partially separated from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, who informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall at the time of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,720. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11643899

I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET MY VEHICLE FIXED FOR SAFETY RECALL 24S02 FOR MONTHS AND THE DEALER KEEPS TELLING ME THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS. I CANNOT USE MY CAR TO GO ON TRIP OR ON FREEWAYS BECAUSE OF THE WINDSHIELD NOISE AND I AM AFRAID OF SOMETHING COMING OFF AND CAUSING A WRECK.

NHTSA ODI 11643597

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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11643395

1. The cylinder head gasket (2.3L Eng Standard EJ7Z-6079-F) had cracked due to a problem that my mechanic said was common for engines of this make / year. 2. If this had not been fixed could have damaged the cylinder head and totaled the vehicle, is my understanding. 3. Yes 4. No 5. I noticed the engine felt different and the check engine light was sporadically on and off. First occurred Nov, 2024.

NHTSA ODI 11642891

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 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 11642533

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her sister was operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the long block engine was faulty and needed to be replaced, due to excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 97,575.

NHTSA ODI 11642467

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle began vibrating abnormally, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle stalled and the contact was forced to park on the side of the road to attempt to restart the vehicle. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into engine, which caused damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

NHTSA ODI 11642516

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 the trim had detached from the passenger’s side window and windshield. The trim on the windshield had been replaced twice. The trim was replaced but detached from the windshield and passenger’s side window again. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 169,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11642237

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on uneven terrain or roads, the rear of the vehicle was pulling to the left or the right. There was no warning illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear of the vehicle was misaligned from the front end. In addition, the local independent mechanic advised the contact that the rear tie rod needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.

NHTSA ODI 11642289

A-pillar trim pieces falling off. Recall 24V031. Have been calling weekly since Dec 2024. Local Ford Dealer continues to insist parts are not available.

NHTSA ODI 11641768

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the engine overheated. The contact turned off the vehicle and waited for the engine to cool down before continuing to drive. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the water pump was leaking. The mechanic informed the contact that it was a known failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 108,435.

NHTSA ODI 11641717

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the trim detached from the vehicle. The contact was able to pull off the road safely. 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 made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 67,974. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11641778

In a 2017 Ford Explorer Platinum the passenger 2nd row seatbelt malfunctions and will not extend. It is available for inspection. The seatbelt first binded (or became stuck) March 2024 and taken into Ford dealership and they reported "Upon inspection of seat belt, found to be internally binding at the retractor. Requires replacement." They ordered replacement but said it was on backorder, it took months before replacement arrived. When replacement arrived it was taken in to Ford dealership to replace but Ford reported "Replaced RR seat belt retractor. After installation, found a faulty part was sent. Reinstalled old seat belt and ordered new belt." Returned to Ford dealership for the second replacement seatbelt and it was installed and at time was working. Now for the third time (During the next several months after the third seatbelt is installed) it has gotten stuck (binded) and unable to extend several times and unusable. Resulting in having to relocate the passenger to another seat. Safety concern: users may not have a working and reliable seatbelt. Passenger may not be restrained with seatbelt or it may force a child from sitting in the rear seat to relocate to a more dangerous front seat due to lack of working seatbelts. This seems to show that the seatbelt mechanism must be defective in that 3 seatbelts are having similar problem in a 6-12 month window. Have also seen similar reports of this issue on Reddit.

NHTSA ODI 11641514

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 while driving 70-75 MPH, the driver's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim separated and flew off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact purchased the part online and installed the part on the vehicle. 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11640462

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the right and left roof rails were separating at the rear of both roof rails from the roof of the vehicle. The contact stated that a gap of approximately one-quarter of an inch was seen on both roof rails. The contact had not taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic or dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V316000 (Structure); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11639968