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

The A-Pillar trim (passenger side)became detached as I was driving 60 MPH on [XXX]. I paid $350 to have it repaired at because I wasn’t aware of the recall at that time.. The repair shop was Inland Empire Collision Riverside,CA 92507 phone 951.788.4860 Several months later the driver side became detached as I was driving [XXX] .. I took my car to a trusted mechanic & he informed me of the recall. I went to Raceway Ford dealership and the service rep Edwin Garcia file my claim to have my car repaired as well as my $350 refund.. That was 10 weeks ago.. I got a call from a lady (sorry she didn’t identify herself) at Raceway (12/27/24) regarding a recall.. I informed her that Edwin had filed my claim and I would like to know the status… she replied…”give me 10 minutes and I’ll call you back.. I never got a call back. Meanwhile I can’t take my SUV to a automated car wash in fear of it leaking water inside.. Not to mention what a eyesore it is to look at… please put some fire under there feet to fix the problem that I didn’t ask for.. I’m loyal to the USA products because I’m a small business person & I absolutely know the importance of patronizing USA owned businesses… thank you INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11632949

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the steering wheel was difficult to turn in either direction and the warning messages "steering assist" and "service advanced Track" had been displayed. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering rack and pinion were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 136,000.

NHTSA ODI 11632479

Reference NHTSA Safety Recall 24V031. I was notified in February 2024 about the recall and was told the parts would be in at the end of the year. I contacted two dealers and neither has the parts available so they put me on their list to call when they get the parts in. The problem is that the exterior A-pillar trim clip attachments came loose last year on the bottom left side of my windshield. The trim was still attached at the top, but today the whole A-pillar appliqué trim flew off my vehicle while my daughter was driving on the interstate. She said she heard a noise and then saw the trim fly off. She wasn’t sure at first what happened, but she did provide me a picture of my car with the trim missing (see attached). I am concerned about further damage to my vehicle from snowy wet conditions.

NHTSA ODI 11631996

I paid for A pillar repair on my own and they have not sent out reimbursement remedies. See below. Jan 19,2024 Manufacturer Recall Number24S02 NHTSA Recall Number24V031 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available Summary IN SOME OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES IT MAY BE POSSIBLE THAT SOME OF THE EXTERIOR A-PILLAR APPLIQUE TRIM CLIP ATTACHMENTS ARE NOT PROPERLY ENGAGED DUE TO IMPROPER ASSEMBLY OR REPAIR. IF THIS OCCURS, THE A-PILLAR APPLIQUE TRIM, WHICH BORDERS THE RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD, MAY BE LOOSE, MISSING OR BECOME DETACHED.

NHTSA ODI 11631921

Water leaking in the drivers side frame that goes down the inner column by the dash onto the floor board, leaks above the driver visor, and in the back frame in the trunk of driver side. I have had it checked over by a Ford dealer twice and they claim it was my sun roof-which it is not. When I tried to have it checked again with a non Ford mechanic, it’s been too cold and rainy so the problem cannot be found. It has gotten worse in my car, water damage to the dash and I get condensation that forms on the inside of my windshield. Thought it occurred due to the windshield guard cover recall but that isn’t the case.

NHTSA ODI 11631432

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle shuddered abnormally and almost stalled. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence and while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that water and coolant were leaking under the engine compartment. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000.

NHTSA ODI 11630876

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 various speeds, an abnormal flapping noise was coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the exterior trim clip around the windshield had detached and flown off the vehicle. The contact stated that the clip on the other side of the windshield was loosened and was removed due to it becoming a potential road hazard. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and an appointment was scheduled to repair the vehicle. The contact was later informed two weeks later that parts were unavailable. The vehicle was returned to the contact. 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 65,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11630169

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

NHTSA ODI 11629846

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 upon further inspection, the bottom half of the front driver’s side A-pillar trim had fractured, and the front passenger’s side A-pillar trim had become loosened. 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11629932

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 various speeds, the front driver’s side A-Pillar trim became loosened over time and made an air-leaking sound. The local dealer was contacted on several occasions. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11629669

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the trim on the passenger’s side front windshield detached from the vehicle. 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 approximately 50,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11629172

 The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer 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 11628897

I have a 2017 Ford Explorer with a water pump that needs replacing per a Ford dealership. It has 59K. It should last at least 150k. There should be a recall as there are thousands of these vehicles with the internal water pump. Apparently it's a problem if they are no longer making them internal. I want to file a complaint and would like some type of compensation.

NHTSA ODI 11628265

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 11628284

Water pump defect with my 2017 Ford Explorer XLT V6. This vehicle has a significant design flaw related to the water pump, which is located inside the engine cover. Recently, the water pump in my vehicle failed, the signal warning light turned on and indicated that the thermostat reaching high engine temperatures and warning the engine could overheat. The failure of the water pump can lead to engine overheating, which could cause the vehicle to break down unexpectedly, putting my safety and the safety of others at risk, especially while driving at high speeds or in heavy traffic. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by both a Ford dealer and an independent service center. Ford acknowledges this issue and that the water pump is prone to failure approximately every 100,000 miles. The repair costs amount to over $4,000. This exorbitant cost is due to the labor-intensive process required to access the water pump, owing to its placement within the engine cover. The cost of the repair is disproportionately high and places an undue financial burden on consumers.

NHTSA ODI 11628300

Brought car in for 100,000 mile tune up on 11/21. On 11/30, used the heater for the first time since having tune up done and the heater was blowing only cold air. Brought into ford today and was told that the water pump has a leak and needs to be replaced at a cost of $5,000. Car has 100,550 miles on it, mostly only driven on city roads and not freeway.

NHTSA ODI 11628446

Rubber seal around windshield is coming detached.

NHTSA ODI 11628038

Rear toe links, rear alignment is off. Dealership said they can’t fix it. My tires are wearing incredibly fast.

NHTSA ODI 11627425

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

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated, and the vehicle started shaking abnormally. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11626725

2.3L 4 cylinder engine has coolant intrusion causing a blown head gasket and requiring a super expensive repair that should be falling to Ford not the consumer. This is a design flaw and should be fixed ASAP. Coolant should not be intruding and leaking. This engine has around 76,000 miles and has only been owned for 1 year. Very disappointed in this.

NHTSA ODI 11626257

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his sister was driving 5 MPH making a right turn, the steering wheel seized and failed to turn as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver was able to continue driving to the residence. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the failure was due to the power steering unit. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

NHTSA ODI 11625395

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

NHTSA ODI 11625314

I was driving , when I heard a strange noise. Luckily I was about a mile from work. I listened more, Checked my check engine lights, as I was passing the local ford dealership. They were not on. I proceeded to the stop light. My car began to miss. I had just put gas in, I assumed it was bad gas, still no engine lights. I made it 3 blocks it started missing bad, going through an intersection. Now its making a bubbling noise. No check engine, but the heat gage is half the way up. I stop in a driveway. put it in park for 15 minutes, to cool it down. I restart my car, I move it 4 yards to park along the street. Now my car will not move at all. We had it towed to the dealership. My engine is ruined. I did not drive my car more then a mile after the noise of what the dealership said, was system blowing up, that's in the engine. As a result this has blown my engine and I now need a new one. We had just been on vacation from Ohio to the Sault Saint Marie, Michigan. My husband checked fluids, added a little of both oil and Antifreeze before we left on Oct 17, 24. There was no antifreeze in the oil or oil in the antifreeze. We were only back a day when this happened . When the radiator blew up, it never set off my check engine lights. Even when the vehicle could no longer move, there were no check engine lights on. My vehicle was making a bubbling sound, yet my hot gages never went completely to hot. At the most the were about 3/4 of the way. The radiator blew and in a few short minutes my engine completely locked, this happening within a mile. Lucky for me, I was in a small town, when it occurred. Its been 3 weeks and I am still waiting on an engine. I have been told its because so many of the explores are having the same issue. I have to come up with 10,000.00 to replace the engine of a vehicle I still owe on. It just turned 100,000 miles in Michigan

NHTSA ODI 11624958