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

Sunroof leaked & water dripped into top center light assembly and down either side of the windshield support frames, then into the back of the plastic panels under them, continuing down the supports that lead to far left & right frames and into the carpet under the rubber mats.Very concerned about water mixing with electrical parts of the lights in the overhead area over the dash & starting a fire.Tried to open sun roof so I could wipe the channels dry and reclose sunroof but the electric components to it stopped working probably due to water damage,so sunroof was now partially opened to the environment. Vehicle is available at my home in my driveway mostly covered by a blue tarp until I take it to the Ford dealer next week on Thursday to get inspected,checked & fixed (I hope).Was initially scared the water leak mixing with electricity of the overhead front lights & dripping behind the dash panel on either side of the front seats might create a spark and catch something on fire, but got fortunate and didn’t happen.Do not know if Ford dealer can reproduce it until they check it next weeThurs, but one of representatives at dealership repair shop mentioned they are aware of a common problem where if the sunroof is not cleaned & checked regularly the drain channels can get clogged and cause water to leak inside the car-my reply “why would Ford built car that leaks through the roof when it rains”, could leak into electrical components inside the car-got no reply. Asked if this was the problem if Ford would fix it and pay for it and reply was we have to check it first to see what causes it and go from there. Told them I don’t use the sunroof and have not opened it, and was told it can still happen.Best friend saw it, have not reported it to police, insurance company will not look at it unless I submit a claim which I haven’t yet.Waiting to hear how much it will cost.No warning signs of problem until water started dripping from front overhead lights.

NHTSA ODI 11489202

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the keyless entry outside the front driver’s side door popped off without warning. The contact also stated that the rear tailgate latch failed to operate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the wiring of the keyless entry was repaired also repaired the rear tailgate latch. Additionally, the contacts stated that the roof rail cover started to detach from the sunroof, and water leaked through the sunroof. The contact then received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V316000 (Structure). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 119,000

NHTSA ODI 11488827

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was outside in the rain, the contact noticed a moldy and musty odor inside the vehicle. The contact noticed that the trunk and spare tire compartment was wet. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where a water specialist diagnosed the vehicle and informed him that the passenger's side luggage pillar rack was cracked. The mechanic added sealant to the pillars. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred him to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 49,831.

NHTSA ODI 11485820

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 70 MPH, the door lock access panel on the driver's side started to loosen and almost separated from the door frame. The contact pulled off the highway and observed that the passenger’s side door lock access panel was also loosened. The contact stated that her husband used duct tape to secure the panels. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

NHTSA ODI 11484700

The hood on the vehicle has decay/bubbling. It is most prevalent along the front edge of the hood. I am not sure if this affects the structural integrity, safety worthiness, or latching aspects of the hood. If so, this is a major concern for all owners of this vehicle. I was made aware by another owner of same make and model that this is common occurrence.

NHTSA ODI 11482102

Carbon monoxide leaking into my car—tailgate area and through the front hvac. Weird sound from engine that sounds and smells like electrical burning or something overheating.

NHTSA ODI 11479915

Our model is a platinum explorer with the panoramic sunroof. Apparently there is a sunroof leak which due to the way the headliner is made , fills the headliner (holds like a bowl) then either spills out at the front of the vehicle or rear depending on going forward , reverse, accelerating, braking, uphill, or downhill etc. The front is worse because of the electrical in the overhead lights, sunroof motors, and lane departure at the rear view mirror. Also everything electronic below on the dashboard and center console. There are high expenses related to replacing these electronics due to water damage in addition to the driver being suddenly started by a wave of water crashing down on them while accelerating or braking.

NHTSA ODI 11477591

The windshield trim has flown off of my car twice. It's happened twice bc I repaired and then 3 mos. later it happened again. The 1st time it flew off I was driving home in rush hour traffic in downtown fort worth, tx and it flew off into the oncoming traffic. I could have seriously injured someone or caused a wreck, having car parts flying off at high rates of speed in the middle of a major city.

NHTSA ODI 11474698

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 80 MPH, the windshield trim detached from the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and had the trim replaced out of pocket. The contact then stated that both the driver’s and passenger’s side pillar trims had started to detach and was temporarily sealed with tape. The dealer was notified of the failure and provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11473341

WINDSHIELD TRIM LOOSENED AND DETACHES WHILE DRIVING. CAN CREATE A ROAD HAZARD FOR OTHERS, INCREASING RISK OF AN ACCIDENT. HAVE SEEN IN COUNTLESS OTHER EXPLORERS WITH SAME PROBLEM! THIS IS A MAJOR HAZARD!!!!

NHTSA ODI 11473217

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle without warning. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the front passenger pillar trim had detached from the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer where the pillar trim was replaced; however, a year later, the same pillar trim detached from the vehicle a second time. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was given an estimate for a second repair. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and informed her that there were no recalls on the vehicle; the contact was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11471332

On May 9, 2022, sometime during my drive on the HE Bailey Turnpike from Lawton Oklahoma to Oklahoma City, the driver side Pillar Trim of my 2017 Explorer came off; I was driving 70-75 miles per hour, and it was very windy. During the drive, I heard a noise but didn't think much about it until I got out of the car in Oklahoma City. Thats when I noticed the driver Pillar Trim missing. Traffic was very light during the drive and to my knowledge, the Pillar Trim did not hit another car or do any damage to anything. If there had been another person or automobile hit by the Pillar Trim, I feel that it could have resulted in an accident or serious injury to a person. When I contacted the Ford Dealership, I told them that a part of my Explorer had blown off; they knew exactly what had happened even before I told which part was missing.

NHTSA ODI 11464915

Windshield Molding broke off while driving on road. Causing the vehicle behind me to swerve off the road. Damages were done to the other vehicles windshield.

NHTSA ODI 11464179

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V316000 (Structure). The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and had the recall repair completed. The contact stated a month later, while driving at an unknown speed, she started to hear a flapping noise from the roof rack. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the roof rack clips, push pins, and cap to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,128.

NHTSA ODI 11461376

A-Pillar exterior windshield trim became detached from the passenger side at highway speeds without warning and no prior indication of damage. This appears to be a very common issue with this generation of models based on a simple internet search, and I am shocked that Ford Motor Co. is doing nothing to resolve this. The loose piece becomes a hazard to other motor vehicle operators where it could potentially strike a vehicle causing windshield damage, startle an operator causing loss of control, or in the case of motorcycles, injure the operator. Even if it does not strike another vehicle or operator, it becomes road debris and is a safety hazard to other vehicles, and to persons attempting to retrieve it. While we were fortunate that it did not cause any further incident, the potential for a serious accident is high with this defect.

NHTSA ODI 11460232

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front side of the roof connected to the upper center of the windshield was severely corroded. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist unless the part was perforated. The contact stated that as the roof became perforated, the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the roof and the windshield needed to be replaced. The dealer sent a diagnostic report with pictures to the manufacturer. The manufacturer advised that they would cover the repair of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

NHTSA ODI 11459862

Window trim flew off while driving striking another cars windshield. Causing that driver to swerve.

NHTSA ODI 11453300

Driving on Interstate 95 at 70mph, windshield pillar on left side broke away and hit a gentleman on a motorcycle behind me in the face shield of his helmet. I pulled over to apologize profusely. Right side is loose aswell and plastic abs wiper Cowl is dry rotted and flapping making noisy whistling. Under 65K miles. It started at 45K. This is terrifying and now a eyesore. Please investigate this.

NHTSA ODI 11452932

Driver door “b pillar” trim 3m stripping peels off allowing trim to catch air underneath and snap in half. $300 replacement piece

NHTSA ODI 11451814

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V316000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the roof rail cover detached and separated from the vehicle. The contact was made aware of the failure by another driver. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11448601

The keyless entry door panel on the driver’s side door is coming undone and vibrates while driving. Others have said theirs has come off the vehicle while driving. Will be contacting the dealership.

NHTSA ODI 11443706

The clear trim panels by the driver side door with the electronic numbers to unlock the doors, came off while I was driving on the highway going 70mph. Which resulted in lights going off on on in the cabin of the car, as well as my back tailgate flying open while driving. The clear panel was attached to wires which was reported to me to have caused multiple fuses to be blown one of which was the tailgate door. Once I pulled over to close the door, the door had to be forced closed and the warning light tailgate ajar remained on as well as all the lights in the cabin remained on. Once I was able to park my car none of the lights would turn off once the engine was off and the car would not lock. Both of these panels on the drivers side and passenger side had to be replaced, in addition to the front pillars on the windshield due to all of them coming detached from the car. This is a huge safety concern that needs to be addressed. The owner of the car had to pay for all repairs.

NHTSA ODI 11442217

The windshield trim piece on the passenger side started making a noise while I was going down the interstate and suddenly flew off. It caught me off guard and almost made me swerve and the car behind me had to swerve it as it landed on the road luckily he was paying attention and didn’t hit anyone else. The whole incident could have ended worse

NHTSA ODI 11440387

The windshield gasket along with the door gaskets are all becoming thin and thatching. While driving on he freeway the windshield rubber gasket on the driver side began to flap around as it has apparently lost it's full seal. I noticed much of the rubber gaskets on the door as well are loose and not properly functioning. It appears the rubber used is poor quality as this should not happen on a car that is only 4 years old. I asked the dealership and they indicated it seemed to be normal wear and tear. I can't imagine how this could be normal wear and tear on a car only 4 years old. This problem needs to be looked at as it seems Ford is using an inferior rubber product on its vehicles. This will cause harm especially from the windshield issue.

NHTSA ODI 11437745

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that she noticed the paint was bubbled up and paint was peeling off the hood of vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where informed it was manufacturer defect and the hood needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified who referred contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11436877