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

My locks on my doors will not lock with keyfob or when I push my lock button in the car. I am scared that if I can't lock them someone will fall out the car. Someone can steal my car because I cannot lock my doors.

NHTSA ODI 11585890

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the driver's side trim detached and was flapping. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the trim needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

NHTSA ODI 11585133

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, there was a loud banging sound coming from outside the driver's side door. The contact steered the vehicle to the side of the road and observed that the keypad had detached and was hanging on by the wires. The contact continued to drive, and the keypad detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the keyless entry pad needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11585193

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to safely drive the vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was towed the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

NHTSA ODI 11585218

There was a mechanical failure with the internal water pump that caused my engine to seize and render the vehicle non-operational. The water pump and motor have both been inspected by a certified mechanic who has deemed it as such. The vehicle could have broken down on the highway but I was one of the lucky ones that it did not. There was no warning of my engine being bad until the water pump was replaced. The weep hole in the pump caused coolant to enter my oil.

NHTSA ODI 11585023

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the A-pillar trim detached and struck another vehicle. No Police report was filed. No known injuries were sustained. 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 failure was approximately 72,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11584471

Vehicle was at 65K miles and the water pump was leaking. When they went in to fix the water pump they noticed the timing chain had been stretched. Got my car back and not even 2-3 days later I heard a noise (only heard in less than a handful of times prior) and the noise began to be more consistent and found out that my CAM phasers went bad. All prior to reaching 70K miles...my vehicle is still only 67K. Later found documentation that timing chain and CAM phaser should be covered by CA emissions and the dealer is saying that is not the case. My vehicle fits the attached addendum as it was manufactured on [XXX] and in Chicago, IL. Dealer is saying this addendum does not constitute as a warranty document, just a notification. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11584592

None of the door locks work, making it unsafe and dangerous for crime areas. I have contacted ford many times however they are unwilling to fix issues and it is a widespread issue with the year and model... It is an expensive issue to fix in all 4 doors

NHTSA ODI 11583987

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the temperature and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the water pump needed to be replaced and that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 199,000.

NHTSA ODI 11584002

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that coolant was present inside the engine cylinders and the engine head gasket had leaked. No further information was available. The contact was advised that the engine head gasket 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 53,897.

NHTSA ODI 11583745

See attached document for complaint

NHTSA ODI 11583072

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 contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side exterior trim detached from the front windshield. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11582423

The water pump just went out and left us stranded in 110 weather and the gentleman that own the shop that I took it to told me that he has replaced 13 within 6 months! I have read and studied it and every single customer said the water pump went out at about 70,000 so there needs to be a recall! This is ridiculous!

NHTSA ODI 11582142

Upon starting my vehicle it started smoking all of a sudden from the exhaust pipes. Turned off right away. Towed to Ford dealer where they then said it was the turbocharger that leaked to the engine I believe and to the catilac converter.

NHTSA ODI 11581269

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and entering the freeway, the vehicle began to release exhaust fumes inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

NHTSA ODI 11581324

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, there was a loud sound before the A-pillar trim on the passenger's side flew off the vehicle. The contact stated that the driver's side was loosened. 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 confirmed that the part was not yet available. 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 78,735. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11581330

The air bag warning light came on solid (on solid, not blinking).

NHTSA ODI 11581416

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where it was diagnosed that the crankshaft solenoid had failed. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that there were metal shavings inside the engine. The dealer determined that the engine 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 141,595.

NHTSA ODI 11580381

The transmission/torque converter has a chattering/shuttering issue in certain gears that causes the RPMs to jump and drop randomly causing unpredictable drivability, acceleration and deceleration. The SUV lurches forwards and backwards when the chattering occurs. There is no check engine light to indicate an issue with the powertrain. According to online forums, many other owners of 2016-2019 model year Ford Explorers experienced the same issues as I've described, with documented cases on YouTube of torque converters failing, and other owners being told by ford dealerships that the transmission assembly (including the torque converter) need to be replaced, with quotes from 3000$ to 8000$. My car in particular doesn't even have 130,000 miles yet and was purchased from a city surplus auction where the city maintained the car every 5000 miles or less and performed every recall and Customer Satisfaction Program. I myself have been quoted 2,600$ for a remanufactured replacement transmission and at-least 1000$ in labor for installation by a local mechanic. Temporary fixes performed by the previous owner included adding Lubeguard friction modifier to the transmission fluid which fixed the issue for a short period of time. This fix was performed 3 times before the dealer made them aware the vehicle needs a new transmission that wouldn't be covered under any existing recall or warranty. A damaged torque converter cannot simply be the only part replaced, since broken off friction material will cycle through the automatic transmission valve body and can damage the transmission, requiring an entire rebuild. Due to the location and tools required to access/replace the transmission, it makes it impossible for a home mechanic that can change their own oil, service their own brakes and perform basic maintenance on their vehicle to inspect, test, or diagnose their own torque converter/transmission. A powertrain, with regular maintenance should last the life of the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11580413

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was running rough and was shuddering while starting and driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic twice. The mechanic determined that rodents had damaged the wiring underneath the hood. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, and the same assessment was made. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The dealer determined that the wiring underneath the hood and the wiring in the rear of the vehicle needed to be replaced due to rodent damage. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 52,877.

NHTSA ODI 11580451

I have replaced all the starter coil packs in my engine and still have the same problem the codes read misfiring on multiple cylinders wich causes the car to lose power and pull back on the transmission while pushing on the gas pedal this is an ongoing problem

NHTSA ODI 11580197

The driver side heated seat does not work at all the passenger side heated seat works just the driver side does not work

NHTSA ODI 11580200

2017 Explorer vehicle equipped with a 2.3L engine exhibits a vibration/rough idle when the vehicle is in DRIVE or REVERSE. The vehicle also exhibits a lack of engine revolutions per minute (RPM), lack of acceleration on take off and/or shudder while driving. This may be due to the torque converter overheating causing damage to the torque converter as well as possible internal damage to the transmission.

NHTSA ODI 11579970

My torque convertor has started to fail, extreme vibration when in drive or reverse at a stop, hesitation when trying to take off from a stop, RPMS will redline and the car won't move and then it will slam in to second gear. I have found a recall/customer satisfaction program (20N07) I took the car to a Ford dealership and they confirmed the torque convertor is ruined. I am terrified to drive this car, when the hesitation first happened I was pulling out in to moving traffic and the car would not move then took off very quickly. The vehicle has only been inspected by a Ford dealership where they diagnosed the torque convertor. I believe that this should be considered a safety issue. The hesitation alone could cause an accident when trying to move with the flow of traffic.

NHTSA ODI 11579752

Vehicle began leaking coolant. No warning lights came on or anything. Took into repair center and they advised that the water pump needed to be replaced. Over $3,000 to repair and the car is barely over 100,000 miles. Seems to be a major defect as I have read many complaints about this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11579778