2012 Ford Explorer complaints

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact pressed the hazard warning light icon on the display screen to pull over, but the hazard warning lights were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that an unknown unit in the dashboard needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

The contact owns a 2012 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 were loose, and the rubber gaskets underneath the trims were dry rotted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was inspected but 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2012 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.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V0311000(Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an unusual loud sound. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the front passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim had separated from the vehicle and flown off. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. 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 147,012. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2012 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

While driving the vehicle goes into what I have found is called sleep mode.. The check engine lite comes on and the left info panel shows that the all wheel drive is not working. The dealer tried to see what codes were set and found none. My solution is to pull off the road, put the vehicle in park and turn off the ignition. After about 30 seconds I can restart the vehicle and drive again. The restart lasts from 15 seconds to a month. I found a TSB ( 16-0139) that covered this problem. However it did not offer any cure. I am concerned that someone will hit me when this happens.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera failed to display an image. The message "Camera Not Available - Contact Your Dealer" was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

Clunking noise coming from rear possible tow link, clicking noise coming from steering even when vehicle not moving

My vehicles power steering alert came on suddenly while driving home. My cars steering wheel completely locked up while I had my children in my vehicle. It was very scary knowing we could have been in a wreck due to this issue. It’s. Not under recall but under the customer satisfaction program but I do not have funds to cover this. No dealership near me is able to tow and a tow would be a lot for me. I had a family friend tow us when my steering went out in town but was still charged an arm. I need this looked at because there’s been recalls for this before. My families lives were put at risk and that’s completely unacceptable.

Jan 19,2024 Manufacturer Recall Number24S02 NHTSA Recall Number24V031 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available This recall has been unavailable due to "lack of parts" for 18 months. Mine had already come off, and I had been holding them on with black duct tape. In the heat, the glue from the tape melted and they flew off my vehicle on the freeway and I was unable to retrieve them. When is Ford supposed to have the parts? This has been going on too long.

The Steering module and steering gear has failed for a second time within a 12 year window. This steering failure was under recall 15n01 and was repaired AUG. 2014, but has failed again April 2025. There is something wrong with parts failure that should not happen again and I think another recall should be filed again for this ongoing problem. This is a safety issue that needs to be addressed before someone has a fatal accident.

Ford dealership Loganville GA Serviced recall 14s06 on this vehicle on Aug. 2014 when no problems were detected. This closed the recall with no parts being replaced. Now June 2025 the steering module and steering gear failed leaving me not many options because of being just outside the warranty window. I asked ford for a one time replacement of the steering gear since no parts where replaced at time of service but was denied. I think safety issues like this should be addressed on case by case situation. I have all documentation from my local dealership in Fayetteville Ga. I think another recall should be issued because of reoccurring problems with the steering system on this vehicle. Thanks

Steering assist not working, could not steer the vehicle

I started receiving recall information on or before February 2024 for this recall. I finally took it in for inspection maybe 6 months ago. They broke the a-pillar trim peices on both sides so then afterwards at some point they flew off. Then i was on the highway on 6/4 & then the molding peices underneath surrounding my windshield started coming off & flapping around. Thrashing my window while driving 70mph. I had to pull the peices in & roll them up in my window before i was able to pull over & detach them fully. After the inspection as well the guy at the dealer basically laughed & said ford isnt even making these parts & they are on “indefinite back order”. Now the peices are missing as well as my windshield being exposed. All looks very unsightly as well. I dont think FORD really cares because its been almost 2 years & no parts are available yet!!!!!! I am very disappointed & frustrated.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while reversing, the back over prevention image was showing on the opposite side of the screen, and the camera was flickering. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure could be linked to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V270000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the VIN and the model vehicle were not included. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The dealer informed the contact that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle for the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 3 MPH, the power steering fault, the turn signal, advance-trac alert, and power train warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the control modules were inoperable. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 237,000.

Electric Power Steering was recalled a replacement was done In 2014 under a recall. Yet it broke again and the car is under 150,000 miles. I have talked to Ford and they will not replace it again. I am not the first person to experience this issue under 150,000 miles. My car is not a giant paper weight in my yard because it cost $2000 to fix more at the Ford dealership it was bought from. I am the second owner. We purchased Ford because it is a product made in the USA but I’m beginning to wonder if that means anything anymore. My Husband has [XXX] so the repair cost is too much for our budget. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Sometimes putting it in reverse the rear camera doesn’t come on. Have to wait sometimes a minute before camera will come on. It doesn’t happen all the time. I read that ford is having problems and has a recall on some vehicles but my year doesn’t show up.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while reversing, the rearview camera image was black or distorted, and the message "Camera Unavailable - Report to Dealer" was displayed on the infotainment screen on several occasions. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where the rearview camera was replaced twice; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to schedule an appointment for the rearview camera replacement. The dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in an unknown recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, with the power steering warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power steering module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 206,000.

The contact owns a 2012 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 stated that water was leaking into the vehicle through the A-pillar trim clip. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 136,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2012 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 A-pillar trim was detaching from the front windshield and allowing water to leak into the vehicle. The contact temporarily sealed the windshield with tape. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part for the repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2012 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 55 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim loosened. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving 55 MPH, the front passenger’s side A-pillar trim loosened. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired after the most recent failure. 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 92,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Recall for A-pillar applique trim clip attachment. I have called local dealership and was told that it would be well over a year before they could get the parts to get it fixed however when I'm driving I can hear the piece flapping against my car in the wind. I even called Ford themselves and asked and they said we aren't making the pieces for the recall right now and dont know when we are going to be making them.

Power steeeing system cuts out and stops working intermittently. Especially when making u turns

The contact owns a 2012 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, and the A-pillar trims were removed. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Back-up camera will display images backward and poses a collision hazard as driver won’t know which direction cars or pedestrians are coming from.

Recall A-pilars were removed creating unsafe driving conditions. Parts were flying off vehicle while driving and creating new repairs issues. The manufacturer letter states repairs will take less than half a day but are unable to provide a delivery date. This is a huge concern.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on the driver’s side 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 had gone to the residence and diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the A-pillar trim retention clips had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired, and the dealer stated 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 not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 176,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2012 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 A-pillar trim detached. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

I just bought this vehicle in the last 2 months. While my husband and I were driving down the road with our 2 daughters the power steering stopped working and the light came on for it ..... we noticed there was a recall ford says they serviced it in 2014 for the recall and won't again.... we're lucky we didn't get in an accident

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed that the passenger's side windshield exterior A-Pillar trim had detached. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed with the passenger's side windshield exterior A-Pillar trim adhesive failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure), which the contact related to the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2012 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 approximately 45 MPH, the driver’s side A-pillar trim detached. The contact was unable to retrieve the A-pillar trim due to oncoming traffic. 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 230,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2012 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 vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2012 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 initially made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact also stated that a mechanic from the dealer went to the contact's workplace and inspected the vehicle. The mechanic determined that the trim clips needed to be replaced; however, parts were on backorder. The contact stated that the passenger’s side A-pillar trim clip had blown off while driving at highway speeds. 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 207,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2012 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 contact stated that the passenger’s side and driver’s side A-pillar trims were loose. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated the failure had occurred while out of state on a family trip. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with an electric power steering gear failure. The contact was informed that the electric power steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed about a recall; however, the contact was informed that the recall campaign was closed. The failure mileage was approximately 124,742.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after driving the vehicle and arriving at the destination, the contact noticed that the front driver's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim had separated from the vehicle. The contact later 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 sent a mobile technician to the residence for the vehicle inspection. The technician noticed that the front passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim was detaching and removed the trim to prevent a safety hazard. 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 failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V435000 (SUSPENSION) and 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, there was a loud sound of air coming from the windshield. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 156,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available for NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure). Parts distribution disconnect for NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V435000 (Suspension).

Car was working fine and had been parked. Then the next morning got ready to take my youngest to school. Started it up, and began backing out of the driveway and out of nowhere the service power steering now light comes on as well as the service trac light. My wheel locks up and I almost hit the neighbor opposite side of the street who was getting ready to take her kids to school because of the difficulty cutting the wheel. We are a Ford family. My wife, myself and my oldest daughter all drive Fords. I would hope Ford reconciles this issue and support their loyal customers. This was a very scary experience loosing control of my vehicle. But even scarier with me having my youngest in the car. This is becoming a well documented issue as well as a safety concern and I hope Ford reconciles this immediately. Also, issue is affecting the turning signals.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed the deterioration of the front windshield trim. The contact stated that the front windshield trim was fractured and severely damaged. 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 but provided no assistance. The contact stated that a written document was mailed to the manufacturer regarding the incomplete recall repair and the condition of the vehicle. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the trim around the front windshield detached and struck another vehicle. The other driver chased the driver. The contact continued to drive to the residence. The contact noticed that the trim had detached when she reached her destination. There were no warning lights 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 unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

See attached document for complaint.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side A-pillar trim 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 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 failure mileage was 150,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, with the power steering and traction control warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.

The contact owns a 2012 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 made aware of the issue 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.

The contact owns a 2012 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.

The contact owns a 2012 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 stated that while driving on the highway at 70 MPH, the driver’s side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The contact was unable to recover the trim piece. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 138,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

I own a 2012 Ford Explorer involved in recall 23S02 / NHTSA 24V031. The notice I received is dated February 2024. I have been in contact with two Ford dealerships and the Ford Corporation trying to find out when the repair parts for this recall will be available, and I have written to the NHTSA twice asking the same question. The only response I receive from Ford is they don't have any idea and to wait for the next letter from Ford. I have had the driver side trim blow off my vehicle while driving and fortunately I was able to grab it before it flew into a vehicle behind me. Pictures are attached. My latest contact with a dealership and Ford Corporation was February 10, 2025 and no one has a clue when the parts may be available. Can you help?

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was 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 made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the front driver’s side and passenger’s side trim panels had detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 238,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.