2015 Ford Explorer complaints

My rear camera intermittently goes off in the middle of backing up.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 55-60 MPH, the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The contact stated that the vehicle had lost steering gear functionality. The contact was able to pull the steering wheel and regain control. There was an unknown steering message displayed. The contact stated that the traction control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering gear, connecting rod, and rear toe link needed to be replaced, but the parts were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was unknown.

Passenger side front windshield trim flew off the car while driving on the freeway.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the back-up camera intermittently failed to operate as needed. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who agreed to service the vehicle; however, the mechanic was informed by the dealer that there was a shortage of camera available to be sold due to a recall on other vehicle models. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

Plastic cover of windshield detached while driving. May pose a hazard to other drivers as it becomes a projectile when detaching. It also startled the driver when it detached, causing swerving.There was no damage done to provoke the problem, it was spontaneous. Have not taken the vehicle to be inspected by dealer.

Upon excellerated take off the exhaust fumes fill the cabin. There has been a prior recall for such issues. This has happened multiple times over the entire time that I have owned it. It is getting increasingly worse and I worry for myself, my family and others. My local Ford dealership dismissed me every time I brought it up.

We have had power steering loss upon starting our 2015 Ford Explorer front wheel drive with park assist. This evening 2/13/2023 my wife called me to tell me the steering has stopped working again and she could not turn the wheels. The power rack has totally failed and I AS A STRONG MAN COULD HARDLY turn the wheels. I limped it home and it was all I could do to turn the wheels even going down the road. I am upset that Ford would of made this type of self sealed power rack that can fail and one will lose all control of the steering. Because it is so hard to turn the wheels. No woman can turn when in this situation and can wreak their Explorer because of this failure. Ford need to fix this issue and not just put the same part back into the Explorer. So anyone that owns a 2015 Explorer be aware of this issue!!

I was driving on the interstate at 65mph and the driverside windshield panel flew off. As far as I know, it did not hit any vehicles that were traveling behind me.

I was driving on the interstate at 60 mph and the passenger side windshield panel flew off. As far as I know, it did not hit any vehicles that were traveling behind me.

Windshield Trim: My windshield trim began stripping off of my windshield as I was traveling on highway speeds on I-10 back in August 2022. I managed to "glue" the trim back into place until getting to the dealership. They informed me that it would be cheaper to replace the whole windshield since I had existing chips and a crack (through my insurance) than it would be to replace the trim. Therefore, I filed a claim through my insurance and paid my $500 deductible to have the windshield and trim replaced. Check Engine Light: Throughout the life of my vehicle, I have had multiple episodes of Check Engine Light errors and "running lean codes." More recently in October 2022 at 102,000 miles, I experienced check engine errors with running lean codes. After $8k and 4 separate trips to the Ford Dealership from October 2022 to January 2023 to "fix" the problem by overhauling my engine and replacing sensors etc, the check engine light is gone (for now). There is obviously a widespread problem with Ford Explorers and their check engine lights. Ford Consumer Affairs will not provide financial support since they indicated that even though my vehicle is less than 150,000 miles, it is over their 7 year mark (mine just turned 8 years old). I have copies of all receipts and are available upon request. Rear Backup Camera: My camera has been glitching in and out (while in reverse) for the last year and is a safety concern.

I was driving my explorer in the snow and had put it in 4 wheel snow mode..as I was driving down a hill and began braking to make a turn the car slid a little bit and I thought nothing of it. I parked and drove again in snow mode a few miles and noticed that after I put the car back into regular drive the brake pedal seemed harder than usual. I parked, waited a minute, turned my car back on, touched the brake pedal and it seemed ok or better. A few hours later, I leave work and brakes seem harder than usual again. I had not put it in snow mode nor were any warning lights on. I only make it a mile or so when I find myself in the left lane of a highway attempting to drive up hill and my car barely goes 20mph. Something is seriously wrong at this point, with my 4 way flashers on, I had to navigate heavy rush hour traffic on a highway until I could find a safe place to pull off. Still no warning lights. I call my mechanic and he advised me to have it towed to his garage, Meineke. He is able to look at it the next day and finds the brakes are locked up and possibly something wrong with the 4 wheel drive. He's unable to determine for sure what is wrong and I have it towed again to the Ford Dealership. Ford Dealership has it for a few days and they had a tough time determining what was wrong. They checked codes and because no warning lights were on they didn't have much to go on. They determined it wasn't my 4 wheel drive but that it was my ABS module. They replaced it and flushed t

Right "A pillar" cap broke off while driving on the freeway

The vertical black plastic trim piece along the side of the windshield on the drivers side of the car detached and flew away while driving on the highway.

Trim moulding right passenger front window. The piece is not available as it flew off while driving down Highway on 25 June 2022. We don't know what happened to the piece and if it struck anything/one traveling behind us. No warning. We replaced piece.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the HVAC system was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the water pump was faulty, causing coolant intrusion into the engine, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

Driver side windshield trim unexpectedly and instantaneously detached while traveling approximately 65 mph on interstate during daylight hours under dry conditions. It flew off the vehicle creating cosmetic damage to driver door and mirror, landing in lane behind. Part was lost on road somewhere and have not had it replaced or repaired. It could have impacted a vehicle behind causing damage or dangerous condition for driver or other vehicles. It has not been inspected and is in original condition after incident. I became aware of similar complaints and felt need to register. Estimated repair approximately $500.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal noise was heard coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that the noise occurred for several days however while driving 55 MPH, there was an abnormal clunking sound heard as the vehicle jolted forward. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was depressed, and a grinding noise was heard as the vehicle was parked. The grinding noise stopped after the vehicle was placed in the park. The contact inspected the vehicle and found no objects. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the failure as a rear axle bolt fracture. The contact was informed that the driveshaft and bolt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The independent mechanic advised the contact to call the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V255000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The contact called a Ford dealer and was awaiting an appointment for a diagnostic test. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

Body: windshield Trim detached last year and flew off at highway speeds. Didn’t cause damage to my own vehicle but could have bounced off someone else’s. Drivetrain: non serviceable (unable to do a fluid change) on my power train unit. Due to this it started leaking at the front seal and others reported failure during driving. The fix would be to add a drain plug and make it a serviceable unit.

While driving down the interstate, the driver’s side windshield trim panel flew off my vehicle.

I was traveling on Rte 25 in Wareham, MA at approximately 65 mph when without warning the passenger side A-pillar trim piece flew off of my vehicle (2015 Ford Explorer). This startled me which caused me to be momentarily distracted. I just thought this was a rare incident so I did not initially report it however I was prompted to report my incident after hearing about other incidents on the news. I have already ordered an aftermarket replacement and would like for Ford to refund me $56.30.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front windshield was detaching. The contact stated that the windshield seal was peeling away and slowly detaching. The contact stated that the trim had detached. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while attempting to engage the parking brake, the parking brake failed to respond. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the parking brake assembly was replaced. The contact was informed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V464000 (Parking Brake) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included. The approximate failure mileage was 82,900.

Having read in a newspaper about the side windshield trim flying off it got me thinking about the rubber seals that go under that trim. On my Ford Explorer i have had those rubber seals split and and start ripping in strips. I have had to glue them to keep them from ripping off and maybe hit a vehicle behind me. Also there is a plastic plate that is below the windshield and under the windshield wipers that is warping. Have talked to a person that owns a body shop he told me that that is a common problem on these models of Explorers. He told me if i go and complain Ford may fix it for free. I have one more thing to mention. Went put in the VIN# for my Explorer it states that i have a recall that has not been Fixed. It is for the rear toe link. Well it has been fixed and i don't know how to change it to fixed.

Window trim pillars have blown off the car multiple times at highway speeds

Vehicle window trim, (Front right) detached and flew off vehicle when traveling between 50-60mph. I was unaware that this wasn't an isolated incident until the news reported a potential investigation.

Windshield trim panels flying off the car while traveling at highway

The molding on the front passenger side windshield flew off while driving at highway speeds.

On the highway in Texas a piece of the trim on the passenger side of windshield flew off the car. We pulled off the highway and found the part. We stopped at abford dealer in California to have it re -attached.

Driving on the highway, my left windshield trim flew off. This could have hurt someone or caused an accident. There was no warning prior to it coming off. The dealer charged me $500 to replace it.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the front passenger’s side window molding detached from the vehicle. The contact notified a local dealer of the failure; however, the vehicle was not yet taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the passenger’s side pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

When you drive the vehicle over 40 mph the vehicle let’s out a smell that’s very strong and you have to let the windows down so that you don’t feel sick. The smell makes you have headaches and feel lightheaded.

The backup camera flashes intermittently. Sometimes the backup camera will work, sometimes the Ford Sync screen goes black and a message pops up stating "Backup camera not available, please contact the Ford dealership" and sometimes the Ford Sync screen will remain as it looks when driving forward. It is currently a recall for 2020 and 2021 models. The problem has been reported to Ford and a case number has been documented.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the second-row rear inflatable seat belt connector caused the air bag warning light to illuminate. The contact related the failure to TSB-21B11 (2nd Row Inflatable Seat Belt). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the cable was re-routed under the seat and re-enforced with electrical tape; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

The backup camera fails constantly when you put the Ford Explorer into reverse the camera works sometime and sometime it do not work a message will pop up saying that there is a problem with the camera and need to be service this is happening to a lot of the 2015 Ford Explorers and older and there should be a recall because if you look online there have been thousands of people having the same problem with their backup camera

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start as needed. The contact stated that the “Service Required” light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to use the HVAC system, the heater was inoperable. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the water pump needed to be replaced. The mechanic stated that the water pump had been leaking coolant into the oil pan and could have caused the vehicle to stall. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Timing belt broke and caused vehicle to stop running, this was after I took it to a mechanic who did a diagnostic and no issues showed up. Now, because of the timing belt breaking, the engine is irreparable and the entire engine will need to be replaced. It only has 116K miles. Another minor complaint is the front driver's side side windshield panel has come unglued. Luckily, the vehicle was stationary when I noticed it being loose. However, it could pose a safety risk. I have noticed other similar vehicles missing the same piece, so it seems to be a consistent problem with Ford Explorers.

After several instances of intermittent loss of steering, the steering is now suck in manual mode (very stiff if not impossible to turn wheel). Luckily my wife was just pulling out of the driveway and not attempting to make a turn in traffic!! The dealer said it needs a new rack but at my expense!!?? $2500-3200. I am appalled that Ford has not addressed this issue yet. 2013/14 models covered, 2016 models covered. Why not 2015 models?? Its THE SAME EXACT ISSUE!!! Now I have a $12,000 brick sitting in the driveway. HEY, FORD!!! PLEASE HELP!! this is a very scary safety issue!

I was driving at about 50 mph and didn't have control of steering luckily I didn't panic and got safely off the highway. Never showed any signs that it was malfunctioning and it just went out. Took it the dealership and they told me it would be $2300 to repair.

Blower motor heat. Trim in door split.

My 2015 Ford Explorer is having fumes in the car. The dealership has charged me for an oil leak, cracked exhaust and now wants me to pay for a muffler. There is still exhaust fumes coming into the car making it hard to drive in the cold.

My steering column was fine one day, and then very loud the next. We took the car to our dealership. They figured out what was wrong... the steering gear went out which caused the complete steering gear assembly to be replaced. But, then they could not get the part from Ford. They said it was a "known issue" and Ford was not releasing the necessary part to have this repaired. They had my car four weeks before Ford agreed to ship the part. I am guessing they had to make sure the parts in inventory would not have the same issue. They would not release my car back to me because they deemed it "unsafe to drive". Finally five-six weeks later, I have my car back repaired.

Water pump damaged the engine and water pump replacement cost is high and I cannot afford that kind of service because a stupid designed engine. The part is really cheap compared with the cost of the labor and hours to replace. Suggested from the mechanic replace the engine and the cost is high . I do not have a car anymore and they don’t want to do it.

The toe-link on the rear-passenger side wheel broke and caused the vehicle to fish-tail uncontrollably before going into the ditch and rolling. My wife was driving with our two sons, 3 & 1 at the time, luckily no one was physically injured apart from some minor bumps and bruises. After the fact, we found out there was a recall on this specific part and it was repaired but, again, there was a recall on the replacement part. We were never notified, we have friends with the same vehicle that were never notified and are still trying to get the part repaired. Since this part failed and subsequently our vehicle totaled we were forced to buy an older, higher mileage vehicle at an inflated cost. Does Ford bear any responsibility to make this right or does it not matter until there are fatalities?

The steering makes a loud pop noise when turning sometimes locks up

Smell coming into cabin for explorer from vent, leak under vehicle, ford dealer says he didnt see a leak transmission shifted fine but he shut the vents off when he test drove the car to check for noise. took to dealer 3 times. PTU problem needs to be fixed on Explorer, money is tight and with inflation on the rise, i would think Ford wold do better helping customers with their problems, they need a way to work to pay the payment bc they want the car/truck/suv. DO BETTER.HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

Air Bag system wire harness and components continually fail resulting in inoperable airbag system. Risk of injury to driver and passengers as airbags will not deploy while SRS Error light is occuring.

In 2015, when I leased a Ford Explorer XLT, I was never made aware or otherwise notified that a host of Ford models, including the 2015 Ford Explorer XLT had a long known design flaw in which the water pump, encased in the engine block, had a history of prematurely breaking and causing engine coolant to enter the engine and mix with the oil, and also into the oil pan, causing total engine failure, with no advance warning to and at the peril of the vehicle owner or operator, when the vehicle may come to a complete standstill or stop in traffic or in any operation placing the operator at risk of injury or in jeopardy of causing an accident or being subject to becoming an accident victim, plus creating the need to replace a new engine or a rebuilt engine into the vehicle. catastrophic damage in 2011 to 2020 models, with the replacement costs having to be borne by the owner of said vehicle because no recall had been undertaken, despite of their being a host of victimized owners. This incident happened to me and the 2015 Ford Explorer XLT vehicle I was driving. It occurred while I was in traffic and the exception caused total engine failure with no advance warning, no instrument panel warning and the entire engine had to be replaced at my personal cost of over $7,000. I attempted to negotiate with Ford Motor Company to no avail, and I had to expend the funds to acquire and install a rebuilt engine, at my own expense, to be able to continue to use the vehicle for my livelihood. Num

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front driver’s and front passenger's side interior door trim started to detach from the door panel. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer nor the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.