2015 Ford Explorer complaints

The contact owns a 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue 3.8. The contact stated that he smelled a fuel odor throughout the vehicle. The oil warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front valve cover and the front valve cover gasket needed to be replaced. The contact refenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V116000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000. Th VIN was unavailable

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle decelerated unintendedly, and the contact heard abnormally loud sounds coming from the engine. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the water pump was replaced due to the water pump seal being burned; however, the failure persisted. The dealer diagnosed that the motor pin fixers had failed, and 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. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the steering became very difficult to turn. The contact was able to steer the vehicle; however, extra effort was needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven back to his residence and the vehicle regained power steering functionality after turning off and then restarting the vehicle. The contact stated that he recently started hearing a grinding noise coming from the transfer case. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the PTU transfer case needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Water pump leakage I noted that my Ford was leaking fluid and took it in to be serviced. Upon review it was determined that the water pump needed to be replaced as well as the timing belt. Ford Explorer models from 2011 to 2016 had the most water pump issues. Consumers have continuously reported complaints with a few of all the models having leakage issues. I am not alone in this and it looks like several are indicating a class action lawsuit should occur as Ford knows this is an issue and has not completed a recall. https://www.vehiclehistory.com/articles/all-about-the-ford-explorer-water-pump-recalls The loss of engine coolant through a leak in the water pump can damage the engine. Without the engine coolant, the motor will overheat and lock up, causing the consumer to purchase a new engine. Ford Motor Company has repaired the issues when the consumer brings the vehicle in for service. No recalls have happened, so the customer has to pay for the repairs. Ford engines from this year have the water pump built inside the engine. When the pump fails, the coolant mixes with the oil shutting the engine down. A class-action lawsuit was issued, but there were no recalls. A recall needs to occur and Ford needs to fix for all impacted models and reimburse those who were impacted by this dangerous flaw.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, there was a burning odor coming from the vents. The oil pressure warning light was displayed before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the water pump had failed causing coolant to leak into the engine oil, causing the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 168,000.

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My 2015 Explorer power steering failed while I was driving and resulted in no control of my vehicle. The Ford dealer has indicated that the Rack And Pinion Assembly, Part Number: E5BZ3504AM needs to be replaced. This is a serious safety concern. I had replaced this part a few years ago but fortunately that time I only experienced creaking noise while turning. Now Ford is telling the dealer there are no parts nationwide and my car is sitting at a dealership and has since August. This needs to investigated as Ford Motor Company will likely supply the service department with another one of these dangerous parts.

This vehicle has an internal water pump. Failure can destroy engine. Failure can cause vehicle to stop. Repair costs are approximately $3,500.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while shifting to park(P), the message that the transmission was not in park(P) was displayed. The contact stated she shifted back to drive and then to park until the shift selector recognized that the vehicle was in park. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the shifter assembly replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V464000 (Parking Brake) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,382.

Steering wheel becomes stiff, and at times locks up while vehicle is in motion no matter the speed. I almost lost complete control when the wheel locked briefly while exiting the highway on a curved off ramp. Thankfully my wife nor my teenage daughter where operating the vehicle, I was. Having had experience in vehicle operations while in combat, I was able to regain control without further incident. This unpredictable malfunction should truly be looked into and rectified by manufacturer.

Power Steering Assist Fault on 10/17/2022. Steering wheel would not move (or was very difficult to turn the wheels at all). Had this occurred while driving it would have been near impossible for my wife to steer the car and likely would have caused an accident. Fortunately it happened first thing in the morning when starting the car in our garage. Towed to repair shop and they confirmed the entire steering rack needs replacement (electric steering). Warning light for same problem occurred 11/23/2021, but after restarting vehicle the warning indicator went away and the steering unlocked. Took to service shop but they could not replicate the problem and cleared the codes, and the code did not come back. This time however there is no solution other than to replace the entire steering rack at great expense.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled and then lost motive power. The engine temperature warning light was illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and the contact was advised to tow the vehicle to the local dealer for diagnostic test and repair. The vehicle was then towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting the repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph in the rain when the vehicle began to fish tale. The contact had to use excessive force in order to control the vehicle until they were unable to safely pull over. The hazards had to be used due to them needing to reduce speed to approximately 40 mph. The contact had taken the vehicle to a certified mechanic who aligned the wheels. The contact was informed that due to the repair for recall NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension) that they received there was no adjuster to correctly align the front and rear wheels. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred them to the dealer. The approximate failure mileage was 94,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving on an incline, the engine stalled. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that her uncle who is an independent mechanic, looked under the hood and determined that the water pump had fractured and leaked over the engine and unknown coil and water pump needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for the following month. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

Driving down the road and making a right turn into a gas station, I heard a popping noise coming from the front, passenger, tire area. I let it go for a couple days but the noise didn't go away. A day earlier, I picked up the vehicle from Ford (had the recalls addressed). Never was informed of a problem with the front end what so ever...I decided to take the vehicle to Firestone. They checked and found the "rack and pinon" needed to be replaced because the popping noise was coming from inside the system. The repair was estimated to cost $2600.00. Firestone informed me that they called Ford for replacement cost and Ford said they didn't have any to sell. I've read various chat rooms for 2015 Ford Explorer issues and found NHTSA was aware of the problem but no recalls had been issued by Ford. NHTSA, I urge you to push the manufacturer, Ford, to issue a recall on 2015 Ford Explorers and have the rack and pinon issue fixed. This must happen before unsuspecting drivers and their passengers (let alone other drivers and maybe even pedestrians if the car's steering wheel was to lock up as has been reported by other drivers in chat rooms) are hurt or killed. I hope this complaint will be the one that compels NHTSA to act on a recall. After 20+ years working for DOT, I have hope that NHTSA will push Ford to act. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, she was crashed into head-on by another vehicle which sent the vehicle backward into a guardrail. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact's right shoulder hit the steering wheel and her head hit the pillar on the driver's side door. The contact sought medical treatment after the accident and received an X-ray on her right shoulder; the results showed no broken bones. The other driver was transported to the hospital by ambulance for leg pain. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard where it remained in their possession. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and she was given a case number; she was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle had yet to be destroyed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 157,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, the steering wheel seized in a certain position with the "Steering Assist Fault Service Required" warning message on the instrument panel. Upon restarting the vehicle, the power steering failed to operate as needed and excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle. The contact was able to reset the vehicle and drove to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective electric steering rack. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure and was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

Front windshield wiper cowl has disintegrated. Allows water to drip into glove compartment and passenger side flooring.

Front windshield side trim came off while driving.

Vehicle lost power steering while driving on highway. My self along with 4 other passengers was in danger of running into other vehicles . I was able to get vehicle to repair and the dealership service department has t replace the Electronic Steering gear and program. There were no prior warning before we lost control.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact turned off the vehicle and allowed the computer to reset itself. The failure persisted. The power steering assists warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 79,000. The consumer stated that the vehicle was repaired but soon failed again. At the time of the second failure, the "Steering Assist Fault" was displayed on the dashboard, and it took multiple tries to get the vehicle moving again.

The power steering went out while I was driving. I had to hold the steering wheel all the way to the left just to go straight. Had the car towed to the dealership where I was informed the repair would cost $3000 and Ford will not cover any of it. Was told that Ford does not even make the part any more because they had so many problems so they would have to order a refurbished part in order to fix.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that she noticed that the front passenger’s side door panel had started to detach. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the trim panel needed to be repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that she heard noise in the rear driver's and passenger side wheels. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the rear wheel knuckle was previously replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number and advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

Vehicle stopped suddenly as I was driving on the highway. When I was able to resume driving the vehicle began to drag as if there was no power. The check engine light came on. I was eventually able to reach a auto supplier who checked the engine light that reported that the blower fan motor was not working. This was a very dangerous situation as the posted speed limit is 55mph and my vehicle suddenly stopped on the highway.

2015 FORD EXPLORER ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING ASSIST MODULE RACK AND PINION MY WIFE STARTED THE VEHICLE AND A POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME UP ON THE DASH.WE HAD NO POWER STEERING,THANK GOODNESS IT HAPPENED IN OUR DRIVEWAY AND NOT ON THE ROAD SOMEWHERE. WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER AND THEY TOLD US THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING ASSIST MODULE RACK AND PINION WAS BAD. WE HAD TO PAY $2500 UP FRONT TO ORDER THE PARTS AND WERE TOLD THE PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER AND MAY TAKE 2 WEEKS TO A MONTH OR MORE TO COME IN.THEY TOLD US IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL FIXED.I STARTED LOOKING UP THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THIS WAS HAPPENING TO MANY OTHER VEHICLES,FORD EXPLORERS THANKS FOR LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM AND SAVING LIVES

At approximately 101,000 miles noticed a drip of coolant on garage floor . Inspected car , noticed empty coolant expansion tank and leak from water pump weep hole. Took to dealer and confirmed leaking water pump . Vehicle is not equipped with coolant monitor , most people would not of noticed this leak . This has lead to catastrophic engine failure on other Explorers leading to loss of power while driving.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated she noticed that the front driver’s side door trim was raised nearby the window. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the front driver’s side door panel to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who was able to glue the front driver-side trim back in place. The vehicle was repaired; however, the front passenger’s side door trim experienced the same failure. A dealer was not contacted regarding the second failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated the passenger’s side roof rail covering had detached. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the driver's and passenger side door trim panel started to detach from the window’s edge. The vehicle was initially taken to the dealer for a recall repair however, the contact stated that the dealer checked the door trim panel and stated that there were no issues found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided the number to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 114,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while pulling into the driveway at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized with the Service Advance Trac and Steering Loss Stop Safely messages displayed. The contact related the failure to a faulty rack and pinion and steering column; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at an unknown speed, the contact stated that the vehicle was performing abnormally when the coolant temperature warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the coolant leaks while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the water pump cracked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became inoperable. The power steering assist and advance track warning indicator lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 69,053.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the water pump was leaking coolant. The mechanic informed the contact that the water pump and timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact was able to jumpstart the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was towed to a local Pep Boys where the battery was replaced. Additionally, the contact stated that she noticed that coolant was leaking onto the ground in the driveway. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the water pump was leaking. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.

Sitting in my car one day and the engine coolant light came on, so I checked and noticed that it was low but I just had an oil change the prior week that included fluid checks. I purchased coolant and put it in no problem and the following week I'm picking up school supplies and notice fluid leaking from my car, checked coolant and it is all gone on the ground. Luckily I was somewhere to purchase more coolant in order to get it home. Local mechanic says that water pump is gone and it's gonna run about $2k-3k to fix.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized. The steering fault message was displayed while the advanced traction control warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, there was an abnormally strong burning odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the turbocharging of the cooling lines was weakening. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact became aware of an unknown recall. The contact contacted the local dealer for the recall repair. However, the dealer informed her that the vehicle could not be repaired under the unknown recall as the VIN was not included. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

I was driving up north to spend the weekend camping with family and 2 hours into our trip two light went off one being the steering wheel check light a d the other being the advance trac light. I had to pull over completely because i was unable to drive the vehicle.

Coolant leaked because of failed water pumps which is a known problem by many Ford Explorer owners.

Water pump went out and had to have my vehicle towed and I was out of my vehicle for a month and half... Faulty water pump and Ford knows this that is why they have a law suit against them. Then where they put this water put makes the cost even more!!! $1500 labor and $500 water pump then from the water pump going out it mixed oil and water through my engine and leaked all over my compressor so that went out so I had to change that also and that was another $1000.. FORD SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THES FAULTY WATER PUMPS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEIR IS A PROBLEM WITH THEM!@!@!@!@

Every since I bought this vehicle I have intermittent power steering failure while driving. I was assured in the past that the toe link recall took care of this problem but I still continue to have this problem, although not as frequent as was before. While drive when it goes out I get the following errors flash: Service Advan Trac, Steering Assit Fault, and Hill start assist not available. These are the warnings that flashes. As of now, if I can get pulled over and turn off the vehicle and let it sit. Everything runs normal. But what is strange this last time I also got a Power Steering Low error flash up. This is dangerous and I can not believe FORD has not recalled my vehicle for the module when all the years and some of my years have been recalled for it. This is a $$$$ repair.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, there was an excessive amount of coolant fluid leaking from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed with a defective water pump. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.

The transmission went out in the car, because the Transfer Case was bad. I could have been stuck somewhere because of this problem. Ford needs to be more proactive on this. My daughter also had her transmission go out also. NOT OK!!!

This has been an intermittent issue for approximately a year. The vehicle experiences binding popping when turning. The steering sticks and takes a second to return to function. I have almost missed curves because of the malfunction. It has not been examined by a dealership, but by a few independent mechanics. Sometimes it cannot be duplicated and in other instances it happens so quickly the tech cannot assess the issue properly. I have not had any warning lights or alerts other than the activity. I am scared to drive my vehicle especially with my kids inside. I have read several forums and this is clearly an issue that Ford is aware of, but has chosen to do nothing about. Please help.

I purchased this vehicle in May 2021. Within a week after purchasing, the power steering went out completely. When this happened, an indicator came on the dash that said "Steering Assist Fault-Service required". Another indicator came on as well that said "Service Advancetrac". Not only did the power steering go completely out, but the selector that allows me to change modes from grass, snow, sand, normal conditions was not working either. It was no longer lit up and would not respond when I tried to change it. This exact same scenario has actually HAPPENED 6 TIMES NOW in the past year, with the most recent happening on June 21, 2022. Each time, it happens when I am going to a relatively slow speed (under 25 mph) and it is VERY difficult to get it off the road due to the power steering being out. I am only reporting now because I didnt' know how to report it, or that it would do any good at all to do so. When this happened that very first time a week after I purchased it, the dealership said that I would need to have something with the steering replaced. I complained that I had only had the vehicle for 1 week, so they took it back to repair it. The repair apparently didn't fix it becuase it keeps happening. I transport my children in this vehicle daily. If the power steering fails again at a higher speed, a collision is very likely. I do not know why the Advancetrac selector goes out as well when this happens, but it happens every time. Each time this happens, I have to get i

When accelerating, an odor becomes prominent throughout the cabin of the vehicle. I can only describe the smell as exhaust. This smell usually goes away, or is too faint to notice after a few minutes. If this is exhaust, isn't there a possibility of Carbon Monoxide poisoning? At first, I thought the smell came from some kind of cleaner that the dealer had used when cleaning, but now over a year later, the smell still happens. Only after investigating this smell on the internet, I found that this appears to be a prominent issue with this vehicle.

Backup Camera failed and only works intermittenly. Mostly doesn't work. Because of the design of the car, it is very hard to see when backing up.

Driving 65-70 mph on highway headed home steering seemed a little stiff going into a curve then cleared up. 10 miles further down the road the steering seems a little hard to keep in my lane and then felt normal again. Coming into town slowing down to about 35-40 mph Service Advancetrac soon light came on. I slowed down as there was no where safe to pull over safely and turned on hazard lights until I could look for a spot to pull over and call my husband. Drove a couple more miles and pulled into a parking lot just as the steering loss light came on and all steering capability was lost. I’ve seen many complaints from owners of same make and model with this problem. Makes me curious why there is no recall on this year model when there are calls for this on previous year models