2016 Ford Explorer complaints

The drivers side trim piece that runs vertically on the edge of the windshield and holds the rubber gasket in place came loose at the top and allowed the rubber gasket to flap around and hit the window, trim, and windshield. I was on the highway for a relatively short distance so it didn't come off completely. If it had flown off the car it could have caused an accident or hit someone else's vehicle causing damage. I am assuming there is some type of clip or screw? that has come off allowing the trim piece to come loose at the top. I have notified the dealership where I purchased the vehicle. They have not responded yet. I have not contacted anyone else about the incident.

We were driving on the freeway and out of nowhere, the trim next to the windshield completely flew off on the passenger side of the car and then the driver side trim broke in half.

The window trim/window pillars keep flying off on the interstate/highway!!! I’ve replaced them multiple times and yet continue to fly off !!!! PLEASE RECALL AND REPLACE THESE ON THE EXPLORERS ITS SAD !!!!

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the windshield trim on the passenger’s and driver's side detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. The VIN was not available.

Air bag warning light illuminated with diagnostic trouble code B141B and/or B141C as listed in Ford TSB 15-0113. Independent service center identified the problem and confirmed that the circuit / wires had been severed and the airbag would not have deployed. The independent service center let me know that our safety was at risk and that we should definitely have the repair completed prior to putting the vehicle back on the road. They also are the ones that made us aware of the Ford technical service bulletin and that the problem had never been made into a company recall. The component has not been inspected by Ford, however the independent service center followed Fords recommendation for repair. I have been working with the Ford Corporation who told me that the service center would reimburse me for the repair. However, the Ford service center said that the repair was done outside the dates of the released Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) 21B11. In addition they notified me that my vehicle was outside the "build-date" that was covered under the CSP. However, it is obvious through research that the problem still exists. The CSP was in effect from January 21, 2021 to January 21, 2023 . The repair we had done by the independent service center was performed on January 30, 2023. This only days after the program ended. I explained to the Ford service center that this was an ongoing problem even in some newer models of Ford vehicles. It is documented all over the internet that thi

Steering freezes or goes stiff through turns as if power steering is failing. Grinding noise while turning wheel at lower speeds. Online research points to rack and pinion failure. Steering issue has gotten progressively worse over months. Started as a slight hesitation while going through turns at a reduced speed but has progressed to more frequent steering issues at all speeds.

The windshield cowl is separated from the body of the car and could break apart and hit a car

My check engine light keeps reading a evap code. I have replaced the evap throttle 3x’s. My car smells of a gas leak coming from somewhere. I have taken it to Ford, and to two other mechanics. They claim that the check engine code is wrong and they cannot find where the fuel smell is coming from without the proper code. My check engine light turns on and off with the same error everytime. The evap code is not the problem. I have made a complaint months ago, and still nothing. Not sure what else I can do.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal sound near the windshield. The contact then stated that the windshield trim panel detached from the windshield. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was transferred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Lane Keep Assist warning light illuminated. Additionally, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that this was a common failure with the year, make, and model vehicle. The dealer was able to duplicate the failure, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.

Steering wheel started to make noises and becoming stiff when turning left or right. No warning or indicator lights are showing. Next day Steering wheel was locked & wouldn't move. Ford dealership serviced the vehicle & said it was the lower steering shaft. I paid to have it fixed. Then the dealership said the steering rack needs replaced & there was no way of knowing it until the lower steering shaft was replaced. The steering rack was recalled on other 2016 Ford Explorers & I don't understand why it wasn't recalled on mine since it's having the same symptoms. Ford said I'll know when to replace it because the power steering will go out. There's no way this car is safe to drive. Let alone to be advised to drive it until the power steering goes out.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver's side windshield trim detached and flew off the vehicle. Additionally, the windshield rubber gasket was flapping while driving, and the contact removed the rubber gasket from the windshield. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the windshield trim clips had fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

Window trim pieces detached while driving on the highway, hitting window hard and then flying back into traffic. This is the 2nd piece of trim that has detached while on the highway. First piece was on further back on side.

The waterpump of the vehicle causes excessive leaking which causes the vehicle to overheat.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in for a routine oil change, the mechanic discovered that fluid was leaking from the water pump. No further information was available. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.

The rack and pinion has gone up with only 60,000 miles on the car. Steering control was lost The problem has been confirmed by the dealer No warning lights went on the steering wheel started grinding and steering control was limited.

A piece of the windsheild pillar trim flew off at highway speed on the passenger side

The 2nd row seatbelts in my 2016 Ford Explorer contain mini-airbags. There is a design flaw that causes the connection to the seatbelts to fail, disabling all airbags in the vehicle. Ford issued a CSP in January of 2021 and was supposed to notify all owners of all affected vehicles. I was never notified. In April 2022 my vehicle was left with a Ford dealership for 1 month due to constant electrical problems- the dashboard would go dark, the car would lose power, the maps would shut down, etc. That dealership repositioned the faulty wires. In December of 2022 the airbag light came on. I had to take it to another dealership and learned because of a failed connection to the 2nd row seatbelt, my car had no operational airbags. I paid approximately $1200.00 for the repair. Ford is refusing to reimburse me for the costs I incurred due to their design flaw. The safety of everyone who has ridden in that car was put at risk- if there was a collision, there would be no protection. The airbag light was not on when the wires were first repositioned. My son drove the car from CT to Florida and was unaware of that the light meant that all airbag s were disabled.

Vehicle is undriveable due to the steering system locking up as so many others have reported. Started as just being stiff during turns and is not completely locked, and the dealer claims they cannot get parts to repair and there is no recall.

While traveling at highway speed on Interstate 20 W in Texas, the right A-pillar molding detached and flew off. There were no indications of the part beginning to loosen prior to detaching. I have not taken the vehicle to the dealer as it is out of warranty.

I’ve had two instances of the windshield moulding becoming detached and flying off the car while on the highway. The first was a couple of years ago and involved the right side windshield moulding, this last one involved the left side windshield moulding. Each time I can’t be sure that the moulding didn’t fly into another car because it came off with such force, it actually scratched my car when it flew off. This is the second time I’ve had to pay over $300 to get the moulding replaced because of what I feel are faulty clips that hold it on. This poses a safety hazard to not only me (distraction when it comes off while on the highway) as well as other drivers around me. I feel this needs to be a recall issue and, if owners have paid to have said repairs already done, a reimbursement made for the repairs done to date. As an added note, I was at my grandson’s baseball game Friday night and there were three explorers in the parking lot, I ring mine. ALL THREE were missing one side of their windshield mouldings!!

I was driving my vehicle only a month after getting oil change and service. I was confident my vehicle was in good condition as it had passed the inspection. I suddenly noticed the temperature needle was rising. I immediately pulled over and asked for help and was told i needed water. My water pump was not working.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing the vehicle, the back over prevention camera malfunctioned and failed to display an image. The contact stated that the message "rear camera not available" was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that the front driver’s side and passenger’s side window trim molding became unsecured and might detach from the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 89,320.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the windshield trim panel was partially detached. The contact applied double-sided tape to prevent the windshield trim panel from completely detaching. The contact stated that the windshield trim panel had previously been replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 225,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65-70 mph, there was an abnormal exhaust odor entering the vehicle. When the accelerator pedal was released, the odor dissipated. There were no warning indicator lights illuminated. The driver and passenger sustained a headache due to the odor but medical attention was not provided. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the seal was broken. Additionally, the mechanic informed her to use premium or Chevron fuel. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a case, and referred her to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.

While driving on the interstate at 65mph, the driver side windshield trim cover and outer rubber windshield seal flew off the vehicle. There was no evidence of this possible issue prior to the event and no previous damage to the part.

Coolant leaking, could be water pump issues? Also foul order inside vehicle. I just bought this so I don't know when these problems started. I have not taken it to a shop yet

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the temperature gauge indicated that the engine had overheated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who replaced the thermostat, but the failure recurred, and the vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was later examined by the mechanic who diagnosed that the water pump and coolant fan had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 97,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became firm. The contact stated that extra effort was needed while steering the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

The contact owns 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the passenger’s side air bag wiring harness was faulty. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

I had my ford explorer 2016 for only 2 years and the rack and pinion already failed. Luckily I wasn’t on the free way when it failed on me and it would be a safety hazard. I heard clanking noise whenever I steer the steering wheel. My Dealership can’t replace it due to a extended warranty not valid anymore

While I was driving on the highway at about 65 mph the passenger side plastic piece that runs from the top of the windshield to the bottom of the windshield flew off suddenly. This piece was large and had it hit the driver behind me could have caused serious damage. This has not been confirmed by a dealer yet. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone yet. There was no warning that it was about to come off the vehicle, it happened instantly.

Everytime my ac/heat is on it affects my engine as I’m driving. My speedometer fast jumps. As soon as I turn it off it seems to run better. I made a complaint a week ago about something going on with my fuel and fan running high speed. I have a foul smell in my car. I thought for awhile it was something outside but now I believe it’s coming from my car. It smells like fuel/rubber/sewer if that makes sense.

19April2023 at approximately 13:30 HRS, While traveling northbound highway 65 between Cullman and Hartselle Alabama, the right side windshield moulding detached while traveling approximately 70 MPH. The detached moulding flew rearward into traffic behind me. Upon inspection, it appears the piece is held in place by a single clip and a small strip of hook and loop tape. There were no warnings prior to the piece detaching itself from the vehicle

Torque converter

I was traveling on I 95 at around 55 to 60 mph when all of a sudden, the plastic trim on the side of the windshield the passenger side flew off cracked and started dangling over my passenger side window and mirror. The piece blocked my view of my mirror while I was traveling in the left lane approaching a left exit. I had to pull to the left shoulder because I was blinded by the piece on my right and could not see if the lanes were clear for me to go right. I put my hazards on and had to get out on I-95 and remove the hanging trim so I could see through my passenger mirror again. The piece probably would have become a flying object at highway speed endangering any motorist behind or beside me.

Driving on bridge Tampa Florida when I heard a loud noise and briefly felt like I ran over something. Once at destination, discovered the driver's side panel between windshield and door was missing.

2016 Ford Explorer transmission failure while traveling at highway speeds, with less than 52,000 miles. Engine RPMs ramped up quickly and to unsafe levels as vehicle seemed to drop to a low gear, which then impacted vehicle speed and necessitate maneuvering multiple lanes of traffic to pull over to shoulder of road. Then had to limp along at very low speed to exit highway. Later testing at dealership generated two error codes, and suggested fix after initial diagnosis was tranny replacement, except the replacement tranny is on indefinite backorder through Ford. How issue will be addressed/corrected is still to be determined. A package of "kits" was best dealership could offer. There was no prior indication of an issue, no warning lights or other symptoms prior to failure.

After turning left at a stop sign I lost the ability to turn the wheels right. The steering wheel turns all the way to the right however the wheels stop in the straight position. I am however able to turn the all the way to the left.

When I was driving at 55 mph with a 25 mph crosswind my windshield trim broke apart and got thrown into the on coming lane of traffic because the white retaining tabs holding the trim in broke and then some of trim held because of the attachment of rubber the rubber was torn a bit because of the trim ultimately failing.

Took 2016 Ford Explorer in for an oil change. Was informed that there is an Engine Water Pump leak and needs replacement. There were no warning lights or notifications. Concerns are a malfunction of only vehicle available to me and my family.

While driving on I75 at 65MPH the front passenger side windshield panel on the edge of windshield flew off and and almost hit vehicle behind me. They had to swerve out of way of the flying object. Very scary incident on the highway. Had to have it replaced so as not to have an rust occur.

Pillar Trim piece next to windshield on the passenger side flew off my car while driving the speed limit of 70 MPH on I-95 in Florida. The part flew off and hit the trailer of a tractor trailer in the neighboring lane. No one was hurt, but it's ridiculous that a trim piece that displayed no signs of damage would just fly off of the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after noticing that the seat heaters were inoperable, he saw that the heated seat module connector had melted. The contact also stated that the front passenger’s side seat controls were inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle had not yet been taken to an independent mechanic or a local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. 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 120,000.

My fuel evap pump check engine light keeps coming on. I’ve owned this vehicle since July 2022 and I have paid for the evap pump 3x’s. My fan constantly runs in the engine. My engine has a stutter when I press the gas. Ford absolutely dropped the ball with this vehicle. I have already paid thousands of dollars (water pump, evap pumps and more) please help on getting this car serviced. I still owe like 20k on this car. I cannot afford to keep getting it fixed. I have 121k miles on it.

Right windshield trim panel flew off on the ighway.

The vehicle became very difficult to steer while on the freeway and then the steering system completely failed. I was able to safely get off the freeway, but I was lucky. This could have been devastating. There were no warning lights until the system shut down. The system issues match exactly the complaints of those who experienced issues with the rear toe link. I live in California, in the Sierra Nevadas in an area with high snow and brine (corrosive) used daily in the winter. The recall is not showing in my area because Ford has deemed all of California as a non corrosive area. This is an extremely dangerous, recognized safety issue which I was not given notice of the recall because Ford mis-catergorized all of California as a non-snow area.

The power steering has a tendency to go out at random, the wheel goes stiff mid-turn.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving on the freeway approximately 70 MPH, the front passenger’s side windshield trim detached from the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 70,000.

While driving on the road my front windshield trims started to come loose, cracked and flew away. The windshield trims are compromised all around the front windshield trims. Did report the issue today at the Ford Dealership, they claimed I had to deal with FORD directly. I did reach out to FORD, they claimed no recall has been issued to that effect. Did ask them to address this issue as a serious safety issue that could cause the windshield to dislodge and cause a serious accident. No offer from FORD to fix it. Same issue has been reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration by 164 other FORD Explorer owners.