TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE LIFTGATE AUTOMATICALLY CLOSED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,800. UPDATED 05/11/16*LJ *TR
2016 Ford Explorer complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2016 record →
I RECENTLY RECEIVED A 2016 FORD POLICE UTILITY (EXPLORER) AS A NEW PATROL VEHICLE. WHILE ON PATROL I SUDDENLY LOST POWER STEERING. I RECEIVED A STEERING ASSIST FAULT MESSAGE ON THE DASH, AS WELL AS A TRACTION AND STABILITY CONTROL ERROR MESSAGE. THE VEHICLE HAS 935 MILES ON IT. I HAVE READ WHERE FORD HAS HAD PROBLEMS IN THE PAST WITH THIS STEERING SYSTEM. AS A POLICE OFFICER I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITH NO WARNING COULD RESULT IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR OFFICERS DRIVING THIS VEHICLE, AS WELL AS CIVILIANS DRIVING THE CIVILIAN MODEL. AS OF THIS COMPLAINT THE VEHICLE IS AT THE DEALERSHIP WAITING TO BE FIXED. FORD NEEDS TO GET THIS SYSTEM WORKING CORRECTLY.
MY 2016 FORD EXPLORER IS MAKING A HIGH PITCH SOUND WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BEING CUT OFF. THE SOUND HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS A BAD COOLING FAN BEARING. I'M NOT SURE OF THE EXTENT BUT THIS CANNOT BE A GOOD THING IF THE BEARING IS BAD FOR THE COOLING FAN. A BAD BEARING COULD LEAD TO OTHER ISSUES IF IT IS ALREADY BAD AND THE CAR IS ONLY 4 MONTHS OLD. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP MULTIPLE (6) TIMES FOR JUST THE FAN ITSELF. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIX IT AND ENLISTED THE ASSISTANCE OF THE MANUFACTURERS TECH LINE AND STILL NO RESOLUTION. MY VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP AND I HAD TO INVOLVE THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU'S AUTOLINE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAS VIOLATED MY STATES LEMON LAW. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO REPORT THIS ISSUE SO THAT SOMETHING CAN BE DONE. THIS IS DEFINENTLY A DEFECT IN THE MANUFACTURING OF THE FAN AND I HAVE HAD 3 FANS IN MY VEHICLE AND EACH ONE HAS THE DEFECT. THE FIRST DATE I REPORTED THIS ISSUE WAS ON 01/07/2016.
CABIN FILLS WITH CARBON MONOXIDE DURING UPHILL GRADE THROUGH AC UNIT. OR ENGINE UNDER LOAD. 3000-4000 RPM CREATES SULFUR ROTTEN EGG SMELL IN CABIN. FORD IS GIVING ME THE RUN AROUND.
RADIATOR COOLING FAN SQUEALS LOUDLY WHEN CAR IS IDLE OR DRIVING SLOWLY. CAR HAS ALREADY BEEN IN THE SHOP TO REPLACE THE FAN ONCE. NEW FAN BEGAN SQUEALING AGAIN WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF DRIVING AFTER REPAIR. CAR ONLY HAS 4000 MILES ON IT. HAVE READ OTHER COMPLAINTS OF FAULTY COOLING FAN BEARINGS. AFRAID FAN WILL STOP WORKING AND CAUSE FIRE OR OVERHEATING.
WHILE MAKING A TURN ON A LOCAL STREET POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND WAITED A MINUTE AND RESTARTED NO FURTHER ISSUES. I HAVE OWNED MANY EXPLORERS INCLUDING 11-13 AND NOW 16. THE 16 HAS 12K MILES ON IT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SEAT BELT LATCH FRACTURED. AS A RESULT THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO BUCKLE THE SEAT BELT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SEAT BELT HOUSING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,208.
WIFE WAS DRIVING CAR & STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHT , CALLED ME & SAID CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE & SMELLED BURNING , UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND COOLING FAN MOTOR & FAN SHROUD CAUGHT ON FIRE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THERE WAS AN EXHAUST ODOR BEING RELEASED INTO THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON THREE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THE FIRST AND SECOND OCCASIONS BUT THE REPAIRS WERE UNKNOWN AND THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 953.
1,400 MILES 1.1 MONTHS, AND GOT A EXTREMELY SOON PROBLEM WHIT THE RADIATOR FAN, NOISE ON BEARINGS DON'T STOP. POSSIBLY THE FAN CAN STOP WORKING SOON AFFECTING TEMPERATURE OF ENGINE HTTPS://WWW.EXPLORERFORUM.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=438269
COOLING FAN CAUGHT ON FIRE.
PURCHASED 2016 FORD EXPLORER NEW. HAS 4567 MILES ON IT. STARTING NOTICING A POPPING SOUND UNDER FOOT FLOOR BOARD DRIVER SIDE WHENEVER I FIRST START THE VEHICLE AND MOVE FORWARD TO ABOUT 7 MILES PER HOUR ABOUT TWO MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. NOISE DOES NOT HAPPEN ANYTIME AFTER THE FIRST POP WHILE DRIVING, ONLY WHEN YOU FIRST START THE VEHICLE AND MOVE FORWARD AT ABOUT 7 MPH. TOOK TO FORD DEALER TO HAVE THE NOISE CHECKED OUT THEY ADJUSTED THE FRONT BRIDGE LINK BOLT AS PER TSB 15-0186 AND SAID THE NOISE WAS GONE. I WENT TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE AND AS SOON AS I MOVED FORWARD AT ABOUT 7MPH THE POPPING NOISE CAME BACK. TALKED TO SERVICE WRITER AND HE TALKED TO SOMEONE ELSE AND THEY SAID THAT THIS WAS A NORMAL NOISE AND ALL 2106 EXPLORERS DID THIS. THEY GOT ANOTHER 2016 EXPLORER LIKE MINE FROM THE LOT AND SURE ENOUGH IT MADE THE SAME POPPING NOISE RIGHT AROUND 7 MPH. I GUESS FORD DOES NOT BUILD QUALITY PRODUCTS LIKE ADVERTISED. HARD TO BELIEVE A $35,000.00 VEHICLE WOULD MAKE POPPING NOISES WHEN NEW. MY ADVICE IS "DO NOT" BUT ANY FORD PRODUCTS ESPECIALLY THE EXPLORER.
PURCHASED A NEW 2016 FORD EXPLORER XLT IN AUGUST 2015. WHEN VEHICLE WAS READY FOR PICK UP WE NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE MIDDLE ROW SEAT MATERIAL WAS PULLED AWAY FROM THE FOAM CUSHION. THE SELLING DEALER SAID THEY WOULD PUT A WARRANTY CLAIM INTO FORD TO GET THE SEAT FIXED. WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM DEALER A FEW WEEKS LATER AND SAID FORD WOULD FIX THE SEAT AND TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER CLOSER TO OUR AREA TO HAVE IT FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE WARRANTY PERSON THERE WOULD NOT EVEN COME OUT AND LOOK AT IT SINCE WE DID NOT BUY IT THERE. I CALLED THE FORD CS LINE AND MADE A COMPLAINT. THEY CALLED THE DEALER AND ASKED THEM TO LOOK AT THE SEAT. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THEM AND THEY TOOK PICTURES AND SENT TO FORD FOR WARRANTY APPROVAL. WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM CS AND THEY SAID THE PICTURES DID NOT SHOW ANY DAMAGE AND NO REPAIRS WOULD BE MADE. I ASKED THE CS PERSON IF I COULD SEND MY PICTURES OF THE SEAT AND THEY SAID OK. I SENT PICTURES OF THE SEAT DAMAGE AND FORD WENT BACK AND FORTH WITH ME AND EVEN GOT A WARRANTY REP INVOLVED. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE SEAT CUSHION IS PULLED AWAY FROM THE FOAM AND IT IS DAMAGED, FORD DID GET BACK WITH ME AND SAID IT IS NOT DAMAGED AND THEY WILL NOT COVER UNDER WARRANTY. MY ADVICE TO ANYONE THINKING ABOUT BUYING A FORD PRODUCT ESPECIALLY AN EXPLORER IS NOT TO. APPARENTLY QUALITY CONTROL IS NOT ONE OF THEIR MAIN POINTS. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 3550 MILES ON IT AND ALREADY THE RADIO HAS QUIT WORKING AND THE FRONT
WHILE I WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT OF MY RENTAL (THE VEHICLE RUNNING AND IN PARK), I PRESSED #2 OF THE NUMBERED BUTTONS, NEXT TO THE LOCK CONTROLS, AND THE SEAT STARTED MOVING BY ITSELF. THE SEAT MOVED UP AND FORWARD, WHILE THE STEERING WHEEL MOVED DOWN. MY LEGS STARTED TO GET COMPRESSED BY THE STEERING WHEEL, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME MY KNEES WERE BEING FORCED INTO THE PLASTIC PIECES UNDER THE STEERING COLUMN. MY BODY WAS BEING FORCED AGAINST THE STEERING WHEEL. I TRIED TO STOP THE SEAT FROM MOVING BY USING MY BODY TO CREATE A FORCE BUT THE SEAT WOULD NOT STOP. WHEN THE SEAT FINALLY STOPPED, MY LEGS WERE IN PAIN AND I COULD BARELY BREATHE FROM THE STEERING WHEEL BEING AGAINST MY CHEST. I PANICKED AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. MY HUSBAND HAD TO OPEN THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR AND USE THE CONTROLS TO GET ME FREE. I WAS AFRAID FOR MY LIFE, I COULD'VE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED. IF MY HUSBAND WERE THE ONE TO PRESS THE BUTTON WHILE HE WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVERS SEAT, HE WOULD HAVE BROKEN BONES. MY RENTAL PROVIDER NEVER SHOWED US THE FEATURES OF THE VEHICLE, NOR WERE THERE ANY WRITTEN WARNING LABELS IN CLEAR SIGHT ON THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. MY HUSBAND INFORMED ME AFTER THE INCIDENT THAT THE NUMBERED BUTTONS ON THE DOOR ARE A MEMORY FUNCTION FOR THE SEAT. IT IS NOW A STRONG FEAR OF MINE THAT IF I WERE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE, AND I ACCIDENTALLY PRESSED THIS BUTTON (THINKING I PRESSED THE LOCK CONTROL),THAT I WOULD BE IN A CAR ACCIDENT. THE DESIGN OF THIS MEMORY FUNCTION IS FLAWED AND NEEDS
SEPT 31ST - WITH 358 MILES AND LESS THAN OWNED FOR 24 HOURS ALL ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT FAILED, FLASHING ABS FAILURE LOSS OF SPEED CONTROL. OCT 1ST CAR TAKEN TO JCLEWIS FORD IN SAVANAH,GA, WAS CALLED BY THE DEALER APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS LATER AND WAS TOLD TO PICK THE CAR AND THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS TO REALIGN AND RESET COMPUTER SOFTWARE. I TOOK THE CAR AND DROVE 39 MILES AND WE SUSTAINED A TOTAL REPEAT OF THE PROBLEMS. AT THIS POINT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAD NO IDEA AT POINT WHAT WAS WRONG OR THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM, APPROXIMATELY FIVE DAYS LATER I WAS TOLD THE CAUSE WAS THE FAILURE OF THE REAR ABS WHEEL SENSOR WHICH THEY TOLD ME WAS REPLACED AND ALSO THAT THEY HAD DRIVEN THE CAR FOR FEW DAYS AND IT WAS NOW OPERATIONAL. I DID PICK UP THE CAR AND AGAIN WITHIN A FEW MILES WE SUSTAINED THE SAME FAILURE WITH AN ADDED FEATURE I BACKED OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE AND FOUND THAT I HAD LOST ANY ABILITY TO MOVE FORWARD AND THERE WAS A SEVERE GRINDING NOISE EMANATING FROM TRANSMISSION, DROVE THE BACK TO DEALER SHIP FOR THE FOURTH TIME AND WAS TOLD THAT EVEN THOUGH I WAS TOLD THAT THE FORD DEALER MECHANIC DID NOT REPLACE ANY PARTS AS I WAS TOLD. AS OF TODAY SEPT 18TH THE CAR IS STILL WITH THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT IN FACT REPLACED THE LEFT ABS WHEEL SENSOR BUT THEY SAID THAT IN FACT WAS NOT THE PROBLEM AND THAT IT STILL EXISTED. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE THINK IT IS BEING CAUSED BY SOME TYPE OF SHORT IN A WIRE HARNESS BUT THEY STILL ARE AWAITING PARTS. I HAVE REQUESTED A MEETING WITH A FORD R
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NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2016 Ford Explorer → · Every Explorer year → · How the figures are calculated →