2017 Ford Explorer complaints

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 80 MPH, the windshield trim detached from the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and had the trim replaced out of pocket. The contact then stated that both the driver’s and passenger’s side pillar trims had started to detach and was temporarily sealed with tape. The dealer was notified of the failure and provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

While backing out of our driveway the car started speeding up and the brakes failed. Even with repeated pumping of brakes the car wouldn’t stop. We finally jammed the shift lever into park and even then it continue moving for a short distance. We wiped out our neighbors mailbox. It did the same thing yesterday but we thought my husband accidentally hit the gas instead of the brake. Today we know it was the car.

WINDSHIELD TRIM LOOSENED AND DETACHES WHILE DRIVING. CAN CREATE A ROAD HAZARD FOR OTHERS, INCREASING RISK OF AN ACCIDENT. HAVE SEEN IN COUNTLESS OTHER EXPLORERS WITH SAME PROBLEM! THIS IS A MAJOR HAZARD!!!!

Rear bushing has split causing the rear end to sway and rattle loudly. Extreme safety concern. Unable to get in contact with any of the dealerships in Tucson AZ in regards to this matter.

Water pump failed and coolant leaked into the engine

April 5th 2022 I took my 2017 ford explorer limited to City Ford here in Columbia City Indiana because the steering was sticking. It had been sticking slightly at times for several weeks prior to this. They couldn't find any problem. So in June 2022 my wife and I load up and leave for Virginia for vacation. The slight sticking got worse after several hours on the road, and finally the driver assist went out completely. making it most difficult to steer. A dangerous situation. Also I had no hill descent, no 4 wheel drive, park assist, cruise control. A multitude of warnings. I took it to Barton Ford in Suffolk Va. and was told it needed a rack and pinion steering which cost me over $3100.00 and over $600.00 for a rental during the time it took to complete the job. I noticed that I was charged for new bolts also. I researched and found that there was a previous recall on a select few of these explorers due to bolt failure. My explorer should have been selected, but there is no open recall on this explorer. Barton Ford told me that my vehicle wasn't effected by the recall. I believe Ford Motor Company should reimburse me for what it cost me.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle without warning. Upon inspection, the contact discovered that the front passenger pillar trim had detached from the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer where the pillar trim was replaced; however, a year later, the same pillar trim detached from the vehicle a second time. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was given an estimate for a second repair. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and informed her that there were no recalls on the vehicle; the contact was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

I received two letters about this recall and scheduled an appointment with a ford dealer. When I showed up for the appointment they said it would take them a few days to even look at the vehicle and if the recall was not valid I would be charged. This was at the Bell Ford dealer in Phoenix.

The low beam LED light has gone out which consists of replacing the whole headlight assembly. The dealership wants $2000 to replace this unit. Looking online at car forums this is a known issue on these explorers. Our explorer is from 2017 with only 31000 miles on it which means at most the headlight has been on for only 516 hours. LED lights should be lasting for 30000-40000 hours. This is a safety concern as driving without a low beam headlight is a concern to the person driving as well as any other person on the road. The vehicle issue has been confirmed and inspected by the dealer and there were no symptoms or messages of the problem prior to it occurring. Ford should be liable to repair the headlight in these instances as their product is a safety risk and malfunction on their end.

We are experiencing a clunk in the rear along with some sway at times when driving. We have had a mechanic verify that is a bushing issue that has been recalled (21S32) on this vehicle, but ours was not included because it was determined to be outside of the region of the recall. Ford will not honor the recall.

I backed into a parking spot, put the car in park and turned the vehicle off. As I was getting ready to get out of the car, it rolled backwards into another car parked to my passenger side rear. My vehicle did not give any warning, no sensor alert, or anything!

The touch screen on the vehicle lags. It takes forever to go to stations. Changes to stations you haven’t pressed. Navigation doesn’t work properly. Phone Bluetooth doesn’t work properly. Informed the APIM NEEDS REPLACED. After researching, it appears a long list of ppl have the same complaints or very similar in nature. I think this should be investigated.

On May 9, 2022, sometime during my drive on the HE Bailey Turnpike from Lawton Oklahoma to Oklahoma City, the driver side Pillar Trim of my 2017 Explorer came off; I was driving 70-75 miles per hour, and it was very windy. During the drive, I heard a noise but didn't think much about it until I got out of the car in Oklahoma City. Thats when I noticed the driver Pillar Trim missing. Traffic was very light during the drive and to my knowledge, the Pillar Trim did not hit another car or do any damage to anything. If there had been another person or automobile hit by the Pillar Trim, I feel that it could have resulted in an accident or serious injury to a person. When I contacted the Ford Dealership, I told them that a part of my Explorer had blown off; they knew exactly what had happened even before I told which part was missing.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after his wife exited the vehicle from the front driver’s side door, while attempting to open the rear driver’s side door, the vehicle began to roll backwards and knocked her to the ground. The contact's wife was taken to the hospital to seek medical attention but was not injured. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 66,281. The contact has stated that they have been in communicate with several Ford dealerships as well as their corporate offices. Neither of them have been able to replicate the issue and resolve it.

Windshield Molding broke off while driving on road. Causing the vehicle behind me to swerve off the road. Damages were done to the other vehicles windshield.

2017 ford 62,000 miles got vehicle brand new. On the freeway water light appears low coolant high temperature. I take vehicle water pump needed to be replaced. Vehicle is 2000 miles over and 5 Months over the warranty

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the coolant temperature warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the water pump weep hole was leaking, causing the water pump to be damaged. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle in for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while coming to a stop, the vehicle started to idle very rough. The contact stated that the transmission also shifted hard while driving. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 20N07 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 96,000. THE CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER OF A RECALL THAT HAS SINCE EXPIRED. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO HAVE THE RECALL REPAIR REINSTATED.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V316000 (Structure). The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and had the recall repair completed. The contact stated a month later, while driving at an unknown speed, she started to hear a flapping noise from the roof rack. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the roof rack clips, push pins, and cap to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,128.

A-Pillar exterior windshield trim became detached from the passenger side at highway speeds without warning and no prior indication of damage. This appears to be a very common issue with this generation of models based on a simple internet search, and I am shocked that Ford Motor Co. is doing nothing to resolve this. The loose piece becomes a hazard to other motor vehicle operators where it could potentially strike a vehicle causing windshield damage, startle an operator causing loss of control, or in the case of motorcycles, injure the operator. Even if it does not strike another vehicle or operator, it becomes road debris and is a safety hazard to other vehicles, and to persons attempting to retrieve it. While we were fortunate that it did not cause any further incident, the potential for a serious accident is high with this defect.

The front windshield passenger side trim. Plastic trim flew off the windshield while driving 65 miles an hour in Tennessee on Hwy 111 near cookeville. It flew off but I was able to retrieve it from the side of the road. It could easily have hit a car behind or beside me. A flying object of any type at 65 miles an hour is dangerous. No inspection by a dealer or anyone has been done. I did get a verbal estimate of repair at 600.00 or more by a Ford dealer. They have to remove the windshield to repair it. The only warning I got was when I heard it flap once or twice and then saw it fly off. I believe the cause is due to Ford using plastic A clips and a plastic trim. 8 plastic A clips are one the windshield and then the trim pops on with a little strip of tape. All but 1 A clip is broken and a piece of the trim that attached to the A clip was still attached to the car. When you research this incident you see that it has occurred on many other vehicles and when I spoke to the Ford service center they knew exactly what I was talking about. So Ford is aware of this issue.

The contact owned a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 2 - 25 MPH, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed the failure as a rear axle failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 39,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front side of the roof connected to the upper center of the windshield was severely corroded. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist unless the part was perforated. The contact stated that as the roof became perforated, the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the roof and the windshield needed to be replaced. The dealer sent a diagnostic report with pictures to the manufacturer. The manufacturer advised that they would cover the repair of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the brakes would squeak upon depression of the brake pedal without warning. The contact took her vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was discovered that the rear brake calipers needed replacement. The contact called the dealer where she was given the number to the company that handle vehicle warranty. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and stated that they would not cover the cost of the repair. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 33,038.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the windshield molding on the passenger's side of the vehicle detached, flew off and hit the windshield of the vehicle behind her. There were no injuries sustained. The contact veered to the side of the road and made sure that the passenger of the other vehicle was safe; then she continued to drive to her destination. The contact stated that the windshield molding on the driver's side of the vehicle was also detaching. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V675000 (Suspension); 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 not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

I drove the suv to the store, with my kids. On the way back home , the steering wheel stop working and it was hard to steer the suv. We took it in to the dealership in inverness Ford, but they couldn't find anything wrong with the suv. Two days later it turn hard to steer again, but no codes.

Window trim flew off while driving striking another cars windshield. Causing that driver to swerve.

Airbag light illuminated on dash board. No airbags in vehicle working. Have taken vehicle to the dealership 7-9 times to be serviced, always told it is a sensor that is loose or a seatbelt. This was not reported on the Carfax when I got the vehicle and started shortly after. I was once told none of the airbags in the bag of the vehicle were functioning but taping the senor (under the seat) with electrical tape fixed it. So many recalls on this vehicle, too dangerous to drive with no working airbags. Also the recall on the roof racks cause my vehicle to leak when it rained, ford service told me this was not possible. never looked at the problem and after the recall was fixed (after I asked twice) the vehicle stopped leaking, now the sunroof does not work. I have contacted Ford Cooperate about these issues also and they refused to help.

Driving on Interstate 95 at 70mph, windshield pillar on left side broke away and hit a gentleman on a motorcycle behind me in the face shield of his helmet. I pulled over to apologize profusely. Right side is loose aswell and plastic abs wiper Cowl is dry rotted and flapping making noisy whistling. Under 65K miles. It started at 45K. This is terrifying and now a eyesore. Please investigate this.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the front driver’s side the keypad on the door detached from the vehicle and was hanging on by a wire. The contact stated that the liftgate ajar warning light was illuminated however, she was unable to open the liftgate. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and the dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact also requested that the vehicle be serviced and the recalls associated with the VIN be repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.

Driver door “b pillar” trim 3m stripping peels off allowing trim to catch air underneath and snap in half. $300 replacement piece

Both back doors of explorer closed at same time and back window completely shattered. It was cracked around edges and had a giant hole in it. (Husband took the photos and didn’t take one of whole window.)

Dealer still has no parts for recall 21S32 and no ETA for such. Recall said parts would be available the latter part of the 4th quarter of 2021. Out of caution I replaced the toe links with MOOG parts at my own expense. I found the existing toe links to be rusted overall and the U bracket weld rusted and poorly executed. Pics are attached. If FORD feel this is a safety issue, then it should assure that parts are available in a timely manner. Date listed below is date I had the toe links replaced.

The contact's wife owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 25 MPH, the defroster was engaged but failed to respond and the windshield became foggy. The contact's wife pulled to the side of the road and wiped the windshield. The contact stated that his wife then disengaged and reengaged the defroster however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that his wife continued to drive the vehicle and almost was involved in an accident. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while the defroster was engaged and the blower motor would blow air through the vents. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

When I had to drive with 1 inch of snow on the road it felt like my rear end was going to come out of my car. My rear end was all over the place and has been getting worse when driving in snow and rain. This is putting my children life at risk especially since there's a recall on my vehicle and there's still no parts to fix it. I want a rental car until someone gets this issues fixed! Someone is seriously going to be injured or this problem and the recall that can't be fixed. I'm scared for my safety to even drive it in the snow or rain but I have to work. This is a huge issue and I'm not sure why this is still an ongoing issue

The right front passenger tire fell off while driving.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while idle with the vehicle in drive or reverse, the vehicle would shudder. The contact stated that there was a lack of full motive power upon acceleration; occasionally, while moving from a stop, the vehicle would shudder while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The mechanic informed him that the failure might be due to the torque converter overheating, causing damage to the torque converter. Additionally, there was possible internal damage to the transmission. The contact was then informed of Manufacturer Communications: 10184634 (Power Train: Automatic Transmission) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 61,000.

2 open recalls with no solution or date of resolution to be given.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V316000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the roof rail cover detached and separated from the vehicle. The contact was made aware of the failure by another driver. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

I have 4 recalls on my vehicle that multiple Ford Dealerships tell me that they can not fix because of parts not being available or no remedy is available. This has been going on for almost a year now. With these recalls, I feel that my car is not safe to drive. What needs to be done.

This vehicle is equipped with an Anti-lock brakes. On Sunday, while driving slowly through a slippery parking lot, due to ice, my brakes locked in the downward position. I was not able to get the brakes to function. This resulted in a low impact auto accident.

I have a 2017 Ford Explorer with a 2.3 EcoBoost Four-Cylinder with 59k mileage. Back in November of 2021 My Ford dealership said Coolant is leaking into the Cylinder head causing the car to misfile after a check engine light diagnoses. This causes the car to overheat and can cause major issues. Now i need my entire engine replaced. I have a read that this a know issue in other Ford SUVs in but not in a Ford Explorers, however I have the same engine type. This is a problem for the Ford EcoBoost four-cylinder engines produced since 2010.

INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH

The keyless entry door panel on the driver’s side door is coming undone and vibrates while driving. Others have said theirs has come off the vehicle while driving. Will be contacting the dealership.

The airbag light on driver's side goes on randomly, seems with automatic movement of seat each time I get in and out of the car. If the airbag doesn't work it impairs my degree of safety in involved in an accident. The vehicle has not yet been inspected as it is $125 per hour to have it looked at. No other warning lamps or signals. It just randomly goes on and off - and stays on while driving.

Ford Explorer 2017 SYNC/APIM malfunction. Touch screen and controls stop responding almost right after system starts. Troubleshoots indicate to perform master reset, software update, battery replacement but no difference. Software update is risky due system becomes unresponsive as per the original issue. Safety issues include but not limited to the responsiveness of controls as -GPS becomes unavailable -Navigation stop working/updating which indicates wrong directions and enter unwanted roads ending into a safety issue -AC or Heating can't be controlled, then depending of situation, this can affect health -Radio volume can't be modified, this can cause a safety issue -USB SYNC iOS/Android can't connect as systems is unresponsive, if it gets connected, navigation is affected.

The clear trim panels by the driver side door with the electronic numbers to unlock the doors, came off while I was driving on the highway going 70mph. Which resulted in lights going off on on in the cabin of the car, as well as my back tailgate flying open while driving. The clear panel was attached to wires which was reported to me to have caused multiple fuses to be blown one of which was the tailgate door. Once I pulled over to close the door, the door had to be forced closed and the warning light tailgate ajar remained on as well as all the lights in the cabin remained on. Once I was able to park my car none of the lights would turn off once the engine was off and the car would not lock. Both of these panels on the drivers side and passenger side had to be replaced, in addition to the front pillars on the windshield due to all of them coming detached from the car. This is a huge safety concern that needs to be addressed. The owner of the car had to pay for all repairs.

I have been trying to get the first repair done, now the second. (I also have another Ford vehicle that has a recall that I haven't been able to schedule. I am told parts are unavailable or the repairs can't be done for months. Calls to Ford, like today to the number on the new recall, leaves you holding for over 36 minutes. Then it turned out to be a dealership in Pennsylvania. The chat function doesn't work. If you want to send any sort of email, from my experience I had to agree to receiving ads. The other recall is for VIN [XXX]. I am concerned about continuing to allow my family to drive these vehicles. Can you advise how I can proceed? Thanks. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

I have 3 broken motor mounts in my 2017 Ford Explorer that is causing loss of power in my vehicle. I see that the 2020-2021 Ford Explorer was recalled for the same issue. My mechanic has had several ford explorers in for the same issue. This is going to cause accidents if not recalled to be fixed.