2017 Ford Explorer complaints

It is known that for the specific year make and model that the water pump goes out around 100,000 miles. This water pump was built as an internal water pump, which is not typical for most cars. in order to fix this part, the engine has to be taken out and lots of parts have to be disassembled Just to get to it. The part Itself is fairly cheap, but the labor cost thousands of dollars due to where it is located. Ford knowingly built this car and put that pump where it is at and therefore should be reliable to pay the cost when it is so common that this part goes out around 100,000 miles. if it is a known issue that occurs on these models frequently then it should become a recall because a failing water pump can cause significant issues within the engine and make the vehicle in operable.

A buzzing started coming from my front dash. My mechanic pointed out the molding/trim on the windshield is basically disintegrating because of cheap quality materials.

There is no date given when the repair will be done the pillar has already flown off onto the road. I have one Haning on by 1 clip. Ford is not going to fix anything, and the car is falling apart.

Ford refuses to provide fix for the two recalls. Been waiting over a year for the fix.

On January 19, 2024, Ford Motor Company advised of NHTSA Recall 24V031. My vehicle is affected by this safety recall. I have been advised by Victory Ford of Kansas City, 1800 N 100th Terrace, Kansas City, KS 66111, that after repeated inquiries, repairs are still not available, nor is there an anticipated date when parts and repairs will be available to complete this safety recall. The "Important Safety Recall" notice I received indicated parts were anticipated to be available toward the latter half of 2024. If the manufacturer is required to report an incident in a timely fashion, are they also not required to perform the required remedies in a timely fashion?

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side B-pillar trim detached. The contact stated that the driver's side B-pillar trim was separating from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure was confirmed. The contact was informed that the driver's side B-pillar trim needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure); however, parts for the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had a year to fix the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger’s side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the front driver’s side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired after the most recent failure. The contact stated that the wiring for key fob and liftgate were located on the front driver’s side A-pillar. The contact stated that the liftgate failed to operate as intended. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

Constant fail of O2 sensor and ABS causing check engine and ABS lights to come on. After diagnosis, did research and it is a common problem on Ford Explorers

Windshield cowl grille damage (along with A-pillar molding trim damage) causing loose parts and wind with rattling sound. Cowl should also be included and replaced as part of recall.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side B-pillar trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to tape the remaining attached piece of the B-Pillar Trim Applique. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,100.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, parts of the exterior A-pillar trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The dealer provided a mobile service and arrived at the contact's residence. The vehicle was inspected; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The contact used duct tape around the front windshield. The contact stated that because of the failure, whenever it rained, water entered the interior of the vehicle. The contact stated that it was literally raining inside the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the electrical system goes in and out because of the water damage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.

The B pillar trim pieces from the recall have not been fixed. They are, in fact, detached and do make noise while driving. I have called fords in the area multiple times and they do not know when they will have parts.

I recently found out about a Ford recall regarding the backup cameras malfunctioning which did not include my vehicle even though my vehicle is showing the unsafe defect. The backup camera goes fuzzy/glitchy as well as black sometimes while backing up.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE) and 25V347000 (STRUCTURE); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the front passenger’s side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the driver’s side B-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and replaced the B-pillar trim. The contact stated that weeks later the recall notice for the B-pillar trim was received. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the driver's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim had detached. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer but was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,005.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the wiring harness located on the passenger’s side of the vehicle had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,737.

The contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact's son received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE) and 25V347000 (STRUCTURE); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact's son was driving 50 MPH, and the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.

In reference to NHTSA Recall No: 25V347 & Manufacturer Recall No:25S53. according to ford my vin does not apply due to the dates within the recall. both of my B pillar outside trim have been separated from the vehicle, just like it states in the recall. i replaced the passenger side last year, now my drivers side is blown off. due to the sticky tape holding them on. when i asked ford they said the recall is only for vehicles manufactured from Chicago from 6/25/15 thru 4/5/17. Mine was manufactured on 28 May 2017. so my vehicle does not apply. however, i find it odd that both mine have failed just like it says in the recall but yet my vehicle does not apply. seems fishy. i think the dates of this defect should be expanded and thus allowing my vehicle to be covered under the recall and ford pay for the repairs.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side B-pillar trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The contact was unaware that the passenger's side B-pillar trim had detached. A friend informed the contact that the part had fallen off the vehicle. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had enough time to produce the parts for the recall repair. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure); however, the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the driver's side and passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trims and door exterior B-pillar trims had detached. The contact used tape to secure the trims. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be inspected. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the front driver's side door keypad ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the keypad was replaced. The contact stated that approximately four years later, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted or notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,913.

I am unable to renew my registration due to not being able to complete / repair the recalls. Dealer does not have the parts for the repair therefore my vehicle will not pass inspection for the renewal. This has caused many troubles and issues, I am being pulled over by police and constantly worried they might tow my vehicle for expired registration.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) a year prior, and recently received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure). The contact had been calling the local dealer for a parts update for months and was informed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the B-pillar trim on the driver's and passenger’s side was loose. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

24S02 Exterior A-Pillar recall has not been remedied in a timely manner. Left A-Pillar detached while driving 75mph on highway May 2024. Debris hit my vehicle as it detached. No other vehicle was involved luckily. Right A-Pullar has been mobile since September 2024. If detaches while driving, could injure person or other property and cause me to be liable. Ford House, locally, told me there is not an official wait list for my name to be on when the part becomes available to them. They are doing “first come first serve” and advised me to call every month. I have called several times a month for over a year without any luck. Ford scheduled to remedy this and had my vehicle 7am-6pm on 11/07/24. The part was unavailable and released back to me without being fixed. The safety recall is not being resolved in a timely manner. This will likely lead to personal injury or injury to others and/or property if not resolved quicker. At this point, Ford Motors should be held liable for their failure to provide adequate safety measures for their customers. Spoke to Ford’s national customer service department and was told each location is independently owned and they cannot help me (case# [XXX]). I informed I would be filing an official complaint regarding this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, a piece of the driver’s side B-pillar trim detached. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the B-pillar trim detached from the passenger’s side door. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (STRUCTURE); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 104,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the B-pillar trim on both sides of the front door started to detach. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.

Over Memorial Day weekend 2025, the A-pillar exterior trim on my 2017 Ford Explorer detached and flew off while I was driving. This matches the Ford recall (NHTSA Recall No. 25V347, Ford Recall No. 25S53) covering A-pillar trim detachment. Since then, I have been waiting for the replacement part. My dealership confirmed my Explorer is covered under the recall but said they do not know when repair parts will be available. As of late August 2025 (over three months later), no repair has been offered and no estimated timeline has been provided. Safety/Function Concerns: The missing A-pillar trim causes a loud whistling noise while driving, which is distracting and could impact driver focus. Detached trim is a road hazard to other drivers and pedestrians if it flies off while in motion. The vehicle now appears defective and unfinished, raising concerns about quality and value. Attempts to Resolve: Contacted my Ford dealership immediately after the trim fell off. They confirmed the recall but stated no parts are available.I drove over an hour round trip for them to look it over and then send me home and that's all that has happend. Have followed up several times since Memorial Day and am always told “no ETA” for the part. Complaint: I believe waiting months for a critical recall repair is unreasonable. Ford should be required to provide either a timely repair, a safe temporary solution, or other accommodations until permanent replacement parts are available.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the A-pillar trim on the driver's side of the windshield was detaching and was secured by tape. The failure allowed water to leak into the vehicle while raining. The driver's side B-pillar door trim had detached and needed to be secured every time the door was opened or closed. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the message “Engine Overheating” was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and allowed the engine to cool down. After restarting the vehicle, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact then noticed a fluid leak underneath the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the mechanic and the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the water pump was leaking, causing the engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact discovered that the failure was a known issue; however, the VIN was not under recall related to the failure. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall on the VIN related to the failure. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

See attached document for complaint.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side and driver's side windshield exterior A-pillar trims separated from the vehicle and flew off. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be inspected. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE). The local dealer was contacted; however, the contact informed that the parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about parts availability. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the front driver’s and passenger’s side A-pillar trims detached. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure). However, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at 80 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. Most recently, the keyless entry failed to function as intended. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired after the most recent failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure). The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, there was an abnormal whistling sound coming from both sides of the windshield. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the contact was informed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 59,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure). The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the driver’s B-pillar trim detached from the door and flew off into traffic, almost causing a crash. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and inspected. The contact used duct taped to secure the B-pillar trim pillar. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was 113,716.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the passenger’s side A-pillar trim was blown off the vehicle. The contact attempted to schedule an appointment with several dealers but was informed that parts were not yet available. The contact was not aware of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) during the time of the failure. The contact recently received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure); however, parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

B-Pillar trim has an open recall on it. Both pieces have broken and are now coming off of the car. The drive side b-pillar broke in half and and is being held on by the power cord for the keyless entry and duct tape. The top half of the b-pillar flew off the car while going 70 MPH down the highway. I am lucky we caught the other one coming off before it flew off and hit another vehicle. Ford refuses to fix until they have a remedy for it. This has been an open recall since May and Ford still does not have a remedy. Tried to make an appointment with a dealer and the appointment was cancelled by the dealer because they do not have a fix. The pieces are now duct taped to the car and not sure how long that will hold with the heat in Texas. The interior is also exposed by several holes that we have attempted to cover with tape. . I am also unable to roll down both windows due to the way the part has to be duct taped to the car. The adhesive has been a known problem with previous recalls issued for the same problem. Called Ford customer care and was told until there is a fix, they do not have to fix the broken parts.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the passenger’s side B-pillar trim clip detached. The contact pulled over and zip-tied the trim piece to the door frame. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (STRUCTURE); as a possible cause for the failure; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 141,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and replaced the A-pillar trim. After the repair, the contact received the recall notification. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the part was available for the repair; however, the contact had to pay out of pocket. The vehicle was not repaired after the most recent failure. The contact stated that the passenger’s side A-pillar trim had become loosened. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE). The local dealer was contacted; however, the contact was informed that parts to repair the vehicle were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but was unable to provide a timeframe for when parts would be available. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim had separated from the vehicle while driving, causing the vehicle to make an abnormal windy sound while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim was ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed the contact that parts to repair the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the B-pillar trim on the driver’s side door started to detach. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the B-pillar trim had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and the dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The dealer informed the contact that the repair would not be eligible for reimbursement. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 183,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on both sides of the windshield became very loose and started to detach. The contact also stated that the B-pillar trim on both sides of the front door was loosened and had started to detach. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the A-pillar trim and B-pillar trim had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the A-pillar trim detached from the driver's side of the windshield. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that there were no parts available for the repair. The dealer was unable to confirm when the parts would be available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the driver's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim had separated from the vehicle, and the passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim had partially detached. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was inspected; however, the vehicle was not repaired due to parts not being available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

On [XXX] as I stopped at the stoplight my car started to shake/shudder when it was green I started to drive and it stopped. Then when I stopped again while in drive I experienced the same thing. Contacted the dealership where I've been servicing my car since I bought it. I was hoping they could take in that day but they were booked. Next available was July 17, 2025. They did a diagnostic on my car and said it was the motor mounts. Had to order the parts and will call when parts are in. Parts came in and it was scheduled. Took them all day and even after shop closed to put the motor mounts on. When I picked it up I was told it was still shaking/shuddering but not as bad. Told me to take it home and see. Called them back to bring it back in due to shaking/shuddering, they did another diagnostic this time its my torque converter. Total with parts and labor $2819.19 plus tax. I started doing some research and found this was a common problem for my type of car. It's on Fords customer satisfaction 20N07. My car fall meets all that is required. Contacted Ford multiple times and was turned down saying there was no recall for mines even though it was manufactured at that specific plant. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s and driver’s side A-pillar trims detached and flew off the vehicle. The contact stated that when the first A-pillar trim detached, the contact was frightened and believed that the vehicle had been struck. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that parts were ordered, and on back order. The order date was October 2024. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, parts were not yet available. The contact stated that ten months waiting for the parts was an extremely long time to wait. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

I’ve been experiencing a buzzing sound whenever I turn the steering wheel, and the more I drive the vehicle, the louder the noise becomes. I took it to a local shop, and they advised me that the power steering rack is going bad — a very common issue in 2017–2019 Ford Explorers, especially around the 100,000-mile mark. They provided a quote of $2,652.86 to have it replaced. I was also warned that if it’s not replaced soon, the steering could lock up while driving, preventing me from turning the wheel, which poses a serious safety risk. No warning lights or dashboard messages have appeared, which makes the issue even more concerning.