2018 Ford Explorer complaints

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side roof rank top cover detached and flew off into traffic. The dealer provided a mobile service and the vehicle was diagnosed with failed roof rank push pins. The contact was informed that the rooftop push pins needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of an unknown recall that had a similar failure description, however, the contact's VIN was not associated with the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

Took the vehicle to a Ford Dealership to fix the roof railings (recalled). While doing their inspection they said the vehicle was out of coolant and that the water pump needed to be replaced and it would cost $4400.82. There were no warning lights or anything indicating that anything was wrong with the vehicle. This is a safety issue because the vehicle could overheat and shut down in the middle of the interstate without any warnings. This is a problem with the Explorer and should be remedied. Ford said there is a possibility that the coolant leaked into the engine and if so, a new engine would be required.

The APIM (sync module) went blank. It controls backup camera, radio, heat and air, sensors on the bumper etc... Ford said the APIM failed testing and recommended to replace the APIM to gain access to the screen. It would only cost about $1100. This is a safety issue because the sensors will not work.

The contact owns a 2018 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 local dealer was not contacted. 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Faulty throttle body after purge valve replacement. Car would not accelerate and had to be towed to the dealer. Throttle body is stuck in the closed position according to the dealer.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle jerked forward and backward. The contact stated that the vehicle was driven back onto the driveway. The contact turned off the vehicle and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with throttle body failure that was seized closed. The contact was informed that the throttle body needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the purge valve had been replaced 26 days prior to the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,200.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on both sides of the windshield started to detach. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made not aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 83,276. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the contact became aware that the driver’s side keypad had detached from the door, causing the trunk to not release or open. The door ajar warning light illuminated; however, all the doors were properly closed. The contact stated that the failure was temporarily repaired with tape. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

Doesn’t want to run right

As I made a turn, the toe link broke and caused my car to be thrown to side of road.

Driving home from work when all of a sudden my car started jerking, not shifting correctly and could hear a noticeable noise coming from the engine. Low oil pressure light came on and pulled over. Car would not restart. Had it towed to mechanic and was determined that the engine was hydrolocked due to coolant getting into the pistons and oil. New engine needed on a 6 year old car with 91,000 miles. Upon researching it seems this is a common problem with eco boost engines and I don’t believe I should be responsible for this apparent COMMON issue.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his daughter was driving approximately 35 MPH over a bump in the roadway, the steering wheel turned to the left while driving straight on the roadway. The contact stated that his daughter had not seen warning light illuminated. The contact drove to his daughter location and drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the driver’s side rear wheel rear suspension toe link had fractured and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the mechanic researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.

For the 2nd row passenger seat the clip has broken. You can not safely have a passenger in the seat. I have been trying for over a year to get the part. I was told by the last person who looked at it that it is specific to the air bag seat belts in the second row. I also had a coworker who had the exact same part break. For the first 6 months I tried to get this resolved they were so far backordered that the dealership would not even take my name to get on the list for the back order. They finally took my name last month, but its still on back order. It has now been over a year with a seat unalbe to be used for a passenger. I am trying to figure out how if so many people are in line for this part that it is not a safety recall issue...Also why are they not just replacing the entire set up as they seem to have a very common issue going on here. What if that were to have broken during an accident.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and coolant warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the water pump had leaked into the engine and advised the contact to maintain the anti-freeze level at full. The vehicle was taken to another local independent mechanic for a second opinion where it was diagnosed with the same failures and advised the contact to reach out to the local dealer for assistance. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

On the highway doing 70 mph when the 2018 explorer started to sway back n forth and skipping across the road, got it stopped on the side of road and found out that my rear drivers toe link has broke. I see FORD has a RECALL on the 2016 - 2017 explorers for this problem... I'm lucky that I didn't kill someone or crash the vehicle. It was not a fun ride with my wife and kids in the SUV.

The contact owns a 2018 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 local dealer was not contacted. 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 contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact's wife stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the low oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 125,787.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized and failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring for over a year. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

Got a letter in February from Ford about recall 24S02/NHTSA recall 24V031and have not seen any updates in the last t months ????

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); the roof racks started to detach from the vehicle, almost causing the sunroof to fracture. The contact stated that the side view mirrors seized without warning. The contact had to shift to park and turn off and restart the vehicle for the side view mirrors to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the bottom section of the front windshield rubber trim seal had deteriorated and became unsecured. While driving at various speeds, the unsecured trim was blown into the field of view of the driver, creating a visibility hazard. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 40,000.

My check engine light came on took the SUV to Ford Dealership for service. They informed me that my engine had coolant intrusion and that I would need a new engine. In reviewing this information online I noticed that there have been multiple recalls on the EcoBoost engine with the same problem.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 30-35 MPH, there was an abnormal squeaking sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the bushing joint had fractured and needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer who had confirmed the diagnostic result. The vehicle had been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case regarding the failure. The manufacturer had confirmed that there was no recall on the VIN. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 62,500.

The contact owns a 2018 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 local dealer was contacted. 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 contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2018 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 approximately 60 MPH, the passenger’s side A-pillar trim detached. The contact stated that water was leaking into the vehicle during car washes due to the failure. Additionally, the driver side A-pillar trim had become loosened. 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 100,030. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

My 2.7L eco boost ford explorer had a crack in the intake manifold allowing water to leak into the piston heads. This resulted in engine misfire and ultimately led to a full engine replacement. The service technicians at the dealership noted that the 2.7 L eco boost are notorious for cracked engine components due to a mismatch in metal alloy. In reference to NHTSA# EA23002.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on the passenger’s side windshield started to detach. 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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 99,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

I purchased this vehicle Nov. 2021 with 46,000 miles and still having warranty on it. After driving less than 3000 miles began to see large/heavy amounts of blue smoke coming from the exhaust when starting the vehicle along with random loud noise at certain times when starting. Checked the oil and it was almost 2 quarts low and oil life said only 33% left. Complained that I thought it was burning oil at the dealership and their fix was to give me a free oil change and a new air filter saying there was no problem. I continued to have these same issues over the next 2 years with no documentation by the dealership of my complaints and no solution to the continued problems. At 1 point it was over 3 qrt. low on oil with none on the ground. Then on 3- 31-24 while headed for vacation and over 3 hrs from home driving 70+ MPH lost all power to the vehicle and thankfully close to an exit on highway. Had expense of a rental to continue on vacation. Had to reach out to a friend to tow the vehicle back 3+ hrs to home. Had an independent mechanic diagnose the car finding out it was a catastrophic misfire and loss of compression in 2 cylinders. Complained to dealership who then did their own diagnostics getting same answer. The vehicle by this time out of warranty and dealership doesn't want to help with paying for a new motor. Made 2 complaints to Ford directly with zero help. All of this should've been documented at the time of complaints so when the misfire actually occurred I might've g

I am the original owner of my 2018 Ford Explorer. I brought it to my dealership for issues and one was, I have been experiencing a loud intermittent obnoxious noise while driving over 55 mph. Sounds like it is coming from the top of my windshield to the roof, before the sunroof. Nothing is loose, up in this area at all. The BOTTOM RUBBER TRIM, all across the bottom of my windshield has come away from the windshield showing deformation in its entirely of large GAPS. The technician confirmed this is where the noise is coming from and is a HAZZARD and needs to be replaced for $500.00. I have extended warranty; however, it does not cover this, BUT FORD SHOULD, IT IS DEFECTIVE !!

Check engine light showing. Diagnostic testing shows misfire in cylinder #3. Ford dealership ran diagnostic testing ($169.95) and verified concern and found coolant intrusion cylinder #3. Advised, due to mileage (75,976 miles), replacement of long block. Replacement cost estimated at $11k. No repairs have been performed at this point due to excessive cost. Second Diagnostic test ($89.95) with independent mechanic - confirmed original verification and found evidence of wear on long block. Mechanic stated that he currently had a Ford Edge in the shop with the same issues. There is currently a class action law suit against Ford for same the issue..

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the A-Pillar trim on the driver's side loosened and was blown off the vehicle. The contact was unable to recover the trim from the highway. The contact stated that later, the passenger’s side A-Pillar trim also blew off the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the trim pieces needed to be replaced; however, parts were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 87,920.

Our 2018 Ecoboost Ford Explorer started releasing smoke from the tailpipe when starting in April 2023. I took it in to the Ford of Kirkland dealership in early May 2023. They kept my car for 9 weeks, and then said there is nothing wrong with it and gave it back in July 2023. The car kept having the same issue. This was while it was still under warranty about 96,000 miles. Fast forward to February 2024, the car has continued to smoke this entire time since the dealership gave it back in July. In February, I was driving home on the freeway going up hill when the car suddenly decelerated rapidly. I was able to get off the freeway and have my husband come and he got it home. We contacted the dealership (Ford of Kirkland) the same one that did nothing in 2023. They trailered it in for a look. The response we got from the service manager was that "The engine needs replaced due to scoring in the cylinder and low compression". We could not afford to pay for an engine replacement, so we wrote a letter to Ford, who responded "thank you for letting us know, but there are no recalls and it is out of warranty, so save your receipts and if a recall comes up you could potentially be reimbursed". I received this response from Ford in June 2024, so basically they were unwilling to help. Imagine my surprise that a recall was just announced today for the exact issue we have with our car in other model years, but not our model year. I would like to know my rights. I am still paying on a car that

The contact owns a 2018 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 and the passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trims had separated, causing water entry into the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. 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, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on both sides of the windshields started to detach. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and the dealer stated that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

See attached document for complaint.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the driver's side trim had detached from the windshield. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (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 issue. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The APIM module that controls the display and functioning has stopped working. The following are a couple of safety concerns with this: 1. The backup camera does not work. I almost hit a pedestrian while backing up because of this. 2. Hands free features with communication and gps is not available. Not having this feature takes away a hand from the steering wheel and focus on the road. 3. Some of the climate controls are not accessible. I took the car to a Ford dealer who confirmed that the APIM module is not working. No one else has checked the car. There was a gradual decline in functionality before it completely stopped working. Some trips it would work and others it did not. The frequency of it not working increased until it completely stopped working.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the transmission became inoperable. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the torque converter and flywheel were fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 107,033.

Cowl is rotting and pieces are coming off. Car has less than 50k miles. Also causing windshield to rattle.

See attached document for complaint

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front driver's side window B-pillar trim, where the keypad entry was mounted was detaching. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that there was no recall related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, 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 both the driver's side and the passenger's side windshield exterior A-Pillar trims were detaching. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that only the driver's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim would be replaced under the recall. 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 made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

See attached document for complaint

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact started while driving at approximately 20 MPH, the check engine warning light and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The electrical system shut down and the engine stalled. The instrument panel became inoperable. Additionally, the power steering became inoperable and the brake pedal was depressed, but failed to respond, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The vehicle drove off the road and violently crashed into a ditch. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained a significant whiplash and a stiff neck. The contact had not yet received medical assistance. The contact was able to exit the vehicle through the front driver's side door. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. There was no police report filed. The contact stated that the front passenger's side and the front undercarriage of the vehicle were significantly damaged. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle emitted smoke. The contact immediately turned off the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing, and to call back to file a report once the VIN was available. The manufacturer also referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

See attached document for complaint

Failed water pump/coolant leak. Vehicle will suddenly overheat and engine can seize. Vehicle will stop unexpectedly and endanger the lives of the driver, passenger and other motorists. Temperature warning and check engine light comes on only when vehicle is overheated at which point there is no coolant left. Issue has been confirmed by an independent service center. I was told that they would not touch this repair and to take it to a dealership due to the location of the water pump, it's relationship to the timing chains and the labor intensive job. The part is inexpensive. A simple Google search indicates that this is a known design problem since approximately 2011 and affects many makes and models. There are several class action law suits and a recall was issued in Canada for the same issue. Ford will acknowledge "off the books" that it is a problem but offer no financial assistance or support for their design flaw. It is an extremely costly repair for a very pricey vehicle.

Our radio and back up assistance screen just stop working

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after his wife had driven and parked the vehicle, he noticed that the front driver's side window pillar trim, where the digital keypad was mounted had detached. The contact stated that he applied tape to the trim, but the tape could not secure the trim. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the front driver's side window pillar trim needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

The horn went out for a second time since I’ve owned this vehicle. The horns are in a bad location and in rainy weather they get wet and short out. The dealer will replace the horn again.

The a-piller trim flew off my car while driving down the highway. I was not in a place where I could pull over, so I am unsure if it hit anyone.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the passenger’s side A Pillar. The contact stated that the trim panel had blown off the vehicle by the vehicle slipstream. The contact had not taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic or dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.