2017 Ford Explorer problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Structure (369) · Structure:body (217) · Engine (146)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Ford Explorer model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
851 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (14)
Structure:body 2026-07-14 · campaign 26V448000 · 288,314 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The roof rail covers may come loose and detach from the vehicle.
Risk: A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the roof rail covers and as necessary, repair or replace the push-pins, rail clips, or roof rail covers, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 28, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S54. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 21V316. Vehicle Identification Numb
Suspension:rear 2026-02-20 · campaign 26V101000 · 412,774 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture.
Risk: A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the toe links, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2026. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S08. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall number 21V537. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning February 25, 2026.
Equipment:electrical:engine Block Heater 2025-10-10 · campaign 25V685000 · 59,006 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 3, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated December 2026. Owners may contact Ford
Structure:body 2025-05-23 · campaign 25V347000 · 492,145 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Explorer vehicles. The driver and front passenger B-Pillar door trim may detach while driving.
Risk: Door trim that detaches while driving can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will repair the B-pillar trim, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 5, 2025. A second notice will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated November 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S53.
Structure:body:roof And Pillars 2024-01-19 · campaign 24V031000 · 1,889,110 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Explorer vehicles. The A-pillar trim retention clips may not be properly engaged, allowing the trim to detach.
Risk: A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the A-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model years. Owner notification letters were mailed between July 18, 2024 and December 16, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S02.
Suspension:rear 2021-07-15 · campaign 21V537000 · 631,176 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Exposure to road salt can cause the cross-axis ball joint to corrode and seize, resulting in a fracture of the outboa
Risk: A rear toe-link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle, and replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall numbers 16V-245, 19V-435, and 20V-675. Certain vehicles previously repaired will need to return for the new remedy. An interim notification letter notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on September 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2022. Owners may contact
Structure:body 2021-05-05 · campaign 21V316000 · 616,967 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The retention pins could loosen and allow the roof rail covers to detach from the vehicle.
Risk: A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install push-pins and replace any damaged rail clips and roof rail covers, as necessary, free of charge. The interim owner notification letter was mailed on June 22, 2021. Owner notification letters (remedy available) were mailed on October 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S22.
Suspension:rear 2021-03-12 · campaign 20V675000 · 454,941 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin that were previously repaired under a prior recall numbers 16V-245 or 19V-435. The outboard section of a rear susp
Risk: A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle attached to the rear suspension toe link and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S62.
Seats 2019-09-11 · campaign 19V651000 · 311,907 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Ford Explorer vehicles equipped with power front seats. The seat frames may have sharp edges.
Risk: Occupants my contact the sharp edges when reaching between the power front seat and center console, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install protective tape on the exposed inside edge and tab of the power seat frames, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S29.
Suspension:rear 2019-06-10 · campaign 19V435000 · 1,194,173 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
Risk: A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, and inspect both rear toe link ball joints, replacing the rear wheel knuckle(s), if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S17.
Wheels:hub 2017-08-28 · campaign 17E048000 · 630 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain Wheel Hub Bearing assemblies, part number HB5Z-1104-C, incorrectly listed as being for installation on the rear axles of 2011-2017 Ford Explorer 4X2 vehicles. These bearings assemblies were manufactured without a self retention feature, possibly resulting in the separation of the wheel or wheel end.
Risk: A loss of the wheel or wheel end can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify the distributors of the hubs specifying that they are to only be used on drive axles. It is believed that none of the hubs were purchased from Ford dealers for the incorrect application. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Steering 2017-08-28 · campaign 17V530000 · 253 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Explorer, Taurus and Police Interceptor Utility and Sedan vehicles. The steering gear heat shield fasteners may corrode, allowing the heat shield to detach.
Risk: If the heat shield detaches, the steering gear may overheat, increasing the steering effort required by the driver, especially at lower speeds, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers to inspect and replace the heat shield fasteners as needed, free of charge. The recall began on September 13, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S23.
Seats:front Assembly:recliner 2017-05-22 · campaign 17V332000 · 2,204 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Ford Explorer, F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 vehicles equipped with a manual driver's seat back recliner mechanism. In the event of a crash, the seat back frame may not restrain the occupant due to having inadequate welds. As such, these vehicles may not meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202a, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."
Risk: If the occupant is not adequately restrained in the event of a crash, they have an increased risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the seat back frame, free of charge. The recall began on June 7, 2017. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C08.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline:turbo/Supercharger 2016-12-22 · campaign 16V925000 · 1,163 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Taurus, 2016-2017 Ford Flex, Lincoln MKT, 2017 Ford Explorer and Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. Improperly brazed turbocharger oil supply tubes may leak oil on engine components.
Risk: An oil leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the turbocharger oil supply tubes, free of charge. The recall began on January 31, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S46.
Service bulletins (201)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-09-30 · 25E10-S1 · Other
25e10-s1 owner letter
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-02 · 25E10-S1 · Emissions
new vehicle delivery hold - emissions recall 25e10 - supplement #1 certain 2018-2020 model year f-150 vehicles with 3.3l engines and 2016-2019 model year explorer, taurus, and flex vehicles with 3.5l engines powertrain control module (pcm) reprogramming
Engine 2026-05-09 · 25B51 · Other
certain 2021-2024 model year bronco, 2021-2024 model year bronco sport, 2020-2022 model year corsair and escape, 2016-2024 model year explorer, 2019-2020 model year fusion, 2016-2018 model year focus rs, 2022-2024 model year maverick, 2016-2019 model year mkc and 2019-2024 model year ranger vehicles
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-25 · 25N17 · Other
advance notice – customer satisfaction program 25n17 certain 2015-2025 model year multiple vehicle lines rear view camera replacement if required after dealer evaluation
Unknown Or Other 2026-02-24 · SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
ford and lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. unlike the integrated wired keypad, the accessory wireless keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the
Electrical System 2025-11-26 · TSB 25-2570 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this article supersedes tsb 24-2165 to update the tsb service procedure. some vehicles listed in the model statement above may exhibit various sync performance related concerns including but not limited to: display operation concerns navigation inoperative voice recognition concerns phone co
Showing the 6 most recent of 201 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-24 · Power Train“about 3 years and 3 months after a power control module reflash was done in march 2021 under the customer satisfaction program (csp) 20b27, vehicle was brought to ford dealership on 06/07/2024 with mileage at 79,730 for multi point inspection due to vehicle runs rough and hard time accelerating. diagnostic code was p0316. service tech recommendatio…”
2026-10-18 · Power Train“vehicle losses power randomly during acceleration, may not stay in park without parking brake on. shudders badly and shifts harshly decelerates without warning. nearly has caused collision when merging onto roadways due to lack of control of acceleration, have had to slow onto shoulder multiple times. …”
2026-10-16 · Structure“the contact owns a 2017 ford explorer. the contact received notifications of nhtsa campaign numbers: 24v031000 (structure) and 25v347000 (structure) however, the parts to complete the recall repairs were not yet available. the local dealer was contacted. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recal…”
2026-10-14 · Suspension · 165,400 mi“the contact owns a 2017 ford explorer. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the passenger-side rear tire was low on air pressure. upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact observed wires exposed on the inner tread of the tire. additionally, the contact inspected the driver-side rear tire and observed exposed wires sticking out from …”
2026-10-14 · Unknown Or Other“b-pillar trim on drivers side detached/broke in half and flew off in traffic. since then, electrical panel on the driver door messed with the locks. locks no longer work, back tailgate ajar warning is on (even though the tailgate is closed) unable to open to open the tailgate (stuck in lock)…”
2026-10-11 · Engine“this is a second complaint for the same vehicle. complaint number 11770400, filed today, understated the failure history, and i am filing this one so the complete record is in the database. vehicle: 2017 ford explorer platinum, 3.5l ecoboost v6, vin [xxx]. the first turbocharger failure occurred in 2023, at under 110,000 miles, and was repaired a…”
2026-10-11 · Engine“both turbochargers on my 2017 ford explorer platinum with the 3.5l ecoboost v6 have failed. the first turbocharger failed and was replaced in 2025. on august 10, 2026, at about 138,000 miles, the second turbocharger failed: the vehicle lost power and poured thick white smoke from the exhaust as engine oil burned off, making it undrivable. sudden po…”
2026-10-05 · Engine“sudden catastrophic engine failure due to coolant mixing. this resulted in a safety issue due to time and location of the event. from online consumer reports this event happens just after 100,000 miles to the 2017 ford explorer suv's and is a known event that ford has not disclosed. regular maintenance can not prevent this event and stopping t…”
2026-10-04 · Engine“engine hesitated, kept hesitating/slowing down until 2017 ford explorer just stopped. towed suv to koons ford service center. charged $200 for diagnostic assessment. informed that oil/coolant mix due to water pump failure. diagnose: replace engine long block and hardware and thermostat. costing $11,195.04 for job. never mentioned what h…”
2026-10-03 · Visibility/Wiper“1. rubber is falling off the windshield and hood. this is a ford issue and they refuse to repair this. it appears to be heat related and the car was sold in an area with high summer temperatures. it is cracked and peeling at the bottom of the windshield causing rain and leaves to seep into the engine area. this could start a fire hazard if it's n…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.