Head gasket failure allowing coolant to leak into cylinder 1. Starts rough, but could result in lost of power or engine failure while driving. Ford dealer has confirmed the issue and said this shouldn't happen to a car with only 77,500 miles on it (2017 Ford Explorer XLT 4WD 2.3L Ecoboost 4 cyl. engine). Have to repair or replace engine depending upon the extend of damage.

- Fremont, NE, USA

Since owning vehicle with around 60k, 2 serpentine belts have been replaced, high pressure hose replaced, water pump is now failing. Looking online, this vehicle has been plagued with issues and no recalls" A failing water pump from 2011 models on" Not sure how a car can have over $10k in problems and no recalls.

- Cromwell, CT, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the odor of burning oil was present coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the "Power Take Off Unit" was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 76,115.

- York, PA, USA

The water pump is in the engine on this vehicle. You have no clue if it is leaking and it can cause your vehicle's engine to blow. It is also a very very costly repair for a water pump.

- Streator, IL, USA

Issue with CAM Phasers when looking into the problem I noticed there was a recall for other 3.5 EcoBoost engines on other models but not on a Ford Explorer with the same engine.

- Lakeside, CA, USA

Exhaust fumes entering inside vehicle when idling and driving on the road. Must drive with windows open and still cannot drive for over a few miles. Get a headache and effects lungs. Vehicle is now parked and cannot use. Exhaust is leaking near engine. Looks like a cracked manifold. Unsafe to use. Date this occurred is an estimate because I do not know how long this has been a problem. There are other 2017 models with the same issue.

- Grand Saline, TX, USA

Car wouldn't start. All the water had run out due to coolent leak near water pump and in finding it they found leak near front engine mount. These are problems that other 2017 explorer owners have also complained about online. In addition, Kirkland Ford stated they are backed up on repairing the toe link and roof repair due to lack of certified mechanics. The 2017 whole vehicle should have been recalled due to the cheap parts used which has caused me to continually go in to have recalls fixed. While there they end up causing more issues causing me thousands in repair bills. I have scheduled with independent car repair shop for them to give me estimate of repairing the above items for January 10 the first date they had available.

- Kirkland, WA, USA

Car dies repeatedly while on the road driving and also while parked. Car has errors on dashboard when attempting to turn on, which I have a video of. First mechanic was able to replicate issue once and got some scan tool codes but he said after that, they all cleared out and he wasn't able to replicate. Car was given back to us, drove to store died and it wouldn't start in parking lot. Mechanic sent tow truck, car started when tow truck arrived. Took car to Ford, tech unable to replicate, car returned to us. Car died once again, which is when I took the error video and took the car back to Ford and showed service rep the video. Ford still unable to figure out the issue. We told Ford to keep the car because it isn't safe to drive until we find and fix the issue. Car has been in mechanic and Ford for about 4 months total.

- Cibolo, TX, USA

I experienced the expulsion of coolant underneath the hood of my vehicle in the parking lot / driveways the past month or so. I took this into my mechanic and they diagnosed with water pump failure, need of timing chain assessment and 12 hours of expected labor. This issue has been recalled in Canada, but not here in the U.S. This is a significant amount of money to fix this and a safety issue as this vehicle is often driven in rural areas late at night. If inspection upon request is needed I can make it available.

- Olathe, KS, USA

The car started overheating while on my way home from a trip. I had to get a wrecker to haul it in. Ford offered no help. It was the water pump. Milage at the time was 103,000, Cost to fix $3000. So no Thanksgiving for me this year.

- Ashland, KY, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 144,000.

- Mound Valley, KS, USA

My 2017 Ford Explorer XLT - eco boost (72,524 miles) vehicle was misfiring (running really rough) at startup the last week or so and the engine light came on and stayed on. The vehicle was serviced in July of this year and there was no mention of the problem. Upon paid inspection today (11/10/23) and diagnosis at my local AAA Car repair service they reported the following: Engine code P0303 - no 3 misfire. The no 3 plug is very clean, which is not good (as it likely means a leak of coolant from head gasket). Upon pulling the number 3 plug, it was confirmed that there was a coolant leak from the Head Gasket. AAA car repair indicated that this was not normal for a car with this low of mileage and shouldn't happen this soon. They said they did not do this type of work and advised I check with Ford corporate to see if there was a recall or extended warranty. I called Ford Corporate, and they did not see any recalls or information that could help with the repair, and they advised I reach out to the NHTSA to see if there might be other reports or investigations underway and if not, to open one. The vehicle has only been inspected by the AAA Service garage and is now back home in my garage and available for inspection upon request. NOTE: in researching this issue on line, I did find several articles and links of videos with this problem. There are safety issues, especially when pulling out in traffic or accelerating, as the vehicle sputters and does not run smoothly or go as fast as expected and could cause an accident.?

- Marietta, GA, USA

Mechanic confirmed water pump failure. Explorer was brought to mechanic for issue with heater. Upon inspection by mechanic, the coolant was low. Mechanic filled the coolant and left the vehicle idling. Water was seen leaking from undercarriage. Vehicle cannot be safely driven until water pump is replaced. Minimum cost of $2000 to complete repair.

- Tickfaw, LA, USA

The vehicle loses power at times. When going to another lane or pulling out in traffic, it will surge loosing power. I noticed it shorlty after purchasing it. Ignored it for a long time but have had to drive it more lately and feel unsafe doing so. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone. It has less than 25,000 miles on itand the problem seems to be getting worse

- Enterprise, AL, USA

While driving cross country, driver began to experience lag in acceleration and delayed shifting. In some cases, noted transmission was not down shifting. At destination, the check engine light came on and we took the vehicle into a Ford dealership for repair. It should be noted that there was a low coolant light just prior to the trip and we filled up approximately a quart to bring it back to serviceable limits. The dealer called after several hours to explain the car would need a new 2.3L EcoBoost engine and new Automatic transmission. The engine had evidence of coolant in the engine/oil. The transmission was diagnosed to have a failure of an internal component. The vehicle was been regularly serviced for the 79000 miles with no previous warning lights. We currently have the vehicle in our garage trying to decide if it's worth fixing for $25000 quoted by the dealer.

- Cookeville, TN, USA

continuous highway cruise speed shudder in 6th gear between 50 and 60 MPH

- Dunbar, WI, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while parked with the engine idling the message "Engine Too Hot to Operate" was displayed and the engine temperature gauge indicated that the engine had overheated. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the water pump and timing chain were faulty and needed to be replaced. The water pump and timing chain were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 132,000.

- Green Bay, WI, USA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle jerked. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the coil and the water pump needed to be replaced. The coil was replaced; however, the water pump was not replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

- Hull, MA, USA

Water pump failure. Engine light came on. By the time I could pull off the freeway (1 minute) the engine had stalled and the car wouldn't start. Towed to repair shop and learned the pump failure had allowed water and oil to mix throughout the engine. Metal shavings were found in the engine. Engine had to be replaced. Total cost before the vehicle was ready: Over $11,000

- Houston, TX, USA

I noticed that I had to refill the coolant/water on my car because it was low. When I got out of my work I noticed there was water on the floor, but I didn't think of anything because my car was doing fine. When I was almost home I noticed the car fans were like trying to compensate for the heat, but when I look at my dash. My car was overheating with the engine light. I parked it and noticed the water I put this morning was all gone and the car was still leaking. Come to find out it was the water pump and the engine.

- San Antonio, TX, USA