3.1

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
45,500 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2012 Ford Explorer:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #6

Jan 312023

Explorer

  • miles
Window trim pieces have fallen off 3x. We have had them replaced multiple times. Once, the trim piece came off on the highway and caused the vehicle behind to swerve. No accidents. Currently, the drivers side trim piece is loose again, and I'm considering having it replaced, again.

- Hopkinton, MA, USA

Add Complaint
problem #5

May 012018

Explorer

  • 60,000 miles
The wipers will randomly turn on even if the switch is off. I have found that I have to turn the wipers on to the highest setting then immediately turn them off you get the wipers to stay off. My second problem is the air bag warning light will turn on at random times while driving. I can go weeks or months with out it turning on but I can also go weeks with it staying on 24/7. I have taken it to a Ford dealer to be looked at and the answer I got was 'we are not sure why it's doing it but just put a towel on the dash to keep it from getting hot and that should fix it maybe'. I have found that while driving if my wife turns around to get/give something to our child the light will turn on when she fully sits back down.

- Satellite Beach, FL, USA

Add Complaint
problem #4

Apr 252014

Explorer

  • 60,000 miles
Fumes in passenger compartment

- Tioga, PA, USA

Add Complaint
problem #3

Apr 072015

Explorer

  • 90,000 miles
Traveled to Florida from Pennsylvania for vacation. Window on passenger side developed line of small bubbles vertically while sitting in hotel parking lot. Windshield then cracked in middle in a "Z" formation. Its a rather large crack and makes it difficult to see out front window. I believe the window is defective like the Ford E series windshields. I contacted Ford but as usual they would not accept responsibility. This car has been recalled twice already.

- Hummelstown, PA, USA

Add Complaint
problem #2

Apr 162014

Explorer 6-cyl

  • 44,000 miles
The windshield wipers do not turn off. They continue to run until the vehicle is turned off.

- Boynton Beach, FL, USA

Add Complaint
problem #1

Feb 082013

Explorer 6-cyl

  • 19,000 miles
Slush on the windshield pulled the wiper from the wiper arm on the passenger side making me pull over on a busy street. The manufactured arm is the cheapest and most unreliable arm I've ever seen. I checked with other 2012 Ford Explorer and they have the same arm. The 2013 and 2014 have different style arms that hold the wiper on securely. I'm going back to the dealer to see if they can put different arms on but this definitely is a safety issue. Just by raising the wiper arm up and grabbing the bottom of the blade the wiper snaps off. I was lucky not to be on the interstate hwy when this happened.

- West Sencea, NY, USA

Add Complaint