10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 6 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 41 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 23,858 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.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
Upon acceleration at high RPM (300+), a strong odor of exhaust fumes is present inside the passenger cabin. This condition is typical when accelerating onto freeways, passing a vehicle or otherwise under load. Setting the environmental control circulation to recirculate interior air does not prevent the occurrence. Last visit to Ford dealership on 10 October 2016 to address concern found no problems. My vehicle currently has 35,544 miles at time of report. It has resulted in nausea and headaches. My wife has experienced abdominal pain that is being treated but unresolved. I question the affect of the cabin fumes on her lymphatic system resultant from exposure beyond normal limits.
- Peyton, CO, USA
Smell of exhaust fumes and/or sulfur-type odors coming through air conditioning system under heavy acceleration, passing on highway, or when engine is under a load. Fumes/smell get so bad that I have to roll down all windows and open sunroof to ventilate the passenger compartment. Tolerated the headaches, nausea, and light-headedness while driving until situation became intolerable and had begun to avoid driving the Explorer. First serviced in 10/2015, dealer had vehicle for 4 or 5 days. I was told that a tsb was performed which included removing the rear bumper and using sealant, but that did not correct the problem. Fumes in passenger compartment persisted. On 9/26/2016 took vehicle back to dealer for further diagnostics and repair attempts for same problem. Dealer had vehicle through 10/4/16, and called to tell me to come pick-up vehicle as it was "fixed" by cleaning A/C evaporator, and also "speaking with Ford engineers". went for test drive with service manager. After approx. 4-5 miles on highway, under varying acceleration conditions, cabin began to smell like fumes again, coming through the A/C vents. Then I began to feel light-headed and informed service manager of same. Could not ventillate vehicle due to heavy rains, but taking A/C off of "recirculate air" helped only a little, and changed nature of odor slightly. Dealership was using a meter to measure what was supposed to be carbon monoxide. Was consistently told throughout that measurements were "low" at 900ppm to max 1500ppm. When driving with same meter, it alarmed multiple times, but I was told it was because meter responds to breathing in the car. I determined that meter was for carbon dioxide not carbon monoxide. Returned vehicle to service, was told Ford is having regional rep examine vehicle on 10/11/16. I have filed a lemon law complaint with BBB.
- Land O Lakes, FL, USA
Exhaust including carbon monoxide enters the cabin of my car. There is a strong smell of exhaust and sulfur. This occurs when you excel the vehicle. Ford has tried multiple times and cannot fix my car. They have given up and will no longer help us. Leaving us with health problems. This has been ongoing since 5,000 miles and we now have over 30,000 miles.
- Fleming Island, FL, USA
Strong rotten egg smell on hard acceleration.
- Belleville, MI, USA
Cabin, from day 1, always fills with putrid, exhaust type odor under hard acceleration. Although the "when did this happen" field requires a date, this is ongoing.
- Lawrence, KS, USA
When under load (I.e. climbing hill) or fast acceleration (passing a vehicle) there is a strong odor of exhaust in the passenger cabin. The odor is coming from the air vents throughout the vehicle. Windows must be opened to get rid of the smell. This occurs primarily and was most noticeable when the air conditioner unit was operated (on recirculating air setting) and while driving up an incline.. note: Although this issue is reported as occurring on the date indicated, we have noticed it multiple times with the same symptoms and circumstances!
- Jupiter, FL, USA
August 19:identified 3 error codes, one of which was the power steering. Tech. Said vehicle would be very difficult to steer if it lost power steering because of the size of Explorer. Service checked wiring and connections, and they had also driven the vehicle, but they needed more time with the vehicle. August 28: On a clear, warm day at about 1:00 pm, driving 6 people in the Explorer on the expressway when we started experiencing problems. Chiming noises were heard initially, then intermittently. The dashboard lights started blinking on and off. The entire dashboard then went black, then intermittently on with the speedometer going back and forth from 0 to around 75, then blacking out again. Left hand side of dashboard displayed brake system warning symbol and low tire pressure warning symbol. The air conditioning and radio went off. AWD off message appeared on left side of dashboard. Right hand side of dashboard displayed: Stability control, stability control system off & front air bag symbols. Maximum heat started pouring out of vents. ABS symbol appeared and right hand signal came on. Service advance trac message was also displayed at some point. This problem episode lasted at least 4 minutes while we were driving. We took pictures of the dashboard and videotaped part of this episode. September 13: Service techs can't duplicate problem, the Ford hotline engineer suggested that the service dept attach a flight recorder to car in an effort to record activity if the problem reoccurs while driving. Cell phone won't sync with the car since the last incident on Aug 28th. Service tech explained that this a network problem and flight recorder worked off the network, therefore flight recorder would be useless. The service tech informed the Ford engineer that they would not be installing the flight recorder because it would be ineffective.
- Brighton, MI, USA
Burning plastic / exhaust smell inside the cab any time when accelerating
- Palatka, FL, USA
As I was driving home from work. I made a right hand turn (at a stop light)and heard a "thump" I got out to investigate and their was my front axle (from what I was told) was on the ground! lucky for me I was on a side street or the outcome could of been a disaster.
- Fort Worth, TX, USA
We bought our Explorer February 2015 and when I excelerate there are fumes that come inside and smells like exhaust and something burning. When I took it in they said it was the catalytic converter, but it's still doing it a year and a half later. Taking it back again.
- Jacksonville, FL, USA
I've had my 2015 Explorer for a year now. Since I have had it, when you get on the gas such as merging in traffic or just taking off there is a fowl smell that comes and goes. I thought because it was a new vehicle that would happen until I read the current investigation and I am now worried that it isnt supposed to happen and it could be bad for my children and I.
- Jacksonville, FL, USA
Noxious smell coming from vents while going up hill. This is an on going problem dealer has had several tries to repair.there are other repair attempts that dealer would not provide paperwork on.
- Julian, PA, USA
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there was an odor of carbon monoxide from the cabin air filter when the vehicle accelerated and the air conditioner was activated. Due to the odor, the contact experienced brief moments of dizziness and an abnormal feeling. The failure occurred without warning. The dealer diagnosed that the odor was due to the new vehicle smell dissipating. The vehicle was not diagnosed again. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 90.
- Marion, MI, USA
The car has a strong smell of exhaust in the cabin when accelerating hard.
- Plainview, NY, USA
I have noticed since the car was purchased new a strong odor coming from the air conditioning system when you depress the accelerator to max when passing a car or entering an on ramp. I have tried with both the fresh air on and recirculate on, the same effect is noticed. Finally after dealing with this for about a year I brought it up to my dealer when the vehicle was in for its routine service. The service advisor informed me he has a 2016 Explorer with the same problem and that Ford came back with something about vents not opening quick enough at the rear of the vehicle. To his knowledge, there was no fix from Ford as of yet. The smell does get quite strong and routinely the windows need to be lowered to prevent the strong odors from lingering. I am concerned as to what the odor is, possibly harmful emissions that could affect myself and my passengers? under normal driving conditions the smelled will appear when the accelerator is depressed more than half way, far too often in my opinion. I did notice more of the smell during the warmer months of the year and not as much when it was cooler/cold (we live in Florida so never freezing).
- Tampa, FL, USA
Fume in the cabin on acceleration Ford worked on the problem two time but the problem has been getting worse as time goes by. City highway makes no difference
- Fort Myers, FL, USA
There is a strong odor of exhuast fumes inside the car when running the ac and accelerating the vehicle. It is so strong the windows have to be put down to breath comfortablely.
- Mechanicsburg, PA, USA
Exhaust fumes are leaking into passenger cabin, particularly after acceleration
- Acworth, GA, USA
I purchased my 2015 Ford Explorer in April 2015. The first day I drove it I noticed a strong odor coming from the vents during hard acceleration. I thought it was because it was a new vehicle and needing to be "broken in". after about 4 weeks, I still noticed the odor. I took it into the dealership and was told they didn't know what would be causing it and didn't have an answer as to how to fix it. Two months later the smell was unbearable so I returned to the dealership. At this point, I had one technician inform me of similar issues he had heard of but they had no information from Ford for a solution. In August 2015, I returned to the dealership once again and this time was told there had been a tsb released by Ford. They kept my vehicle for 2 weeks and performed the repairs based on the tsb. I drove it out of the service dept and immediately noticed the odor upon entering the highway. I figured there was nothing more I could do so I put the situation on the back burner until a few months ago. At this point, the odor happened on every acceleration and would linger in the cabin for quite some time. In May 2016, I went to the dealership and was told they had done all they could and for me to contact Ford Motor Company. I did and since then, under that request of a Ford Motor Company rep, I've had to return the vehicle to the shop on 3 separate occasions of which they have kept my vehicle for a week at a time to perform different "attempts" to fix the problem. None of which have provided a solution. All of these times, having to take personal time off work to drop off/pick up vehicle. I am still having the problem and their (fmc) next suggestion is going to be having a field service engineer "flown" in to look at my vehicle. I'm left feeling less than certain a solution is near and I'm just getting the run around.
- San Antonio, TX, USA
- Brighton, MI, USA