10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
8 / 0
Average Mileage:
27,572 miles

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problem #370

May 312025

Explorer

  • miles
I-??ve had it twice be an issue where the engine didn-??t run quite right. The first time I took it to the mechanic it was determined the timing chain was bad and they also said this is a well known issue with the ecoboost engines in these explorers. Only about a year later after replacing that and the water pump I went to start the explorer and it wouldn-??t start. Took it to the mechanic again and they found that the timing chain, again, had failed and this time it also caused damage to a piston rod. They said they were surprised it wasn-??t catastrophic damage to the engine because of this. I-??ve now had to spend literally thousands of dollars on this vehicle for timing chain related issues alone in just over 3 years of owning it. Searching online finds unending reports of similar issues to this as well as massive issues with the turbos and the cam phasers that also commonly are causing catastrophic engine failures despite routine preventative maintenance being performed. And the a pillar recall issue. I had it inspected December of 2024 and determined it needed them replaced. I was not given a time frame when that would be completed. I got a call over a month ago from the dealer saying to call them to schedule a repair. I did so and then was told that while I was on the list they still are unable to get any parts from Ford to repair this mandated recall and also cannot get a timeline on when said parts would be available. I-??m almost six months past them saying it-??s been ordered and still no idea when it-??ll be repaired. And now a second recall was just announced for the b post coverings and I-??m sure this will be just as bad. As many issues as this car is having I think Ford should have to pay for a lot more recalls than they have so far. I also had to have two other recalls fixed that the selling dealer didn-??t address before selling to me.

- Byron Center, MI, USA

problem #369

May 162025

Explorer

  • miles
Took the family SUV in for a standard oil change and 100k service to Ford dealership. Upon performing a coolant flush, the water pump began leaking. It was found that the internal water pump was leaking and needed to be replaced along with the primary timing chain and tensioner items. There were no warning lamps or indicators to let us know this was an issue. The dealer service center replaced the internal water pump, refilled system and test drove. It was re inspected and leak has been corrected. However, this cost us $4, $366.80 for an issue Ford knows is a reoccurring issue in this model of SUV and a huge hazard for families.

- Marriottsville, MD, USA

problem #368

May 022025

Explorer

  • 111,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was idling rough while shifted into drive or reverse. The contact stated that the vehicle operated normally while moving. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced Technical Service Bulletin: 20-2271; as a possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 111,000.

- River Grove, IL, USA

problem #367

Sep 012024

Explorer

  • 77,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that water had entered the vehicle, and the inside of the windshield was freezing. There was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the defrosted was inoperable. Additionally, the TPMS warning light was 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 vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who blew out the tubes and replaced the water pump. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact stated that after a rainstorm, water entered the vehicle from the sunroof. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the sunroof track needed to be replaced. 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 issue. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 77,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Knoxville, TN, USA

problem #366

Oct 162024

Explorer

  • miles
Engine stalls out when accelerating, coolant is leaking into the motor. Got it checked out my mechanic, needs new engine due to improper manufacturing issue

- Lucedale, MS, USA

problem #365

Mar 272025

Explorer

  • miles
Water pump

- Endwell, NY, USA

problem #364

Nov 192024

Explorer

  • miles
My vehicles wrench sign would turn on do a little jerk then I would lose power to my car. Showed malfunction to power train. Took it to mechanic said there was a Crack in the valve gasket and they fixed that and changed spark plugs. A month later car did the same thing. Has done it a total for 4 times very scary when on a high way and it does it and I have to pull over with traffic coming. Took it to another mechanic and he couldn't figure it out either because there are no codes but said he seem something similar and I needed to change all my coils. So I did that. Thousands of dollars later and no one can still figure out the problem. I don't know if it's some safety issue with the engine or transmission. But 3 certified mechanics can not figure out why my car continues to lose power.

- Hammonton , NJ, USA

problem #363

Dec 172024

Explorer

  • miles
2nd time in two years I have to fix the water pump

- Youngstown, OH, USA

problem #362

Aug 012024

Explorer

  • miles
At around 50,000 miles the Turbo on the engine was leaking oil. Dealer replaced the turbo and kept the part. It needed to be replaced to avoid a catastrophic failure of the turbo which in turn could cause severe engine oil loss resulting in engine failure and oil contamination of the catalytic converters O2 sensors and possibly a car fire. There was no warning but was caught during a routine oil change. Unknown if the dealer reported it.

- Pleasanton, CA, USA

problem #361

Oct 042024

Explorer

  • miles
A engine getting hot light came on in our Explorer and we checked the coolant levels and most of the coolant had leaked out. We filled the coolant but the check engine light was still on.A mechanic did a thorough assessment and found 3 codes were being thrown. He discovered that the coolant was leaking into the combustion chamber. After much research online, we found that there was a class action lawsuit on other ecoboost Ford engines that had the same issue. Out particular Model was not included, but it was the same safety issue. The engine could become overheated and start on fire or the engine could fail and seize up while driving. We personally experienced a few times where the engine would hesitate and almost not go forward but we thought it was a spark plug issue. It was a little scary while driving in traffic and could have caused a rear end situation. We called Ford and they offered no solution. Case #CXH-02862684-P9D9B2

- Parker, CO, USA

problem #360

Apr 152024

Explorer

  • 85,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that oil from the turbo booster had leaked onto the catalytic converter and both the turbo booster and catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact indicated that previously the power transfer off unit was faulty, causing the vehicle to suddenly lose accelerating power; and the front control arms and ball joints were replaced. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 85,000.

- New Albany, OH, USA

problem #359

Aug 152024

Explorer

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was steam was coming from under the hood. There was an abnormal odor entering into the cabin of the vehicle. The check temperature warning light was illuminated. The contact attempted to refill the coolant; however, the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was towed. The local dealer was contacted and advised the contact that the water pump might need to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

- Lakeport, CA, USA

problem #358

Jun 102024

Explorer

  • miles
The water pump failed vehicle only has around 105,225 miles on it. This has been a known issue with the 3.5L Twin turbo ecoboost. The water and coolant continuously coming out happens to be on the alternator which has caused it to short out and no longer be working properly. There has not been any kind of malfunction or warning lights for any of the issues and because of the way ford designed the water pump to be inside the motor working off the timing chain it turns into what the book lists at 14-15 hours to complete. The motor has to come out taken apart to replace the water pump and with that not just one but both timing chains have to be set again which adds additional hours for the repair and of course more money to take it to a ford shop to have it fixed the rough estimate which they said did not include the labor for the timing chains being set nor the price of any of the parts needed as I have already purchased them myself so only labor for the water pump (not including timing chains) is about $4,350 + tax of course but they said that would increase because of the labor for the timing chains that you have no option or choice regarding having to work on them or not because of the water pump. oh and none of that includes rental fees while repaired nor the price to get and replace the alternator and labor for that. so my guess would be somewhere around $6,000 give or take to fix this disaster and Ford does not care about their known failed design and flawed water pump issues and expect someone to be able to fork out that kind of money instead of trying to help fix there issue.

- Alma, GA, USA

problem #357

Aug 102024

Explorer

  • miles
Water pump failure, like many others. Caused engine to overheat, lose AC. Issue caught before complete engine failure. INTERNAL WATER PUMP CAN GO OUT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SUDDENLY LOSE POWER AND SHUT DOWN SUDDENLY CAUSING THE POWER BRAKES AND POWER STEERING TO FAIL ALL AT ONCE AND LEAD TO LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL WHICH IN TRAFFIC COULD CAUSE A FATAL ACCIDENT WHILE THE DRIVER STRUGGLES TO MAINTAIN CONTROL WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MOVE TO THE ROADSIDE OR EMERGENCY LANE. WHILE FORD HAS KNOWN OF THIS FLAW IN THE ENGINE DESIGN FOR YEARS AND DID NOTHING TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE.

- Oronogo, MO, USA

problem #356

Jul 262024

Explorer

  • miles
The water pump failed on my way home from work. A light in my vehicle started blinking rapidly and a warning alarm started sounding in the vehicle cabin unexpectedly. My vehicle suddenly overheated in the middle of a busy intersection causing me to stop unexpectedly to assess the situation before proceeding to safety. I (middle aged female) had returned from a long trip with two toddlers 800 miles round trip which extended late into the night on remote stretches of road without assistance available for several miles only a few days earlier. Had this happened a few days earlier, during that trip, I would have been stranded with two toddlers, alone after dark in a remote location. An independent service center made the diagnosis and performed a repair. They stated I was lucky the leak did not enter my oil reservoir based on the location of the water pump, locking up the engine and leaving the car completely inoperable in said intersection. The location of the water pump, and the fact it failed around 100,0000 miles seemed premature for similiar vehicles and the design/placement of the water pump is significantly more difficult to troubleshoot and repair. The cost of the repair was ultimately $3825.69 plus an additional cost to procure a rental vehicle while for the week my vehicle was being repaired.

- Owens Cross Roads, AL, USA

problem #355

Jun 162024

Explorer

  • 97,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and was not able to exceed 50 MPH. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had been illuminated for over 3 years. t uThe vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed the engine needed to be replaced due to the rear turbo causing damages to the front turbo and the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined that the turbos needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however; the contact was informed that the vehicle was nonder recall and that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

- Arlington, WA, USA

problem #354

Jun 282024

Explorer

  • miles
The water pump failed causing all loss of antifreeze. After doing extensive research, this is a known issue and ford refuses to fix the issue. To fix the issue a large part of the engine has to be torn down to access the water pump.

- Katy, TX, USA

problem #353

Jul 182024

Explorer

  • 137,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle sputtered with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that coolant was leaking into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000.

- Smith Center, KS, USA

problem #352

Jun 102024

Explorer

  • miles
water pump failure at 60K miles on a 2016 ford explorer, this model has the most reported water pump failures on record. this is a 15 hour repair job at the dealer, and the same complaint litters the internet. The failure on my vehicle was confirmed by dealer, $4k to fix. Not to mention the mess in my driveway where the coolant expelled without notice. If I drive it, the engine will be damaged, and there goes my car. In 2020 NY and MI class action lawsuits over this issue were settled & closed WITH payment to plaintiffs, yet no recall. WHY" too expensive for Ford? We see safety recall on clips yet nothing on an admitted engine problem than causes stalling or engine damage while running" There's a class action in Canada. Ford is dodging a known defect. Please do something about this.

- Shrewsbury, MA, USA

problem #351

May 292024

Explorer

  • miles
The power transfer unit is broken. Symptoms are vehicle shuddering, vehicle sounds like it is going to stall. This could cause a major accident at any moment.

- Roach, MO, USA

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