10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
6 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
12 / 0
Average Mileage:
18,725 miles

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problem #219

Dec 032025

Explorer

  • miles
There is an odor in the passenger cabin. Seems unsafe

- Wendell, NC, USA

problem #218

Nov 142025

Explorer

  • miles
Complete failure of the water pump at 58000 miles.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #217

Aug 282025

Explorer

  • 73,838 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle for an annual smog check, the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where a diagnostic test was performed. The diagnostic showed that the VVT (Variable Valve Timing) connected to the timing phasers had fractured and needed to be replaced. The contact was provided with an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,838.

- Lake Forest, CA, USA

problem #216

Oct 092025

Explorer

  • miles
Ya me marco el funcionamiento del motor

- Estados Unidos , IN, USA

problem #215

Sep 192025

Explorer

  • miles
It is known that for the specific year make and model that the water pump goes out around 100,000 miles. This water pump was built as an internal water pump, which is not typical for most cars. in order to fix this part, the engine has to be taken out and lots of parts have to be disassembled Just to get to it. The part Itself is fairly cheap, but the labor cost thousands of dollars due to where it is located. Ford knowingly built this car and put that pump where it is at and therefore should be reliable to pay the cost when it is so common that this part goes out around 100,000 miles. if it is a known issue that occurs on these models frequently then it should become a recall because a failing water pump can cause significant issues within the engine and make the vehicle in operable.

- Libertyville, IL, USA

problem #214

Aug 252022

Explorer

  • miles
intermittened starting problems, vechile wont start, clicks, then starts and power train light comes on. Waiting at a red light, press the gas and the car does not go, also when speeding up transmission slips.

- Newark , OH, USA

problem #213

May 012025

Explorer

  • miles
There was cam phaser situation that i was never informed of when this car was purchased. I just hit 80 k and i am now having issues. It appears there is a lawsuit for this. What is ford doing to fix.

- Lakewood, CO, USA

problem #212

Jun 122025

Explorer

  • miles
The car makes a ticking/rattle sound on cold startup. Preliminary diagnosis is the cam phasers. This is a 2017 Ford explorer with 77,000. It is the same 3.5L V6 ecoboost (GTDI) engine that was in Ford Customer Satisfaction program: 21N03. The issue mirrors tgat in the program document, but the Explorer is not covered by the program.

- Kent, WA, USA

problem #211

Jun 052025

Explorer

  • miles
I periodically have unintended acceleration ; it has occurred off and on for the past two years. The Ford dealer said no faults were detected so they can't fix the problem. It most often when I am shifting into reverse then the RPMs increase dramatically and when I put it in neutral they shoot up even more. A few days ago I was putting the car into the garage, waiting for the door to open, with my foot on the brake and the shift in drive when the RPMs started to increase. Feeling the car starting to move I shifted to neutral when the RPMs shot up tremendously. This is a dangerous situation where someone can get injured or killed. Ford should be able to correct the problem !!!

- West Milford, NJ, USA

problem #210

Jun 292023

Explorer

  • miles
At 28,000 miles, the vehicle emitted black smoke from the exhaust. Despite the mechanic-??s efforts to identify the issue, no diagnostic codes were detected. Currently, the vehicle has accumulated 100,000 miles. The engine suddenly lost the ability to accelerate beyond 20 miles per hour. After several months of repairs involving multiple turbo replacements, it was determined that the engine was severely damaged and should have been replaced over 50,000 miles ago. The engine was subsequently replaced, but only a year later, it failed again. After replacing the first engine, the vehicle-??s performance deteriorated significantly. The vehicle required another visit to the shop for several months, resulting in another engine replacement. Over the course of several months, the vehicle lost all power and exhibited difficulty shifting into reverse. Consequently, it failed to reverse and was involved in an accident.

- Rayville, LA, USA

problem #209

Feb 282025

Explorer

  • miles
I am submitting this complaint regarding a recurring turbocharger issue in my 2017 Ford Explorer Sport (VIN: [XXX] ). In April 2024, I was forced to replace the turbocharger system at a cost of approximately $2,500. Despite the repair, my vehicle continues to have serious performance issues. Most recently, the check engine light returned, and a diagnostic scan from O-??Reilly Auto Parts showed error code P219A -?" Bank 1 Air/Fuel Ratio Imbalance. This code indicates that the engine is still not functioning correctly-?"pointing to a likely underlying or unresolved defect. During the initial failure, oil leaked extensively into the engine bay and burned off in thick white smoke while I was driving. It was a serious safety concern, and the cause was consistent with Ford-??s existing recall for this engine (NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V925000), which was limited to the Police Interceptor Utility model despite the civilian Sport version using the same 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine and components. It is extremely concerning that my vehicle-?"outside of the official recall range-?"suffered the same turbo failure and now continues to show problems even after a costly repair. Either the mechanic-??s initial repair was incomplete, or the core design flaw that caused the issue in the first place is still at play, meaning this problem may continue to repeat itself. I respectfully request that: 1.Ford expand the recall to include vehicles with the same components and failures, regardless of their designation. 2.NHTSA investigate the scope of this issue across the broader 2017 Explorer Sport lineup. 3.Ford provide reimbursement or support for the costly repair, which has not resolved the issue. 4.Ford issue a technical service bulletin or revised part guidance if this is an ongoing engineering issue. I am happy to provide full documentation, photos, and service records if needed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Eldon, MO, USA

problem #208

May 202025

Explorer

  • miles
I brought my vehicle from a used certified dealer at the time of test drive I asked why such a rough transition when going from gear to gear and I was told it was the ECOBoost engine packed with power. Fast forward after multiple repairs and recalls on this vehicle I-??ve made it to my breaking point when my SUV shut down as I was turning onto a busy street coming from my son-??s school. The engine literally cut off almost causing a head on collision. This idle function is extremely dangerous. I had multiple belts repaired and many things checked after my car overheated and couldn-??t find the culprit. One mechanic explained my fan wasn-??t working to assist in cooling off the engine and the vents/grill in front of car was shut causing the engine to over heat. After opening the vents and connecting the car to diagnostic machine there were no codes to fix. Over the next month my suv would become significantly worse rattling when I stop at a red light almost drifting into a car in front of me. No longer overheating but now feeling the car physically shifting gears as if I drive a stick shift and I have an automatic transmission. After doing careful research I learned was some recalls on the fan and eco boost engine explaining the same issues that I-??am currently having. Don-??t mention fixing the recalls because all the certified dealers are 2-3 weeks behind on fixing and diagnosing these same vehicles. They won-??t loan you a car while being repaired which is another cost associated with this vehicle. Please look into this ecoboost engine and overheating issues. Also I was told my engine would go soon do the oxygen intake not exchanging enough oxygen causing oil to push into spark plugs and other parts of the engine it doesn-??t belong. This SUV is a complete lemon and should be recalled right away before someone dies from this awful feature. Just last week I saw someone on the interstate with my same vehicle stopping mid traffic. This is dangerous!!!

- Lexington, SC, USA

problem #207

Jan 132025

Explorer

  • miles
The vehicles engine has known defects that involves failure of the timing belt and water pump causing enteral damage that sends metal shards enter the oil and causes complete engine failure even with immediate attention when the vehicles engine sensors Alert the driver to an engine problem. After the water pump and or timing belt are changed the engine is already damaged beyond repair. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk" Once the microscopic metal shards enter the oil, filters are clogged and sensors inconsistently malfunction The engine does not accelerate appropriately and then jolts into acceleration The engine dies at idle Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? I have had the vehicle at the dealership 4 times and had 3 other body shops all confirm the same problem Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear" Yes - Dec 2024 - the vehicle was overheating and the water pump and timing belt were immediately replaced

- Evansville, IN, USA

problem #206

May 062025

Explorer

  • miles
Own a 2017 Ford Explorer 2.3L EcoBoost with 116K miles, out of the blue the vehicle started to overheat the engine, with no coolant left in the reservoir. Took it to a mechanic who stated that the engine is not that old and that it was unsure of why the head gasket was blown. It is believed by many including a Class Action Law Suite that Ford is aware of the possible overheating issues with their EcoBoost engines.

- Montgomery, TX, USA

problem #205

May 102025

Explorer

  • miles
Engine block timing plate cover has a defect crack in it causing an oil leak and fire hazard.

- Saint Augustine, FL, USA

problem #204

Apr 072025

Explorer

  • miles
The engine did not start and had a burning smell coming out. The SUV was towed to a Ford dealer to find out the engine block has to be replace. The SUV has been well maintain through out the years of ownership. It has $84000 miles on it. After some research, my SUV is not the only one that this has happened. It seems FORD explorer with an ecoboost engine have this issue. 2017 Ford Explore with an EcoBoost engine-ENGINE LONG BLOCK AND RETESTING (VERIFIED CONCERN AND PERFORMED DIAGNOSIS, FOUND COOLANT BOTTLE EMPTY AND ENGINE TO NOT CRANK BUT WHEN TURNING KEY THE ENGINE ATTEMPTS TO CRANK BUT STOPS, HAND VERIFIED THAT CRANK SHAFT WAS LOCKED AND FOUND HYDRO-LOCKED ENGINE DUE TO COOLANT INTRUSION) Fail $11,690.90

- Kensington, MD, USA

problem #203

Apr 032025

Explorer

  • miles
At 40,000 miles my head gasket failed, causing the engine to have to be replaced. This has now happened AGAIN at 112,000 miles. In reading on line, this is a common problem for the design of this engine. How can a car engine have to be replaced TWICE? This seems to be a significant design flaw and safety issue.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #202

Mar 312025

Explorer

  • 145,000 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal clunking sound, went into LIMP Mode, and failed to exceed 25 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact shifted to reverse(R), but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact called the independent mechanic whom the vehicle was purchased from, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with catastrophic transmission damage. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. There was no warranty coverage on the vehicle for the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

- Alma, MI, USA

problem #201

Apr 032025

Explorer

  • miles
Coolant on garage floor. Researched and found common among this engine, Called dealer. Said do not drive and get to dealer. Can cause engine seizure and breakdown if internal coolant leakage has started. Dealer stated they see at least one a week of this water pump problem.

- Linn Valley, KS, USA

problem #200

Mar 032025

Explorer

  • miles
The engine block (2.3L ecoboost) has a coolant intrusion into cylinder 3 causing it to miss fire and overheat. This problem almost left my wife and child stranded on the side of the road. If she hadn't had a safe place to pull over to allow the vehicle to cool down it could have had a catastrophic failure while driving. The dealer pressure tested the coolant system and showed leak in the coolant system. They then removed the number 3 spark plug and scoped the cylinder finding coolant inside cylinder. This coolant leak caused the miss fire and the overheating. Prior to failure the only thing that happened was that the number 3 cylinder had a miss fire. At this time the spark plugs and ingnition coil pack was replaced only to have the problem start up again a few days later. The number 3 and 4 ignition coil pack was then switched and codes cleared. The miss fire for number 3 then showed up again. At this time we set an appointment up with the dealer to look at the issue. Two days before the apointment the engine overheated. We were able to get the vehilce to the dealer and they diagnosed the coolant intrusion into the number 3 cylinder. Prior to the over heat the only warning was the miss fire for number 3 cylinder. No other warnings or codes were available for the engine. Upon researching this issue I found that it was a known issue and that Ford had an extended powertrain warranty for some customers under the customer satisfaction program. However, upon contacting Ford they said that my vehicle was not listed as a candadate for this extended warranty option.

- Partlow, VA, USA

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