10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
9 / 0
Average Mileage:
5,054 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 2017 Ford Explorer:

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

problem #123

Aug 012017

Explorer

  • miles
I have a terrible exhaust odor that enters the cab of my car upon acceleration.

- Gatesville, TX, USA

problem #122

Jan 012018

Explorer

  • miles
When the vehicle is being accelerated, a strong odor of sulfur or "rotten eggs" consumes the cabin of the SUV. This has occurred when the air system is in all modes, including when turned off. It is apparent that exhaust fumes are entering the cabin when driving the vehicle and endangering all passengers. The vehicle has spent two weeks at a Ford dealership for repairs on this issue (reprogrammed climate control, rear seal corrected) however the problem remains and has not been remedied. Health concerns have been endured with driver and passengers due to toxicity of exhaust fumes.

- Buda, TX, USA

problem #121

Aug 082018

Explorer

  • 10,000 miles
Explorer has less than 11000 miles on it. Since the day I bought the car, under mild to heavy acceleration, smell of rotten eggs feels the cabin. After driving for 20-30 min my wife and two children under the age of 10 start to experience fatigue, headaches and nausea. Be concerned about CO2 poisoning I have bought an after market detector which has not, alarmed. The smell has progressively gotten stronger and stronger as the car increases in mileage. Took it to the dealership 8/8/18 and they want to ask about in cabin air filters, like that filters out exhaust gas. Laughable at best. Then again as a firefighter will tell you if you smell smoke there is fire.

- Shreveport, LA, USA

problem #120

Aug 022018

Explorer

  • 15,000 miles
Original tires that came with truck vertus S1noble2 255/50 R20 105 H are worn out after 15000 miles of normal driving..tread is at a minimum and tires look weak on side walls...starting to crack. Tires need to be replaced after only 15000

- Milford, PA, USA

problem #119

Apr 152017

Explorer

  • 500 miles
Family has been having neurological symptoms after smelling severe exhaust in the cab of our vehicle.

- Ellisville, MS, USA

problem #118

Jul 072018

Explorer

  • 17,000 miles
Vehicle was traveling approximately 40-50mph on the highway, traffic stopped abruptly, collision warning system with brake support did not activate, driver attempted to make a hard stop, brakes engaged at initial push of the pedal then became unresponsive regardless of force applied to the pedal, vehicle rear-end another vehicle, air-bags did not deploy, sos post-crash alert system did not activate, 911 assist did not activate.

- Neptune, NJ, USA

problem #117

Jan 122018

Explorer

  • 950 miles
Vehicle has been back and forth to sawgrass Ford as there is a bad smell of sulphur/rotten eggs. Dealer conducted voluntary recall. Have been back several times since January 2018 with same issue. This vehicle is making me sick!

- Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

problem #116

Jul 222017

Explorer

  • 5,000 miles
Exhaust smell in cabin upon acceleration. My vehicle already had the Ford recommended repair at the dealer which did nothing to solve the problem. It seems worse now than when it started. Mileage on the car is approximately 24,000 miles. I saw the NHTSA investigation report on the news this morning and wanted to add my vehicle to the list of complaints.

- Cranberry Twp, PA, USA

problem #115

Jun 192018

Explorer

  • miles
Hankook tires show premature wear on all 4 tires. 255/50R20 105H are worn 60-65% at 17,600 miles on vehicle (15 months old). Tires were rotated every 5,500 miles.

- Sterling Heights, MI, USA

problem #114

Jun 172018

Explorer

  • 35,500 miles
My vehicle consistently has an exhaust smell while driving and registers co levels from 3-5 ppm in normal driving conditions. Under hard acceleration the co levels have register above 11 ppm. The smell and co levels are at their worst when the engine is under a lot of strain. For instance, when pulling a trailer. I have recorded co levels as high as 38 ppm when pulling a trailer. I have taken this vehicle to the dealer twice already and still do not have the issue resolved. My wife and I should not have to monitor the co levels in our car. We are afraid we could be causing harm to our young children as we spend a lot of time in our vehicle. Is there any guidance on what the levels of co in a vehicle should be" I cannot find any in my research. I have pictures of my meter reading high as well as service receipts from the attempted repairs. The vehicle goes back the week of the June 18th for the 3rd attempt, but the dealer is starting to push back and saying that I am experiencing is normal. This is the meter I use: Https://sensorcon-sensing-products-by-molex.myshopify.com/products/programmable-carbon-monoxide-meter"variant=4193498308

- Hughes Springs, TX, USA

problem #113

Mar 232017

Explorer

  • 14,000 miles
There was a coolant leak into the heater box which cause the heater core to fail and then it began filling the driver's side of the cabin with coolant fumes for two months. The vehicle should have never left courtesy Ford here in portland or. It went back three times for this issue. If they would have contacted Ford motors they could and had the knowledge of this major failure happening. Breathing in coolant and being told it's okay. It isn't is it? please help.

- Wilsonville, OR, USA

problem #112

Nov 252016

Explorer

  • miles
I have a 2017 Ford Explorer platinum which I purchased brand new on November 25, 2016. It took me a while to realize but every time I would drive the Explorer, my eyes would get very heavy and I would develop a headache. I commute 42 miles each way for work and I cant count how many times I almost fell completely asleep. After some research, I found out that this was a common problem to due to possible carbon monoxide (co) leaks entering the vehicle through the ventilation system. I immediately contacted my local Ford dealership and had this looked at early this year. Ford replaced the exhaust manifold and I noticed a major difference in how I felt when driving the vehicle. Recently, in the past two weeks I have been experiencing the same issue again with headaches and feeling sleepy while driving. I have made several attempts to contact Ford corporate about this and I have not received any response. I would like for them to either completely fix the issue or allow me to trade in my vehicle for another one. This is truly a hazard not only to myself but for my passengers (wife and kids) and to others on the road. Please help to get this resolved...

- Lorton, VA, USA

problem #111

Jun 082018

Explorer

  • 9,100 miles
Tires that came with vehicle have chunks of tread peeling off /cutting from normal driving of 9100 miles and 11 months. This presents several hazards such as vehicle stability, traction and potential blowout / rollovers other sizes these same hankook ventus S1 noble2 have already been recalled due to similar failures. These are 255/50 R 20 size.

- Santa Fe, TX, USA

problem #110

Mar 022018

Explorer

  • 7,000 miles
Recall has already been completed on my Ford and now when the max ac is on and your going down the road or need to accelerate the max ac turns off and comes out of the defrost vents and blows hot air this is not right and it does occur in any other vehicle that I currently own or have owned in the past

- Culpeper, VA, USA

problem #109

Mar 022018

Explorer

  • 8,200 miles
Carbon monoxide / exhaust gases entering the passenger cabin while driving made all passengers ill, with extreme headaches and nausea. While driving home from vacation the cabin filled with exhaust fumes and was a problem for the next several hours. It started about 30 minutes after starting the Explorer and opening the windows or turning on the recirculating air in the vehicle only made the exhaust fumes worse. This required many stops and airing out of the vehicle. The Explorer has been taken in for the first repair of inspecting the rear seal and reprogramming of the HVAC system. This has not resolved the issue. Continue to have exhaust fumes in the passenger cabin.

- Jackson, MI, USA

problem #108

Mar 122018

Explorer

  • 5,200 miles
At approximately 6:20am edt on Monday, 3/12/18 a carbon monoxide detector installed in my 2017 Ford Explorer platinum indicated the presence of carbon monoxide in the passenger cabin exceeding 100ppm. This alarm went off when I was 5 minutes in to my commute to work while stopped at a stoplight on a city street. I also began getting a severe headache at this time. I went to my doctor on 3/13/18, about 24 hours since last being in the vehicle, and had my blood tested for carbon monoxide presence. The carboxyhemoglobin test came back with elevated levels of carboxyhemoglobin (the level was 1.7 which is above the 1.5 max threshold for non-smokers) which indicates harmful exposure to carbon monoxide. My doctor stated that this level would be expected from someone involved in a fire. On 3/12/18 I also dropped my vehicle off at the local Ford dealership for investigation. The dealership indicated that they had not inspected any passenger model Ford Explorer for the carbon monoxide issue, only police intercept vehicles, of which they have only investigated 2. they also indicated that they were not aware of any service bulletins sent by Ford Motor Company for this issue.

- East Lansing, MI, USA

problem #107

Aug 292017

Explorer

  • 10,000 miles
My daughter frequently complains of headaches, dizziness and nausea when riding in the front passenger seat. This only happens to her when she is in the Ford. On one occasion she was taken to the emergency room and started vomiting. Er doctors could not explain the cause of her illness.

- Pine Brook, NJ, USA

problem #106

Jul 082017

Explorer

  • miles
I am an attorney filing this report on behalf of and at the request of my client, the vehicle's owner. The complaint is a noxious odor which fills the vehicle during its operation; after numerous repair attempts by Ford, this concern has not been corrected. When driving the vehicle, the driver has observed the interior has become inundated with a noxious, overwhelming, and potentially dangerous odor of gasoline, exhaust and/or fumes. The driver has felt ill effects after this occurrence and is concerned about carbon monoxide poisoning or other health problems as a result. This issue is very concerning because of the potential health effects and because vehicle cannot be driven for any substantial period of time without filling with this odor. The issue has most often been observed with highway driving when the engine is under load, I.e. accelerating. The problem has been ongoing since shortly after the time of purchase of the vehicle. The first repair attempt by the dealer for this specific issue was made in July of 2017. At least 4 repair attempts have been made subsequently. The issue continues. This law firm has requested that Ford take back the vehicle and refund the client's purchase price under Arizona's motor vehicle warranties statute.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #105

Feb 102018

Explorer

  • 7,000 miles
Exhaust smell in passenger cabin light headed, nausea, flared up my migraines. Complete negligence on behalf of dealership to sell me vehicle and not share information regarding this health concern. In addition, they mention the 'recall' and fail to address it. I bring it back, they failed to fix again and never told me. It wasn't until about a month later...getting headaches and nausea I called just to confirm the recall was addressed, only to learn they never fixed it because they needed a part. After flipping out on the service manager and general manager...they said it's a 'a customer satisfaction action' item...not a recall! but yet liccardi Ford inwatching NJ horrible!!! how could they be sooo negligent! even as much as to say it's been noticed or observed more in police Explorer, but be aware of a preexisting concern! instead...negligence that led to me getting nauseous and smelling it on my own to call them and find out they never fixed it!!

- Livingston, NJ, USA

problem #104

Feb 102018

Explorer

  • 0 miles
If you want to know what is going on with your Ford Explorer, go to fordexplorernightmare.com. Read the 2 key documents and leave your story.

- Lafayette, LA, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »