10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 3 / 2
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 5 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 16,047 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
Water pump failed. Coolant is leaking
- Muscatine, IA, USA
Three times within the last 4 years I have had a Map Sensor failure. I was told the first time, this is rare. I was told the second time, this never happens twice. This time I'm told that they just don't know what is causing it. Must be 3 bad sensors in a row somehow. The engine failure on [XXX] was nearly catastrophic and I nearly died. I was going 70mph on a [XXX] at [XXX]. [XXX] can be dangerous under the best conditions, this was during dangerous storms along with being at rush hour. The engine completely stalls and I lose all power to drive. The first time it happened in a parking lot in August of 2020. The second time was Sept of 2022 and I was in my neighborhood. Sunset Ford has no explanation and have repaired it and sent me on my way once again. There are no signs this will happen - it just suddenly happens and I have no ability to react due to the complete engine stall. I have also had 2 oil system failures with this vehicle. It has only 42k miles on it. I do not feel safe driving this vehicle. I don't understand how this is acceptable at all honestly. How can I feel safe driving my children in this vehicle" 5 major repairs in just over 4 years. Have the repairs been done correctly" I question why more has not been done to ensure that another catastrophic event doesn't happen that could result in death of myself or family. Even my numerous requests for information and service reports were met with resistance and what seems like attempts at hiding information from Sunset Ford. Not only could I have been seriously injured or killed, but this could have caused a large scale accident affecting many others on that hwy. This feels negligent by either Sunset Ford or by Ford Mo Co. This should not happen in a safe and reliable vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Arnold, MO, USA
On February 9, 2024 I was headed to work as a ICU Charge Nurse. I was driving about 65 mph on the highway and suddenly my engine failed. My engine completely turned off. I wasn-??t able to press the gas to accelerate. My steering wheel also locked so I had no control over my vehicle anymore. Eventually, smoke started to come from my engine. I nearly lost my life with no control over my vehicle. Someone could have hit me from the spontaneous failure of the engine. This was extremely traumatic for me. I bought this car from a Ford dealership and get all my services done through Ford. On January 24, 2024 I took my car to Ford for a multi-point inspection, oil change, and tire rotation. I also got a fuel system change. I had no warning lamps, messages, or any symptoms that the vehicle would fail prior to the incident. I got my vehicle towed to the dealership of purchase. They reported that it was an internal failure of the engine from a broken water pump. This is an ongoing issue that Ford is aware of. How does a water pump fail with no indication? Why hasn-??t there been a recall on Ford-??s water pump and engine failure. How many people have to lose their lives before a safety recall is issued. I was lucky to survive that but others may not be. Please help!
- Aubrey , TX, USA
Torque converter issues as outlined here: [XXX] Almost was in accident due to loss of power and slow take off from issue with transmission torque converter. Engine shaking bad when in drive or reverse while stopped. Caused two motor mounts to be damaged. One split open and leaked fluid. Those have already been replaced. Less than 60k miles this should not be an issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Shepherdsville, KY, USA
I purchased this used vehicle from Carmax 1/2022. Prior to my purchase it was a fleet vehicle. On 09/18/2023 I experienced EcoBoost engine failure.Mileage is currently roughly 49k. Incident occured 2 months outside of Powertrain warranty. The engine light would come on intermittently when driving. Took the car for a diagnostic to diagnose issue and had #3 ignition coil replaced due to misfire message. Few days later, light would come back on. After 3rd time of me going back and forth to the repair shop because of the light coming back on and vehicle drive not being as smooth as it usually is, I took the car to Ford dealer service center, where I was advised that this is a known issue, but no recall has been issued at this time. In addition, I was told that this engine is on back order and will not ship out until March 2024. A loaner car has not been provided and my extended warranty covers 5 days at $35/day, that is it. I will be without a vehicle for 6 months. Prior to this incident in 2022 I had a transmission issue. Powertrain warranty was still in effect so Ford covered it. I was without a vehicle for about 3 weeks for that repair. This has been a very dissapointing experience for a vehicle that is 5 years old and under 50k miles.
- Chamblee, GA, USA
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 80 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact stated that she was able to coast the vehicle off the roadway safely. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where the failure could not be duplicated; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact stated that a message then flashed on the instrument panel -??Full Accessory Active-??. The contact stated that the following day, she attempted to start the vehicle, but the engine failed turnover. The contact stated that she waited approximately 30 minutes to an hour and was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, but the failure could not be duplicated. The failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number and advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 79,008.
- Springdale, OH, USA
As I was driving on to the grocery store on a stop light I heard a rattle sound deflecting to another vehicle, the other vehicles driver heard the noise and noticed a puddle of water, and notified me. Emediatly i pulled over. Indeed, there was leak, unfortunately couldn't tell where it was coming from.I Called my mechanic, and a tow truck.My mechanic called me today October 11,2023 to notify me that the water pump had failed.He asked me if there had been any warning sings or temperature change, I responded no.He told me that if the incident had happened on the highway, I might have caused damage to the engine and potentially the vehicle might have shut off do to over heating.Keep in mind that my 2018 ford explorer only has 70,000 miles.Now I'm stuck with a bill of 1,400 dollars.Im gonna get an update tomorrow October 12,2023 on my vehicle status, if there was anything else damaged do to the water pump failure.No lights or warning sings were lid on my dashboard.
- San Diego, CA, USA
The car had catastrophic engine failure. It had zero mechanical issues and all routine maintenance. It started rough a few times. Which I now know was a misfire. It then overheated while driving. Brought to a mechanic who said it was a blown head gasket. The coolant leaked into the oil. Engine had to be replaced at 102,000 miles.
- Easton , MD, USA
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the service engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who performed a software update; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
- Phoenix, AZ, USA
EXHAUST SAFTEY ISSUE / MY CEL CAME ON LEAVING WORK ON 9/25, SCANED CODE AND GOT A CODE OF P0430 (CATALYTIC CONVERTER BANK 2) I FOUND A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM ISSUED ON 06/13/19 -(PROGRAM #19M01) ON THIS TO REPLACE UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE ISSUE IS WARRANTY COVERAGE IS 11 YEARS OR 120,000 MILES. THE CODE CAME UP AT 120,325 JUST OUTSIDE THE WARRANTY EXTENSION, FORD IS UNWILLING TO EXTEND THIS COVERAGE PAST THE 120 MILE MARK, tHIS CAR ALSO FALLS UNDER ANOTHER PROGRAM THAT WAS ISSUED 01/26/23 (PROGRAM# 22M06) STILL FORD REFUSES TO COVER UNDER WARRANTY FOR THIS SAFTY ISSUE
- Wentzville, MO, USA
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed by a dealer and confirmed that the failure was with the power take off unit internal failure and was leaking fluid. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
- Port Washington, WI, USA
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that coolant was leaking from the engine and the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was hot. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the water pump was replaced; however, the contact stated that the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the water pump had failed again. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The failure mileage was 81,135.
- Winton, CA, USA
Leaking exhuast fumes into the cab.
- Sacramento, CA, USA
Dealer refuses to repair vehicle without issues being present. States They will only fix it once the problem has arisen.
- Gonzales, LA, USA
I-??ve taken my vehicle multiple times to the Ford dealership due to continuing issues. Every time I-??m told nothing is wrong and now I can-??t even drive my car 5 feet.
- Carmel Valley, CA, USA
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while her husband was driving approximately 45 MPH, the check engine warning light started flashing. The contact stated that after blinking twice, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The driver coasted to the side of the roadway and had the vehicle towed to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The certified mechanic explained that coolant had leaked into the engine oil causing the engine to fail. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed the diagnostic result and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.
- Philadelphia, PA, USA
This complaint is regarding faulty water pumps in certain Ford vehicles. This is a known issue that Ford refuses to acknowledge. There are several class action lawsuits filed against Ford as well. The water pump is positioned in the engine-??s center section, coolant leaks straight into the oil bucket. The coolant leak causes the engine to overheat and seize, prompting a new purchase. An overheated engine results in a blown head gasket, which causes the engine to underperform, worsening the heating condition. Engine failure can happen anywhere and cause danger to occupants or other drivers on the road. I had the best Ford warranty on my 2018 Ford Explorer. It expired when I reached 101,000 miles. At 103,0870 miles, I was in our Ford Dealership for an oil change. That is when they found coolant leaking. They said I needed a new water pump. The repair was to cost $3,613.98. I paid for the repair but also called Ford to see if they had a program to help with the cost of this repair. They said no. I filed a complaint and, of course, nobody contacted me. Luckily, this was found before I lost the engine like a lot of people are experiencing.
- Renfrew, PA, USA
Water pump is inside engine and apparently known to be faulty. After being stranded in traffic behind an accident in winter in Maine It was well below zero and I could not move from the backed up traffic. Had to shut off car and weather was dangerously cold. I brought to dealership I bought it at. Note there was no warning before the car was fully overheated and coolant was empty. They said water pump and told me to go to specifically ford dealership as I bought used from same family of dealerships but not specifically ford. After a month of adding fluid daily ford dealership tells me that water pump is inside engine and costs nearly as much as new engine to repair. They cannot get in for a month quoted two days and 2800 dollars. The delays from both dealerships could result in new engine needed. This is known issue that can destroy the engine as well and should be a recall. Class action lawsuit filed and I believe canada is forcing the repairs to be covered. It is available for inspection and I have to date paid 600 dollars so far for two dealerships to inspect it and not fix the issue.
- Clifton, ME, USA
Water pump leaking on 2018 Explorer with only 72,365. Dealer said it should be replaced or it could fail destroying the engine. This is the 4th major problem I have had with this vehicle. Not that old to have so many problems. Ford picked up some of the cost but still cost me $850.
- Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lexington, KY, USA