2016 Ford EXPLORER

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2016 Ford EXPLORER has 3000 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 37.5x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is body/structure problems (19% of all complaints), specifically: tl* the contact owns a 2016 ford explorer. while the vehicle was parked, the liftgate automatically closed independently. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. the contact stated that the failure recurred several times. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. . ⚠️ 18 fire reports filed.

18 fire reports 41 crash reports 71 injuries

3000

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

37.5x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

BODY/STRUCTURE

572 complaints

19%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE LIFTGATE AUTOMATICALLY CLOSED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE.
• THE AUTOMATIC LIFTGATE FUNCTIONED ON ITS OWN WITHOUT ANY OPERATOR INPUT. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES WITHIN APPROXIMATELY ONE MONTH OF OWNERSHIP. ALSO ONE INSTANCE OF LIFTGATE CLOSING ON HEAD. FORD CLAIMS THEY ARE AWARE OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND IS WORKING ON A FIX.??? IF THE OPERATOR WERE NOT AWARE T
• WINDOW TRIM CAME FLYING OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. AT 300 MILES ON THE VEHICLE THIS WAS VERY SCARY. NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE TRYING TO GET TO THE SHOULDER CARS BEHIND HAD TO DEAL WITH THE FLYING PIECE OF TRIM THAT FLEW OFF OF OUR CAR HIGHWAY NO TURNPICK IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 4 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE LIFTGATE AUTOMATICALLY CLOSED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

STEERING

534 complaints

18%

• WHILE MAKING A TURN ON A LOCAL STREET POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND WAITED A MINUTE AND RESTARTED NO FURTHER ISSUES. I HAVE OWNED MANY EXPLORERS INCLUDING 11-13 AND NOW 16. THE 16 HAS 12K MILES ON IT.
• I RECENTLY RECEIVED A 2016 FORD POLICE UTILITY (EXPLORER) AS A NEW PATROL VEHICLE. WHILE ON PATROL I SUDDENLY LOST POWER STEERING. I RECEIVED A STEERING ASSIST FAULT MESSAGE ON THE DASH, AS WELL AS A TRACTION AND STABILITY CONTROL ERROR MESSAGE. THE VEHICLE HAS 935 MILES ON IT. I HAVE READ WHERE
• AFTER HAVING JUST ENTERED A PARKING GARAGE, WE PROCEEDED OVER A SPEED BUMP AT APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH. ABOUT 1-2 CAR LENGTHS LATER WE BEGAN TO TURN LEFT TO START ASCENDING THROUGH THE GARAGE TO LOCATE A PARKING SPACE. AFTER ONLY TURNING APPROXIMATELY 10 DEGREES TO THE LEFT, THE STEERING WHEEL SNAPPED

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 10 crashes

“WHILE MAKING A TURN ON A LOCAL STREET POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND WAITED A MINUTE AND RESTARTED NO FURTHER ISSUES. I HAVE OWNED MANY EXPLORERS INCLUDING 11-13 AND NOW 16. THE 16 HAS 12K MILES ON IT.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

493 complaints

16%

• RADIATOR COOLING FAN SQUEALS LOUDLY WHEN CAR IS IDLE OR DRIVING SLOWLY. CAR HAS ALREADY BEEN IN THE SHOP TO REPLACE THE FAN ONCE. NEW FAN BEGAN SQUEALING AGAIN WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF DRIVING AFTER REPAIR. CAR ONLY HAS 4000 MILES ON IT. HAVE READ OTHER COMPLAINTS OF FAULTY COOLING FAN BEARINGS. AF
• MY 2016 FORD EXPLORER IS MAKING A HIGH PITCH SOUND WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BEING CUT OFF. THE SOUND HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED AS A BAD COOLING FAN BEARING. I'M NOT SURE OF THE EXTENT BUT THIS CANNOT BE A GOOD THING IF THE BEARING IS BAD FOR THE COOLING FAN. A BAD BEARING COULD LEAD TO OTHER ISSUES IF IT IS ALR
• HAD MY FORD EXPLORER 6-MO'S AND WAS DRIVING WITH FAMILY APPROX 45-MPH IN TRAFFIC ON A MAIN STREET WHEN THE GAS PADEL JUST STOP WORKING HAD TO TRY TO GET TO SIDE OF ROAD, VERY DANGEROUS !! . CAR WAS AT FORD DEALER GETTING FIXED FROM 3/14- 3/25 , IT NEEDED A NEW THROTTLE BODY AIR INTAKE, (AT4Z*9E9

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 3 fire reports💥 3 crashes

“RADIATOR COOLING FAN SQUEALS LOUDLY WHEN CAR IS IDLE OR DRIVING SLOWLY. CAR HAS ALREADY BEEN IN THE SHOP TO REPLACE THE FAN ONCE. NEW FAN BEGAN SQUEALING AGAIN WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF DRIVING AFTER REPAIR. CAR ONLY HAS 4000 MILES ON IT. HAVE READ OTHER COMPLAINTS OF FAULTY COOLING FAN BEARINGS. AF”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

425 complaints

14%

• SEPT 31ST - WITH 358 MILES AND LESS THAN OWNED FOR 24 HOURS ALL ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT FAILED, FLASHING ABS FAILURE LOSS OF SPEED CONTROL. OCT 1ST CAR TAKEN TO JCLEWIS FORD IN SAVANAH,GA, WAS CALLED BY THE DEALER APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS LATER AND WAS TOLD TO PICK THE CAR AND THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS TO REAL
• PURCHASED 2016 FORD EXPLORER NEW. HAS 4567 MILES ON IT. STARTING NOTICING A POPPING SOUND UNDER FOOT FLOOR BOARD DRIVER SIDE WHENEVER I FIRST START THE VEHICLE AND MOVE FORWARD TO ABOUT 7 MILES PER HOUR ABOUT TWO MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE. NOISE DOES NOT HAPPEN ANYTIME AFTER THE FIRST POP WHILE DRIVING
• 1,400 MILES 1.1 MONTHS, AND GOT A EXTREMELY SOON PROBLEM WHIT THE RADIATOR FAN, NOISE ON BEARINGS DON'T STOP. POSSIBLY THE FAN CAN STOP WORKING SOON AFFECTING TEMPERATURE OF ENGINE HTTPS://WWW.EXPLORERFORUM.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=438269

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 9 crashes

“SEPT 31ST - WITH 358 MILES AND LESS THAN OWNED FOR 24 HOURS ALL ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT FAILED, FLASHING ABS FAILURE LOSS OF SPEED CONTROL. OCT 1ST CAR TAKEN TO JCLEWIS FORD IN SAVANAH,GA, WAS CALLED BY THE DEALER APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS LATER AND WAS TOLD TO PICK THE CAR AND THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS TO REAL”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

214 complaints

• VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION SUDDENLY: FIRST TIME HAPPENED WHEN I STOPPED AT THE INTERSECTION WAITING THE TRAFFIC TO CLEAR AND WHEN I WANT THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE IT DID NOT SO I PULLED OVER AND TURNED ENGINE OFF AND RESTART IT FIVE MINUETS LATER AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATE AND I MANAGE TO REACH MY DE
• DRIVING HOME FROM WORK IN MY 2 MONTH OLD 2016 FORD EXPLORER WITH 1900 MILES ON IT AND WAS MERGING INTO FREEWAY TRAFFIC WHEN THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. WAS PUSHING ON THE GAS PEDAL AND COULD HEAR THE ENGINE BUT THE SPEED OF MY CAR WAS STALLED AT 35 MPH AND A WRENCH LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME
• AT 70 MPH ON I-4, THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY FAILED, DROPPING THE ENGINE TO IDLE SPEED. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT COME OUT OF IDLE, AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE PART FAILED AT 6,300 MILES, LESS THAN 2,000 MILES AFTER THE CAR'S FIRST DEALERSHIP SERVICING. HAD I NOT BEEN IN THE SLOW LANE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 4 fire reports💥 6 crashes

“VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION SUDDENLY: FIRST TIME HAPPENED WHEN I STOPPED AT THE INTERSECTION WAITING THE TRAFFIC TO CLEAR AND WHEN I WANT THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE IT DID NOT SO I PULLED OVER AND TURNED ENGINE OFF AND RESTART IT FIVE MINUETS LATER AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATE AND I MANAGE TO REACH MY DE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

BODY/STRUCTURE(~50K mi)

$500

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 3000 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
BODY/STRUCTURE: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE LIFTGATE AUTOMATICALLY CLOSED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
STEERING: WHILE MAKING A TURN ON A LOCAL STREET POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND WAITED A MINUTE AND RESTARTED NO FURTHER ISSUES. I HAVE OWNED MANY EXPLORERS INCLUDING 11-13 AND NOW 16. THE 16 HAS 12K MILES ON IT.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: RADIATOR COOLING FAN SQUEALS LOUDLY WHEN CAR IS IDLE OR DRIVING SLOWLY. CAR HAS ALREADY BEEN IN THE SHOP TO REPLACE THE FAN ONCE. NEW FAN BEGAN SQUEALING AGAIN WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF DRIVING AFTER REPAIR. CAR ONLY HAS 4000 MILES ON IT. HAVE READ OTHER COMPLAINTS OF FAULTY COOLING FAN BEARINGS. AF
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: SEPT 31ST - WITH 358 MILES AND LESS THAN OWNED FOR 24 HOURS ALL ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT FAILED, FLASHING ABS FAILURE LOSS OF SPEED CONTROL. OCT 1ST CAR TAKEN TO JCLEWIS FORD IN SAVANAH,GA, WAS CALLED BY THE DEALER APPROXIMATELY 3 HOURS LATER AND WAS TOLD TO PICK THE CAR AND THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS TO REAL
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)