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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
13 / 0
Average Mileage:
27,154 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2015 Ford Explorer brakes problems

brakes problem

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2015 Ford Explorer Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #22

Jun 142024

Explorer

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Sudden Unintended Acceleration of the vehicle when slowing to park vehicle. This has happened on 2 occasions- both scenarios the same: slowing and turning left into a parking space, foot on the brake, almost to a complete stop and the vehicle suddenly accelerates out of control. the 1st time into a tree, the 2nd time into a parked/unoccupied vehicle. The brake was applied w/o response, the vehicle would not stop. I am certain my foot was not on the gas. Fortunate no one was injured.

- Corona, CA, USA

problem #21

Oct 012023

Explorer 6-cyl

  • miles
Warning lights that the ABS system was not functioning. Said to see dealer. Dealer said ABS module bad and had to be replaced. Told me could affect my ability to stop without new module could be a safety concern. Told me there is a back log of orders for module and could not give me a date when parts could come in. Said it could be months which leads me to believe many vehicles have this issue. Big concern to me. In addition, the rear back up camera does not always work which I believe is a real safety concern and know many year explorer cameras have malfunctioned and have been recalled. This year explorer should be recalled also. They have many fixes listed on youtube that identify various fixes various engineering issues, For safety of people (especially children) sake, this should be recalled in my opinion.

- North Fort Myers, FL, USA

problem #20

Dec 162021

Explorer

  • 89,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 20V675000 (Suspension) and 21V537000 (Suspension) however, after the repairs, the vehicle started experiencing suspension and alignment failures. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle seemed misaligned and was pulling to the right and to the left. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle shuddered significantly while depressing the brake pedal. The contact also stated that the vehicle was hesitant while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that while on a road trip, the floorboard of the vehicle was hot, which caused her to pull to the side of the road until the vehicle had cooled down. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. The dealer replaced the front brake calipers, rotors and pads, the rear brake rotors, the rack and pinion, the sway bar link, and bushings, the four tires, and performed an alignment several times; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to a second dealer for assistance. The second dealer, Ray Pearman Lincoln (2501 Bob Wallace Ave SW, Huntsville, AL 35805) determined that the recall repairs needed to be performed a second time, and a new set of knuckles needed to be installed. The manufacturer was informed of the second dealer's assessment and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

- Harvest, AL, USA

problem #19

Jan 262023

Explorer

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving my explorer in the snow and had put it in 4 wheel snow mode..as I was driving down a hill and began braking to make a turn the car slid a little bit and I thought nothing of it. I parked and drove again in snow mode a few miles and noticed that after I put the car back into regular drive the brake pedal seemed harder than usual. I parked, waited a minute, turned my car back on, touched the brake pedal and it seemed ok or better. A few hours later, I leave work and brakes seem harder than usual again. I had not put it in snow mode nor were any warning lights on. I only make it a mile or so when I find myself in the left lane of a highway attempting to drive up hill and my car barely goes 20mph. Something is seriously wrong at this point, with my 4 way flashers on, I had to navigate heavy rush hour traffic on a highway until I could find a safe place to pull off. Still no warning lights. I call my mechanic and he advised me to have it towed to his garage, Meineke. He is able to look at it the next day and finds the brakes are locked up and possibly something wrong with the 4 wheel drive. He's unable to determine for sure what is wrong and I have it towed again to the Ford Dealership. Ford Dealership has it for a few days and they had a tough time determining what was wrong. They checked codes and because no warning lights were on they didn't have much to go on. They determined it wasn't my 4 wheel drive but that it was my ABS module. They replaced it and flushed the fluid (which I was told was not the problem, it showed no signs of being compromised). They also replaced brakes rotors and calipers in the rear which I believe we're damaged in the ordeal. I do believe my safety and the safety of others was at risk. I should have seen a warning light to let me know something was wrong before I was on a highway.

- Irwin, PA, USA

problem #18

May 262021

Explorer

  • miles
Driving at interstate speeds I lost total ABS, Traction Control, and Stability Control systems. Putting the lives of my entire family at risk. Also catylatic converts have gone bad

- Covington , FL, USA

problem #17

Aug 102020

Explorer

  • 82,000 miles
Wife drove to grocery store parked went in store came out to truck started it put in reverse in there was no power steering. Traction control light is O ABS light is on and brake light is also on. Vehicle is no longer under warranty. Looked up the problem on internet and lots of same problems with this.

- Largo, FL, USA

problem #16

Oct 092020

Explorer

  • 71,570 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Emergency brake is no longer engaging. You can push the emergency brake down, there is tension, but it wont lock in place.

- Anaheim, CA, USA

problem #15

Dec 282019

Explorer

  • 23,000 miles
I have read that there were recalls regarding parking brakes however my specific model 2015 basic model Explorer was not on the list but my parking brakes gave out as I tried to back out of my driveway. The brake handle popped up and I was unable to use it ever since and I cannot drive the vehicle without the alarms going off which interferes with my hearing aids. Took it to dealership and the diagnosis was that I needed a brand new replacement kit, a cost over $700.

- El Paso, TX, USA

problem #14

Sep 012019

Explorer

  • 57,000 miles
My parking brake wont engage. Appeared at 57K miles. Apparently there was a recall but not on my vehicle specifically.

- Victorville, CA, USA

problem #13

Jul 312017

Explorer

  • miles
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain wheel hub bearing assemblies, part number hb5Z-1104-C, incorrectly listed as being for installation on the rear axles of 2011-2017 Ford Explorer 4X2 vehicles. These bearings assemblies were manufactured without a self retention feature, possibly resulting in the separation of the wheel or wheel end. Is nootgood

- Corpus Christi, TX, USA

problem #12

Feb 012019

Explorer

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Hood have detail retaining dents. When I back up swelling sounds

- Inverness, FL, USA

problem #11

Nov 182018

Explorer

  • 49,000 miles
Was driving and the steer well became lock couldn't turn the wheel, tried to pump the brakes and they didn't catch. End up driving right into a pole and the airbags didn't deploy with everyone hitting their heads and kids getting concussions.

- Germantown, MD, USA

problem #10

Oct 232018

Explorer

  • 84,000 miles
Husband was driving the kids into town for early practice. After almost a 45 minute drive when he got back the drivers rear brake was glowing red and smelled like it was burning. This could of caused a fire if he drove it longer.

- Longford, KS, USA

problem #9

May 272016

Explorer

  • miles
5/27/2016, we unknowingly purchased our 2015 Ford Explorer. Since then we have experienced a number of issues with this vehicle. The first major issue is exhaust fumes, gases entering into the cabin of the vehicle while driving and upon acceleration. Second, 8/25/17, this vehicle lost all of its functions (brakes, steering) while I was operating the vehicle on a busy street with my children in the car. I have made the decision this vehicle is unsafe to operate and is an accident waiting to happen. I have stopped putting my children in the car because of the fact that it is making us ill and I am scared. We have experienced headaches, nausea, lethargy, nose bleeds, stomach issues for a prolonged period of time. We have been ill more often than not. I feel this vehicle is silently and slowly hurting us. I am so frightened of what it has done to us long term. It's on a daily basis that we experience the strong foul odor and smells of exhaust fumes and gases entering into the cabin. I cannot say enough how badly it smells of exhaust. I do not use the A/C or heater because I am so fearful of what could happen to myself or my family with the windows closed. This is on a daily basis. 8/28/17, I contacted Ford. I spoke with a representative in customer relations about everything we were experiencing with the vehicle. Then was transferred to a manager who took my VIN# while making notations. In return I was given a claim # and told she could not provide me with any information about my vehicle only that there was an investigation being conducted and, she was sorry. Two months later, I have yet to receive any information from Ford. Sadly, I've had to research on my own and found only a service bulletin, tsb 14-0130. As a consumer I am running out of options. The vehicle itself is proof. The next step should be a recall, not me having to obtain an attorney.

- Rosamond, CA, USA

problem #8

Sep 032017

Explorer

  • 63,000 miles
I was driving my 2015 Explorer about 55 mph, coming up to a driveway I needed to turn into a few hundred feet away. Suddenly the car lurched and warning signals popped up on my dash. It alerted me my collision warning sensors failed and service advance trac. I attempted to brake and slow down for my trim and realized I had lost power brakes as well as power steering in my attempt to turn into the driveway. I narrowly missed hitting a tree while making the turn into the driveway. I coasted to a stop and immediately ran a vehicle diagnosis. It suggest I shut the vehicle off and turn it back on to see if the codes cleared. When I turned the vehicle on all warning were still displayed but brakes and steering returned. My local Ford was fairly close so my father in law attempted to drive it there and suddenly all codes cleared out of the vehicle.

- Whitehall, MI, USA

problem #7

Jan 232017

Explorer

  • 24,120 miles
Brakes failed on ice no ABS.

- Fort Benton, MT, USA

problem #6

Oct 032016

Explorer

  • 22,000 miles
Brakes failed while driving. After several attempts and running off road it finally allowed me to depress break pedal. Break pedal had become stuck and when it finally worked there was an awkward sound.

- Santa Rosa, TX, USA

problem #5

Aug 082016

Explorer

  • 12,000 miles
My wife and I park our 2015 Ford Explorer XLT in the parking area in front of our house. In order to go anywhere, we need to back it out of its parking spot, reverse-turn to the right, apply the brakes, put the vehicle in drive, and finally drive forward on the driveway until reaching the street. This morning, my wife planned to go to the store. She entered the vehicle, started it, put it in reverse, and proceeded to back out of the parking spot. As usual, she applied the brakes to stop the car and put it in drive, but unfortunately, this morning the brakes did not respond. She applied the brakes a few more times to no avail. After that did not work, she applied the emergency brake, which did not do anything either. Finally, she turned off the engine and put the car in park, which didn't do anything either. She ended up doing a U-turn in reverse. My other truck was parked to the right of where the Ford Explorer was parked, so once the Ford Explorer reached my parked truck and collided with it, the Ford Explorer finally stopped. In addition to my wife, our two sons aged 6 and 8, were inside the vehicle with her when this happened. We have attached a photo of the Ford Explorer collided onto my parked truck (a Ford F150), which it had to do in order to stop and not collide into anything or anyone else. The main reason we got a Ford Explorer is because we believed it would be a sturdy SUV that would keep my wife and kids safe, so this incident is extremely concerning. The car is almost new with approximately 12,000 miles and we have had already had to take it into the repair shop approximately eight times. We have asked Ford to replace it, but they have not been willing to do so, which is why we are escalating this matter to regulating agencies for resolution as well as out of concern for other families who may have had a similar experience.

- Sylmar, CA, USA

problem #4

Jun 022016

Explorer

  • 10,300 miles
April 23 - backing out of a parking space a power steering fault message flashed on the screen, there was no change in the steering of the vehicle at the time. April 26 - same message appears while driving down the interstate, when backing into a parking spot the steering completely locked up, two other messages appeared on the screen at this time. Pictures are included. Vehicle was taken to the dealership the following morning. They concluded that the steering control module needed to be replaced, and that the issue was resolved. Picked the vehicle up on May 2. June 2 - the same power steering fault message showed up again while driving on a neighborhood street. The same messages as before plus one more (terrain management failure) appeared on the screen when turning left on a rural road and the steering locked completely again. Vehicle was returned to the dealership the following morning. The vehicle has been at the dealership for 9 business days at this time. No progress has been made. They say the problem can not be duplicated, even though the vehicle diagnostic and photos of the messages were provided. The diagnostic stated, "urgent service required." The Ford hotline is unwilling to make any repairs unless the problem can be duplicated while in the dealerships possession. Meanwhile I am currently making payments on this vehicle. The vehicle has been in my possession for 9 months and has 10,300 miles on it. I was told I have a rental for 1 week, regardless of whether the problem is resolved or not.

- Concord, NC, USA

problem #3

May 292015

Explorer

  • 7,400 miles
Upon starting vehicle steering system was unresponsive and a warning notice "service advance track" appeared on dash. Dealer had vehicle for several days and could not duplicate malfunction. Returned without repair. Fault recurred after approximately one week and dealer again could not duplicate fault. Replaced one element of electronic steering system and returned vehicle as repaired. Fault recurred a third time and a different dealer service department replaced a second element of the electronic steering system and claimed issue was resolved. Fault continues to recur without notice and vehicle is unreliable. Problem has been reported to Ford customer relationship center on several occasions but response has been very limited.

- Hilton Head Island, SC, USA

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