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.
A leak developed due to a faulty water pump. When I first noticed the leak in my garage I took the truck to a mechanic who told me there was evidence the leak had been going on for some time and that he could not do the repair due to the embedded location of the pump. After some research I see this is a big issue with explorers (especially 2016 models) and that the leak can mix with the engine oil causing permanent damage. I took this to Ford to be repaired at a cost of over $3K. Not sure how long I was driving with this leaking and what damage was done to the engine. This has been a known issue with many Ford vehicles and should be a recall
The Duratec V6 engine in many models of Ford including Explorer 2011-2019 has a major design flaw in that the water pump is INSIDE the engine and fails frequently and abruptly. When it fails, the coolant immediately floods the engine and mixes with motor oil and the engine seizes immediately it could be in traffic in an intersection or anywhere. This should have been recalled. There is a class action already for this issue in Canada, same engine and manufacturer, moving thru the courts and certified as a class action there. The US seems to be behind. The NTSB should pressure Ford to recall all of these and repair them with a water pump assembly which is stronger. In my case, on a routine service visit to the dealer I was told that I had the beginning of a coolant leak on my 2016 Ford Explorer Limited, with only 65K miles on it. They required me to bring it back another day for diagnosis then shocked me by saying the water pump is about to fail and should be replaced but because of this design the entire engine must be removed in order to replace it. They also said it is a common failure and can recur. The repair costs $4000 almost all labor to replace a $200 water pump. But the problem is it can be replaced and within a month fail again with consequences of being stalled in traffic or the middle of an intersection. It is well documented online. They changed their design to correct the problem starting after 2019. A useful description of the issue is at: https://www.vehiclehistory.com/articles/all-about-the-ford-explorer-water-pump-recalls but there has been no recall in the US.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle started jerking and sputtering. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed. The vehicle was towed to the transmission specialist where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be rebuilt. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred a year later. The vehicle was taken back to the transmission specialist where the torque converter was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated the vehicle was shifting hard while driving and was jerking upon acceleration. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the engine mounts were replaced twice. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact became aware of Ford Technical Service Bulletin Number: 20-2271, which he associated with the torque converter failure. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the vibration caused by the torque converter failure was damaging the engine mounts, causing the engine mounts to be repaired often. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
- Litchfield Park, AZ, USA
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1) Engine consuming coolant - 102,000 miles 2) Gauge Temperature should be by default in the dashboard computer. This is not the case in the 2016 Ford Explorer. Complain: Consumers can not detect on time if the engine is overheating, because the gauge temperature is not visible on the dashboard. If you change setting to monitor any other component of the car - ex: tire pressure, others...the gauge temperature disappear from the screen.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle was vibrating while the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the water pump was leaking causing a mixture of the engine oil and coolant. The contact was also notified of a front axle failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 109,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the water pump was recently replaced. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the engine seized. The vehicle was coasted off the roadway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the main bearing had caused damage to the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 76,000.
While driving approximately 70mph on the highway, the vehicle check engine light came on and the engine began shutting down with the over temp light on. We had to coast over 2 lanes to safely get out of traffic. Upon pulling over I noticed there was no coolant in the reservoir so i pulled the engine oil dip stick and could see evidence of coolant in the oil. After having the vehicle towed back home, I pulled the valve cover and could see the water pump shaft seal had failed and leaked coolant into the oil and the sprocket on the water pump shaft has been ground down. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone other than myself but I do have pictures of the damage. There were no warning lamps prior to the incident and the oil was just changed 4 weeks ago with no signs of coolant in the oil.
Failure of water pump which is known to cause failure of engine because of where the water pump is located (inside of engine). There have been many cases reported that there is none or limited warning when it fails and cases have resulted in engine failure. When engine failure occurs, the car shuts down and can leave individuals stranded and in harm's way. In my case, thank God, my husband noticed a couple of drops of fluid on the garage floor. As of yet, we have not been notified of engine failure as it is in the dealer getting fixed. I am not sure why no one has addressed this issue with Ford. There was a lawsuit pending and it was dismissed in the US based on the fact that the plantiffs could not prove Ford knew this when building the engine (Canada just approved a recall on this same issue). However, Ford should be held responsible now that they now. Ford has NEVER notified individuals who have this type of engine (with the water pump inside the engine) of the risk of this problem. Even if it does not warrant a recall, Ford still should be notifying individuals of the hazard of the water pump failure which could easily cause engine failure. Please do something about this.
Indicator light indicating power train issues came on after a few days of delayed shifting and slipping between gears. As well as thunking when putting the car in reverse. The car would not accelerate at all and was not safe to drive. I had it towed to the mechanic who consulted with a ford engine specialist. The specialist said the codes and symptoms lead to needing the torque converter fixed. That is when I consulted the recall for my exact vehicle. I had the vehicle towed to the Ford dealer. Ford is not agreeing to repair the recall. They have only agreed to fixing the valve body for $903. I would like my recall repair.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that the water pump and power transfer unit (PTU) needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
My car is a 2016 and I am having issues with my water pump. A 2000 dollar fix. This seems to be common with this year. I pay 500 a month and now this. It only has 85000 miles.
I have a 2016 Ford Explorer that the water pump keeps failing. In September 2020, I had to pay nearly $1500 to replace the water pump because it was leaking coolant which made the engine to overheat. Now, since October/November of 2021, the coolant begin to leak again which cause the engine to overheat. I took it to the mechanic who confirmed it appears to be the water pump. This is the second time filing a complaint with NHTSA. The first complaint was in January 2022, but I hace yet to receive any response. This appears to be a constant issue and I don't have the funds to continue paying for Ford's defect. How can I get ford to rectify this issue and how to get reimbursement for the repair already completed.
I was driving along in town and heard a real loud pop sound and the car jerked. The front started smoking heavily. I get off to the nearest parking lot and fluids had spewed underneath and there was a small fire from this that went out. I had two children both in child restraints that had to be removed from the vehicle, thankfully my husband was with me. It was towed to two repair shops whom both stated the PTU had exploded and broke the transmission as well. I tried to get assistance through Ford and have hit a dead end. It is at the local dealership where they claim the ptu exploded, broke transmission and cracked the engine block resulting in close to $14,000 dollars needed in repairs. This vehicle was running completely fine, no lights had been displaying on the dash. Consumer stated dealer is blaming the defects on a tread pattern on 1 tire(not size).
There is a VERY STRONG sulfur odor emiting into the cabin without an engine warning light. Tested for error codes and inspected by Ken Towery in Louisville and the seriviceperson couldn't detect the source of the odor. The defect appeared at 98458. The smell causes me to gag and feel light headed. Please advise.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission and engine mounts were damaged and needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the transmission and engine mounts; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that a recall for the transmission had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,235.
When my Explorer was in for routine service on Friday, 3/11, it was explained to me by my authorized Ford dealership's service department that my water pump was leaking and that it was a risk to continue driving the vehicle, since engine failure was possible as fluid mixed into the oil. I agreed to allow them to do the work. I was quoted a price of $3300+ given 12 hours of labor for a water pump placed inside Ford's cyclone-style engine (Duratec). I was also assured that Ford had upgraded the pump and that the new one would likely not leak so prematurely. My vehicle has been dealer serviced since I purchased it in July of 2016 and only has 53k miles on it. I have been in touch with Ford directly, hoping to hold them responsible for the repairs. I initiated a case with Ford on Saturday, 3/12 and at present, I am still waiting to hear from them.
The 2016 Ford Explorer has a leaking water pump which Ford knows is an issue and has not issued a recall. The price of the pump is cheap but the labor is making this a $4000 maintenance cost.
My wife has been reporting experiencing nausea, dizziness, sleepiness and headaches during and after her drive home from work throughout October/November 2021and into December 2021. Our vehicle was involved in a high speed collision on December 24, 2021 while traveling EB on I-90 at approximately MP 101. I was driving at the time. It was at about 3:29pm. I couldn't quite recall what had happened and I was disoriented and confused for some time after the collision though I hadn't hit my head. Everyone else in the car had fallen asleep despite being well rested and it being the middle of the afternoon. My symptoms and condition were the same as oxygen deprivation. I believe exhaust has been getting into the cabin of our vehicle and causing my wife's symptoms and caused the accident. The vehicle is totalled.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Brandon, FL, USA