2017 Ford Explorer
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Structure is the leading concern among 1,700 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 5th highest complaint count among 26 Explorer model years with reports.
Of the 2017 reports, 34 involved a crash and 11 involved a fire. 51 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Structure, bodyJul 14, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The roof rail covers may come loose and detach from the vehicle.
A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect the roof rail covers and as necessary, repair or replace the push-pins, rail clips, or roof rail covers, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 28, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S54. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 21V316. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 16, 2026.
Campaign 26V448000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rearFeb 20, 2026
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture.
A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the toe links, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2026. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S08. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall number 21V537. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning February 25, 2026.
Campaign 26V101000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, electrical, engine block heaterOct 10, 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 3, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.
Campaign 25V685000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, bodyMay 23, 2025
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Explorer vehicles. The driver and front passenger B-Pillar door trim may detach while driving.
Door trim that detaches while driving can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will repair the B-pillar trim, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 5, 2025. A second notice will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated November 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S53.
Campaign 25V347000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, body, roof and pillarsJan 19, 2024
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Explorer vehicles. The A-pillar trim retention clips may not be properly engaged, allowing the trim to detach.
A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect and replace the A-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model years. Owner notification letters were mailed between July 18, 2024 and December 16, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S02.
Campaign 24V031000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rearJul 15, 2021
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Exposure to road salt can cause the cross-axis ball joint to corrode and seize, resulting in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link.
A rear toe-link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle, and replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall numbers 16V-245, 19V-435, and 20V-675. Certain vehicles previously repaired will need to return for the new remedy. An interim notification letter notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on September 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2022. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S32.
Campaign 21V537000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, bodyMay 5, 2021
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The retention pins could loosen and allow the roof rail covers to detach from the vehicle.
A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will install push-pins and replace any damaged rail clips and roof rail covers, as necessary, free of charge. The interim owner notification letter was mailed on June 22, 2021. Owner notification letters (remedy available) were mailed on October 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S22.
Campaign 21V316000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rearMar 12, 2021
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin that were previously repaired under a prior recall numbers 16V-245 or 19V-435. The outboard section of a rear suspension toe link may fracture.
A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle attached to the rear suspension toe link and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S62.
Campaign 20V675000 on NHTSA.gov
SeatsSep 11, 2019
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Ford Explorer vehicles equipped with power front seats. The seat frames may have sharp edges.
Occupants my contact the sharp edges when reaching between the power front seat and center console, increasing their risk of injury.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install protective tape on the exposed inside edge and tab of the power seat frames, free of charge. The recall began November 8, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S29.
Campaign 19V651000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rearJun 10, 2019
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, and inspect both rear toe link ball joints, replacing the rear wheel knuckle(s), if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S17.
Campaign 19V435000 on NHTSA.gov
SteeringAug 28, 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Explorer, Taurus and Police Interceptor Utility and Sedan vehicles. The steering gear heat shield fasteners may corrode, allowing the heat shield to detach.
If the heat shield detaches, the steering gear may overheat, increasing the steering effort required by the driver, especially at lower speeds, and increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers to inspect and replace the heat shield fasteners as needed, free of charge. The recall began on September 13, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S23.
Campaign 17V530000 on NHTSA.gov
Wheels, hubAug 28, 2017
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.
A loss of the wheel or wheel end can increase the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify the distributors of the hubs specifying that they are to only be used on drive axles. It is believed that none of the hubs were purchased from Ford dealers for the incorrect application. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Campaign 17E048000 on NHTSA.gov
Seats, front assembly, reclinerMay 22, 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Ford Explorer, F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 vehicles equipped with a manual driver's seat back recliner mechanism. In the event of a crash, the seat back frame may not restrain the occupant due to having inadequate welds. As such, these vehicles may not meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202a, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."
If the occupant is not adequately restrained in the event of a crash, they have an increased risk of injury.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the seat back frame, free of charge. The recall began on June 7, 2017. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C08.
Campaign 17V332000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engine, gasoline, turbo/superchargerDec 22, 2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Taurus, 2016-2017 Ford Flex, Lincoln MKT, 2017 Ford Explorer and Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. Improperly brazed turbocharger oil supply tubes may leak oil on engine components.
An oil leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the turbocharger oil supply tubes, free of charge. The recall began on January 31, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S46.
Campaign 16V925000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: structure
660 reports, newest first. Show all
Structure, May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Structure, May 1, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear driver’s side C-pillar had started to crack. The dealer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 29,900.
Structure, Apr 26, 2025
I am waitning for A pilar under recall over year and Ford never had that part available I check with the dealer on monthly bases they said the part never came.
Structure, Apr 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the trim started flapping in the wind. The contact's husband used silicone to secure the trim. The contact had received the recall letter and scheduled an appointment with the dealer. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer, and while removing the silicone, the A-pillar trim was fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the dealer placed duct tape on the windshield. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Structure, Apr 24, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Structure, Apr 22, 2025
Side trim with door unlock pad on it detached and blew of into the wind and almost flew into a vehicle behind me when I was Traveling down the interstate at about 70 mph, the posted speed limit. Luckily it did not strike the driver behind me but it was to close for comfort. They are put on the same way practically as the a trim that there already is a recall on.
Structure, Apr 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front windshield trim detached and flew off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was informed that parts were not available for the repair. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, the manufacturer was unable to confirm when parts would become available. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Structure, Apr 17, 2025
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact's wife received notification of NHTSA Campaign number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and removed the front passenger's side A-pillar trim. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 95,500.
Structure, Apr 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side A-Pillar trim detached. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Structure, Apr 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the driver's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim separated and flew off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim was also detaching. The dealer contacted the manufacturer, but the manufacturer informed the dealer that the recall parts were on backorder. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Structure, Apr 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim was blown off the vehicle by the slipstream. The contact had called a local dealer, but the dealer was unable to repair the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Structure, Apr 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 75 MPH, the A-pillar trim on the windshield separated from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired; however, the dealer was contacted. The dealer informed the contact that parts were on backorder to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 82,200. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Structure, Apr 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000(Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle started to make an abnormal flapping sound. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that both windshield exterior A-pillar trims had detached. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where adhesive tape was applied on both sides of the windshield. The dealer informed the contact that the recall parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Structure, Apr 11, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving in rainy weather conditions, the contact noticed that water was leaking inside the cabin through the passenger's side of the windshield, the windshield seal was deteriorating. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 162,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Structure, Apr 9, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact called another local dealer, Port Orchard Ford (1215 Bay St., Port Orchard, WA 98366); but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Structure, Apr 7, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Structure, Apr 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on both sides of the windshield started to detach. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was not available. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Structure, Apr 2, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available .
Structure, Apr 1, 2025
The a-pillar trim came off while driving down [XXX] in Florida. The rubber gasket around the windshield also came off with the trim. This occurred in June 2024. Over a year after the recall Ford still does not have a solution to repair. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Electrical system, Structure, Mar 31, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal beeping sound, the cabin lights illuminated unintendedly, and the message "Tailgate Ajar" was displayed. The contact decelerated and pulled over to the side of the road. The contact resumed driving; however, the failure persisted. The contact then became aware that the front driver's side door exterior keypad trim had detached and had fractured into two pieces, causing damage to the keypad wiring system. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the keypad needed to be replaced. The contact purchased the part from the manufacturer's website, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the part was installed; however, the failure recurred while driving. The dealer was contacted and provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Structure, Mar 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the passenger's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving 20 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contracted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Structure, Mar 25, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver’s side A-pillar trim detached. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was repaired at the owner’s expense. The contact stated that shortly after the repair, the passenger’s side A-pillar trim detached. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Structure, Mar 24, 2025
Ford has failed to fix recall for over a year in which side Pilar’s can detach from side of vehicle causing unsafe driving conditions or damage to other vehicles. I have called ford several times over the past year and they don’t have parts to fix the issue and keep advising its months out.
Structure, Mar 21, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Structure, Mar 20, 2025
Driving down the highway and my A pillar trim detached from my driver side frame.also ripped off my leather stripping to my windshield ( I was told in November they would try and get this fixed before this happened it is now the end of March.) This recall was in January 24 of 2024.