2014 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

CARBON MONOXIDE WAS DETECTED INSIDE THE VEHICLE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AS WELL AS FUMES/ EXHAUST ODOR.

ON JULY 20, 2017, WHILE PULLING THE VEHICLE OUT OF MY GARAGE, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. A WARNING LIGHT ABOUT TRACTION CONTROL CAME ON. THINKING THE TRACTION CONTROL HAD INADVERTENTLY BEEN PRESSED, I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. THE VEHICLE BEGAN FUNCTIONING NORMALLY AT THAT POINT. ON SUNDAY, JULY 30, 2017, AS MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, WITH ME AND 3 OF OUR CHILDREN AS PASSENGERS, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AGAIN AND WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON SIMULTANEOUSLY ABOUT TRACTION CONTROL BEING TURNED OFF AND POWER STEERING ASSIST NEEDING SERVICE. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MOVE. TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND THEN ON ONCE AGAIN SEEMED TO RESET THE POWER STEERING AGAIN. I CALLED AUTOFAIR FORD OF HAVERHILL, MA THE NEXT DAY AND THEY TOLD ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN THAT AFTERNOON. ON THE WAY TO AUTOFAIR FORD, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AGAIN. AUTOFAIR DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE AS A FAILED STEERING RACK AND REPLACED THE STEERING RACK AND PROGRAM SYSTEM FOR A TOTAL OF $1721.90. UPON RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE ONLINE, I LEARNED THAT THE 2011, 2012, AND 2013 FORD EXPLORERS HAD THE SAME OR VERY SIMILAR ISSUE AND THERE WAS A RECALL. IN ADDITION, I FOUND MESSAGE THREADS ON VARIOUS WEBSITES OF 2014 FORD EXPLORERS HAVING THE SAME OR SIMILAR ISSUES AS WE DID. LUCKILY, WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED ON MY VEHICLE, WE WERE ABLE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE UNDER CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT DID NOT OCCUR; HOWEVER, IF SUDDEN SHARP STEERING WOULD HAVE BEEN NEEDED, THERE LIKELY WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE. IN ADDITION, A FAILURE SUCH AS THIS ONE SHOULD NOT OCCUR ON A VEHICLE THAT IS BARELY 3 YEARS OLD WITH ABOUT 48,450 MILES ON IT. WE HAVE HAD ALL REGULAR RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCES PERFORMED ON THIS VEHICLE AT AUTOFAIR FORD, FORMALLY REGAN FORD, FROM THE TIME OF PURCHASE AS A NEW VEHICLE.

THERE HAVE BEEN REGULAR INSTANCES WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE OF UNEXPLAINABLE DROWSINESS, HEADACHES, CONFUSION, AND IMPAIRMENT. WHILE LEARNING OF THE LATEST NEWS OF POSSIBLE DANGEROUS FUMES BEING ALLEGED IN THE PASSENGER CABIN, I WANTED TO REPORT THIS INCIDENT IN MY PERSONAL VEHICLE. I HAVE BECOME SERIOUSLY MORE CONCERNED AS I AM NOW TRAVELING WITH AN INFANT IN THE VEHICLE WITH ME, AND RECOGNIZING THAT I WAS SUBJECT TO THESE CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT A FULL PREGNANCY. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW AND HAVE BEEN THE PRIMARY DRIVER SINCE OWNING IT. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY MODIFICATIONS DONE TO THIS VEHICLE AND HAVE HAD ALL SERVICE WORK COMPLETED AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED. ALTHOUGH I DON'T TRAVEL OFTEN BY CAR, THERE HAVE BEEN TRIPS THAT I HAVE TAKEN THAT WERE APPROXIMATELY 300 MILES IN LENGTH THAT WOULD REQUIRE A STOP FOR REST AND / OR SLEEP. THIS IS NOT A USUAL CHARACTERISTIC OF MY DRIVING STYLE. THERE IS NO NOTICEABLE ODOR IN THE VEHICLE'S PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THERE ARE NO NOTICEABLE DRIVING CONDITIONS THAT MAKE THIS ISSUE BETTER OR WORSE.

THE SMELL OF EXHAUST FUMES ENTER THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT ESPECIALLY ON FULL ACCELERATION. SEEMS TO BE UNDER ANY CONDITION OF THE CABIN AS FAR AS WINDOW OPEN PARTIALLY, CLOSED WINDOWS WITH VENT ON, AC ON WITH OR WITHOUT THE RECIRCULATION BEING USED. MOSTLY ANNOYING AND IT DOES SEEM TO DISSIPATE AFTER A FEW MINUTES, WILL OCCUR FROM STARTING AT FULL STOP OR USE SUCH AS FULL THROTTLE FOR PASSING AT ANY SPEED. DO NOT SEEM TO NOTICE A SMELL WHEN RUNNING IN TOWN OR ON FREEWAY. RARELY SIT WITH ENGINE RUNNING AND HAVE NOT NOTICED THE EXHAUST SMELL THUS FAR.

STRONG EXHAUST ODOR IN CAB WHILE DRIVING + THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS CAR 16S18 REPLACE BOTH TEAR TOE LINKS

I GET VERY NAUSEOUS AND HEAD ACHES WHEN DRIVING MY VEHICLE. SOME TIMES BLURRED VISION AND A FEELING OF SLOWED REACTION. I HAVE HAD AN INSTANCE WHERE I BLACKED OUT WHILE DRIVING FOR A FEW SECONDS, TO BE AWAKENED WHEN MY VEHICLE RAN ACROSS GRAVELS BEFORE ENTERING A YARD. I HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF THE INTERSTATE WHERE I WAS DOING AROUND 70 MPH AND ABOUT 1/2 MILE AFTER THE TOP OF THE OFF RAMP I BLACKED OUT. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED, I CAME TO IN TIME TO PULL THE WHEEL TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT BUT WAS PERFECTLY FINE RIGHT BEFORE I BLACKED OUT. I WASN'T TIRED BEFORE THIS. WHEN I DRIVE OUR 2017 FORD F-350 I DO NOT HAVE THESE SYMPTOMS. THEY SEEM TO GO AWAY. OR IF I RIDE IN MY EXPLORER WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN I SEEM TO FEEL BETTER. AFTER MY RIDE HOME FROM WORK IF I RUN THE AIR AND HAVE MY WINDOWS UP I AM SO TIRED BY THE TIME I GET HOME THAT I CAN'T DO ANYTHING BESIDES LAY ON THE COUCH AND SLEEP. WHICH IS NOT ME- I HAVE NO HEALTH ISSUES AND AM VERY ACTIVE IF I DO NOT DRIVE THIS VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, EXHAUST FUMES ENTERED THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED WITH THE RPM'S ABOVE 3500. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

THE WINDOW TRIM ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD BECAME LOOSE AND THEN FLEW OFF OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. THE CAR HAS 3500 MILES. WHY IS THIS NOT A RECALL? OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS SAME ISSUE I HAVE LEARNED BY READING THESE FORUMS.

WHEN ACCELERATING, A STRONG ODOR COMES FROM THE AIR VENTS. THE ODOR LINGERS AND SMELLS VERY STRONG, I BELIEVE THIS MAY BE EXHAUST FUMES, AS IT ONLY HAPPENS DURING ACCELERATION.

MY FORD EXPLORER HAS SIGNIFICANT EXHAUST SMELL IN THE VEHICLE AT TIMES, USUALLY AFTER I HAVE KICKED IT DOWN INTO PASSING GEAR, SUCH AS IN CLIMBING HILLS. WHEN I HAD IT IN FOR SERVICE, I ASKED THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM TO TRY TO IDENTIFY WHAT IS CAUSING IT AND THEY CLAIMED THEY COULD NOT DISCERN ANY ODOR. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED OF THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS THAT HAVE BEEN PUSHED OUT BY FORD FOR MY VERY PROBLEM AND HAVE ALSO LEARNED THAT THERE IS NO INDICATION ANY OF THEIR EFFORTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM ARE ACTUALLY WORKING. I CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY FORD FOR EASTER EGG HUNTS, SO I AND MY FAMILY ARE WAITING FOR A RECALL. IN THE MEANWHILE, WE ARE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN. WE HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY ONE LAW FIRM SO FAR THAT IS INVOLVED IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT OVER THIS ISSUE. WE WOULD RATHER HAVE FORD FIX THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM WAS INITIALLY NOTICED JUST AFTER WE BOUGHT IT, BUT WE THOUGHT IT WAS DUE TO SOMETHING ON THE ENGINE THAT WOULD BURN OFF IN TIME. THE PROBLEM HAS CONTINUED THE ENTIRE TIME WE HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM DOESN'T SEEM DIRECTLY RELATED TO SPEED OF TRAVEL.