2017 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

I am unable to renew my registration due to not being able to complete / repair the recalls. Dealer does not have the parts for the repair therefore my vehicle will not pass inspection for the renewal. This has caused many troubles and issues, I am being pulled over by police and constantly worried they might tow my vehicle for expired registration.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the front driver's side door keypad ejected from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the keypad was replaced. The contact stated that approximately four years later, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted or notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,913.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) a year prior, and recently received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure). The contact had been calling the local dealer for a parts update for months and was informed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the B-pillar trim on the driver's and passenger’s side was loose. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

24S02 Exterior A-Pillar recall has not been remedied in a timely manner. Left A-Pillar detached while driving 75mph on highway May 2024. Debris hit my vehicle as it detached. No other vehicle was involved luckily. Right A-Pullar has been mobile since September 2024. If detaches while driving, could injure person or other property and cause me to be liable. Ford House, locally, told me there is not an official wait list for my name to be on when the part becomes available to them. They are doing “first come first serve” and advised me to call every month. I have called several times a month for over a year without any luck. Ford scheduled to remedy this and had my vehicle 7am-6pm on 11/07/24. The part was unavailable and released back to me without being fixed. The safety recall is not being resolved in a timely manner. This will likely lead to personal injury or injury to others and/or property if not resolved quicker. At this point, Ford Motors should be held liable for their failure to provide adequate safety measures for their customers. Spoke to Ford’s national customer service department and was told each location is independently owned and they cannot help me (case# [XXX]). I informed I would be filing an official complaint regarding this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, a piece of the driver’s side B-pillar trim detached. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (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 made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the B-pillar trim on both sides of the front door started to detach. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. 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 approximate failure mileage was 68,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the B-pillar trim detached from the passenger’s side door. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (STRUCTURE); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 104,000.

Over Memorial Day weekend 2025, the A-pillar exterior trim on my 2017 Ford Explorer detached and flew off while I was driving. This matches the Ford recall (NHTSA Recall No. 25V347, Ford Recall No. 25S53) covering A-pillar trim detachment. Since then, I have been waiting for the replacement part. My dealership confirmed my Explorer is covered under the recall but said they do not know when repair parts will be available. As of late August 2025 (over three months later), no repair has been offered and no estimated timeline has been provided. Safety/Function Concerns: The missing A-pillar trim causes a loud whistling noise while driving, which is distracting and could impact driver focus. Detached trim is a road hazard to other drivers and pedestrians if it flies off while in motion. The vehicle now appears defective and unfinished, raising concerns about quality and value. Attempts to Resolve: Contacted my Ford dealership immediately after the trim fell off. They confirmed the recall but stated no parts are available.I drove over an hour round trip for them to look it over and then send me home and that's all that has happend. Have followed up several times since Memorial Day and am always told “no ETA” for the part. Complaint: I believe waiting months for a critical recall repair is unreasonable. Ford should be required to provide either a timely repair, a safe temporary solution, or other accommodations until permanent replacement parts are available.

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 at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side and driver's side windshield exterior A-pillar trims separated from the vehicle and flew off. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be inspected. 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 121,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the message “Engine Overheating” was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and allowed the engine to cool down. After restarting the vehicle, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact then noticed a fluid leak underneath the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the mechanic and the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the water pump was leaking, causing the engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact discovered that the failure was a known issue; however, the VIN was not under recall related to the failure. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall on the VIN related to the failure. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.