2017 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was receiving routine maintenance and an oil and filter change, it was discovered that coolant was leaking into the engine. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 88,762.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. 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. 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.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle, and a dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side exterior a pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (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 80,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the A-pillar trim on the passenger’s side windshield started to detach. 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 not contacted. 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 failure. The approximate failure mileage was 101,100. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The transmission has totally failed at under 69,000 miles while my wife was driving down a 45 MPH road. The vehicle intermittently lost power and she was nearly rear-ended with my child in the car. All warning lamps came on and the engine totally lost power. 2 shops have looked at the car and stated that the transmission failed completely. There were no warning lamps prior to this occurring.

There is a constant drain on the battery and overnight the battery can go dead. I replace the battery every 6 months to a year and have been doing that ever since we purchased it. The dealership wants $250 to diagnose it. It's been a problem from day 1. Even when we took it to get serviced and they kept it overnight - the same thing happened at the dealership, but they just ignored it. That was when it was under warranty. I read on the internet that several people have this same problem. I feel this should be a recall. I have a 2017 Ford Platinum

At 28,000 miles, the vehicle emitted black smoke from the exhaust. Despite the mechanic’s efforts to identify the issue, no diagnostic codes were detected. Currently, the vehicle has accumulated 100,000 miles. The engine suddenly lost the ability to accelerate beyond 20 miles per hour. After several months of repairs involving multiple turbo replacements, it was determined that the engine was severely damaged and should have been replaced over 50,000 miles ago. The engine was subsequently replaced, but only a year later, it failed again. After replacing the first engine, the vehicle’s performance deteriorated significantly. The vehicle required another visit to the shop for several months, resulting in another engine replacement. Over the course of several months, the vehicle lost all power and exhibited difficulty shifting into reverse. Consequently, it failed to reverse and was involved in an accident.

I am submitting this complaint regarding a recurring turbocharger issue in my 2017 Ford Explorer Sport (VIN: [XXX] ). In April 2024, I was forced to replace the turbocharger system at a cost of approximately $2,500. Despite the repair, my vehicle continues to have serious performance issues. Most recently, the check engine light returned, and a diagnostic scan from O’Reilly Auto Parts showed error code P219A – Bank 1 Air/Fuel Ratio Imbalance. This code indicates that the engine is still not functioning correctly—pointing to a likely underlying or unresolved defect. During the initial failure, oil leaked extensively into the engine bay and burned off in thick white smoke while I was driving. It was a serious safety concern, and the cause was consistent with Ford’s existing recall for this engine (NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V925000), which was limited to the Police Interceptor Utility model despite the civilian Sport version using the same 3.5L EcoBoost V6 engine and components. It is extremely concerning that my vehicle—outside of the official recall range—suffered the same turbo failure and now continues to show problems even after a costly repair. Either the mechanic’s initial repair was incomplete, or the core design flaw that caused the issue in the first place is still at play, meaning this problem may continue to repeat itself. I respectfully request that: 1.Ford expand the recall to include vehicles with the same components and failures, regardless of their designation. 2.NHTSA investigate the scope of this issue across the broader 2017 Explorer Sport lineup. 3.Ford provide reimbursement or support for the costly repair, which has not resolved the issue. 4.Ford issue a technical service bulletin or revised part guidance if this is an ongoing engineering issue. I am happy to provide full documentation, photos, and service records if needed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I brought my vehicle from a used certified dealer at the time of test drive I asked why such a rough transition when going from gear to gear and I was told it was the ECOBoost engine packed with power. Fast forward after multiple repairs and recalls on this vehicle I’ve made it to my breaking point when my SUV shut down as I was turning onto a busy street coming from my son’s school. The engine literally cut off almost causing a head on collision. This idle function is extremely dangerous. I had multiple belts repaired and many things checked after my car overheated and couldn’t find the culprit. One mechanic explained my fan wasn’t working to assist in cooling off the engine and the vents/grill in front of car was shut causing the engine to over heat. After opening the vents and connecting the car to diagnostic machine there were no codes to fix. Over the next month my suv would become significantly worse rattling when I stop at a red light almost drifting into a car in front of me. No longer overheating but now feeling the car physically shifting gears as if I drive a stick shift and I have an automatic transmission. After doing careful research I learned was some recalls on the fan and eco boost engine explaining the same issues that I’am currently having. Don’t mention fixing the recalls because all the certified dealers are 2-3 weeks behind on fixing and diagnosing these same vehicles. They won’t loan you a car while being repaired which is another cost associated with this vehicle. Please look into this ecoboost engine and overheating issues. Also I was told my engine would go soon do the oxygen intake not exchanging enough oxygen causing oil to push into spark plugs and other parts of the engine it doesn’t belong. This SUV is a complete lemon and should be recalled right away before someone dies from this awful feature. Just last week I saw someone on the interstate with my same vehicle stopping mid traffic. This is dangerous!!!

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 made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.