Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the windshield wipers were in the on position, the wipers went off the vehicle and had to be pushed back into place. There was an unknown yellow warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while making a turn, the driver's and passenger's front wheels detached on two occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the vehicle received an unstated repair. There was an abnormal sound while driving at various speeds. While shifting gear, the vehicle jumped. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer however, the result of the diagnostic test was unknown. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 55 mph, the sun roof exploded unexpectedly. There was no impact to the sun roof that could have caused it to shatter. The sun roof shards fell inside the vehicle onto the contact and her children however, there were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that the sun roof frame had separated and was defective. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The insurance company inspected the vehicle and concluded that it was a manufacturing defect. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after parking in the garage and turning the engine off, approximately 5 minutes later a loud noise came from the rear of the vehicle. The contact discovered that the rear hatch window had exploded and glass shards fell into the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not determined. The contact indicated that at the time of the failure the rear window defroster was not activated. The manufacturer and local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 227,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the front windshield trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 150,000.
The exterior A-pillar trim panel on my 2011 Ford Explorer has detached multiple times while driving. The first incident occurred when the original panel flew off into traffic, creating a safety hazard for other road users. Since then, I have been using a temporary replacement panel, which also continues to detach while driving, further escalating the safety risk. I have been attempting to resolve this issue for over three months by contacting every Ford dealership in the Bay Area. Each dealership claims they do not have the parts necessary to complete the recall repair, despite Ford's assertion that parts are available. As a result, the recall remains incomplete, and the issue persists, creating ongoing safety risks for myself and others on the road. No warning lamps or messages preceded the incidents. …
I had started the car before our trip with the remost start and it warmed up for 10 minutes. We were about 15 minutes into our trip and driving down the I-96 expressway in grand rapids, mi near exit 43 (28th street), 65 MPH, 9:45 pm, 32-33 degrees outside and raining, rear window defroster on as well as auto temp control at 70 degrees. All of a sudden the rear window loudly explodes inwards and showers our 10 year old daughter with glass (she was the only passenger in the third row) as well as into the passenger compartment. Immediately pulled off the highway at the next exit, there was no sign of impact, no snow or ice in the car, no rocks, no bullets. Where it occurred there were no overpass or signs over the road (nothing could have fallen on our car). …
My vehicle was on the road in motion when I heard a creaking/clanking noise on the front right side near the tire. After taking my vehicle to the dealership to determine what the cause of the noise was, I was advised that it was a faulty front right strut and spring assembly. I had my mechanic replace both the front and left struts. After doing a lot of research on the internet from other Ford Explorer owners , I believe that strut and spring assembly are manufacture defects. While backing up my vehicle, I noticed that the back up camera was blank and not working. After monitoring the operation of the back up camera, it has become and intermittent issue, it comes and goes. Now, my back up camera is working but the back up camera guidelines are not there. After reading many blogs, there' s alot of Ford Explorer owners who are having similar issues with the back up camera. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. While driving at an unknown speed, the air conditioning unit failed on the passenger side. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was blowing cold air instead of hot air. The vehicle was taken to autonation Ford north canton (5900 whipple ave nw, north canton, oh 44720 [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the air conditioning motor assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was advised to contact NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 29,416. Consumer stated the dealership has list of many other customers with similar defective parts and tv new story with same problem and consumer report has record of poor parts updated 8/20/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the contact saw a piece fly off of the windshield and into traffic. The contact stopped to inspect the windshield and noticed that the plastic piece was connected to the panel of the windshield. The contact called all star Lincoln Ford (17742 airline hwy, prairieville, la 70769, [phone]) where the dealer stated that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact to take a photo of the windshield and to send it to Ford customer service. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the after starting the vehicle the front windshield wipers independently activated causing a visibility hazard to the driver. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer sam scism motors (5019 flat river rd., farmington mo) and the manufacturer were both notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.
Window & Wiper complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2011 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2011 Ford Explorer, 2% of the model year's 1,197 complaints. The component named most often is windshield (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Ford Explorer window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for the 2011 Ford Explorer, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2011 Ford Explorer window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 53,000 miles, and 28% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.