Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, her grandson who was occupying the second-row driver's side seat informed the contact that the seat belt had failed to remain buckled. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and moved her grandson to the second-row middle seat. The contact stated that the plastic on the second-row driver's side seat belt clip was fractured and had detached, which caused the seat belt to not buckle as needed. The contact also stated that the plastic on the second-row passenger's side seat belt clip was fractured, but the seat belt was able to be buckled. The local dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and assisted the contact in scheduling an appointment with another dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …
The contact owns a 2012 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 while driving approximately 65 MPH, the passenger's side A Pillar trim became loosened and was flapping in the slipstream. The contact stated that a piece of the trim had fractured. The contact stated that a dealer was contacted and advised the contact to bring the vehicle in for service. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that parts to repair the vehicle were not yet available. The contact stated that the trim on the driver's side A-pillar had loosened and fractured. …
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V435000 (SUSPENSION) and 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, there was a loud sound of air coming from the windshield. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 156,000. …
The contact owns a 2012 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 contact stated while driving 75 MPH, there was an abnormal snap and the contact saw the trim piece of the front windshield detach from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an auto glass shop and the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The trim panel had been replaced 3 times. The contact fourth set of trim panels had cracked and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the sets of trim panels were purchased from and installed by the same two companies each time. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 50,000. …
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after driving the vehicle and arriving at the destination, the contact noticed that the front driver's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim had separated from the vehicle. The contact later 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 sent a mobile technician to the residence for the vehicle inspection. The technician noticed that the front passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim was detaching and removed the trim to prevent a safety hazard. 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 100,000. …
The contact owns a 2012 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 upon purchasing the vehicle, the trim on the lower part of the windshield detached and was loosened. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from the steering wheel, while driving, while making left and right turns, and even while the engine was turned off. The contact stated that the failure had persisted. 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 issue. …
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the exterior A-Pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred, and the exterior B-Pillar trim also detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the parts were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred and both trims detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. 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 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 failure mileage was 175,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2012 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 initially made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact also stated that a mechanic from the dealer went to the contact's workplace and inspected the vehicle. The mechanic determined that the trim clips needed to be replaced; however, parts were on backorder. The contact stated that the passenger's side A-pillar trim clip had blown off while driving at highway speeds. 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 failure mileage was approximately 207,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the driver's side and passenger's side exterior A-pillar trim detached. The contact used tape on the driver's side to secure the molding to the windshield. The contact stated that the passenger's side A-pillar trim detached and fell off the vehicle. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the vehicle was inspected. The contact was informed that parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2012 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 contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front windshield trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The contact stated that the corners of the front windshield were uncovered. In addition, the contact stated that the remaining front windshield trim was detaching. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000. VIN tool confirm parts not available.
Related recalls
Structure › Body › Roof and pillars
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.
Remedy: 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.
Structure › Body › Door
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Explorer vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after actuation.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began on July 23, 2015.
NHTSA investigations
Windshield trim molding Item detachment
On January 27, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-001 to investigate allegations of A-pillar trim panel detachment on model year (MY) 2011-2019 Ford Explorer vehicles. At the time of opening, the office had received 164 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) reporting this failure. ODI has received 671 VOQs regarding this failure, including 1 alleged crash and 2 alleged injuries.
Body complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2012 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 144 complaints about the body & structure of the 2012 Ford Explorer, 17% of the model year's 829 complaints. The component named most often is body (61 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Ford Explorer body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 24V-031 (roof and pillars, Jan 19, 2024); NHTSA recall 15V-171 (door, Mar 24, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2012 Ford Explorer body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 97,000 miles, and 1% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 1 injury to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.