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 2014 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel locked inadvertently. The message "Traction Failure - Stop Safely" and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. There was no further information provided. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the electronic steering rack and pinion were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the driver's side windshield trim panel separated, struck, and cracked the windshield of the vehicle behind. There was no injury sustained. Additionally, the driver's side windshield rubber detached and started striking the side of the vehicle. The contact veered to the side of the road. A Ford technician met the contact on the side of the road and assisted the contact in securing the rubber into position and tape was applied. …
APIM unit and plastic body components 2014 Explorer, Sync2 v3.10 Symptoms: Malfunction of power window controls, radio controls, rear camera and vent controls. The APIM also controls many other safety functions, such as safety lanes, park assist, backup guides, gps, cruise control, trailer/tow information, and other warnings/features. It is notable that Ford has issued recalls for the APIM due to safety issues in different year Explorer, as well as F150, F250, F350, Escape, Expedition, Fusion and Lincoln models Navigator and MK2 models, to name a few. This has been reported once, I spoke with a Ford representative and he setup an appointment at the dealership that was to setup an appoint for diagnosis before they setup a repair/replacement appointment. An appointment to setup an appointment to setup a diagnosis appointment to setup a repair appointment. Seriously, what is up with that? …
The contact owns a 2014 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 that while driving approximately 70-72 MPH, the contact heard a loud snapping sound and saw an object go by on the outside of the vehicle. After pulling over to the side of the road, the contact became aware that the trim around the windshield on the passenger's side had detached. The trim on the driver's side of the windshield had started to deteriorate. The windshield was currently secured with tape. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and it was confirmed that the parts that had detached were the same parts that were under recall. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front passenger's side door panel had started to detach from the body of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the rear wheel bearing needed to be replaced. The dealer repaired the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light later was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the contact was informed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's and driver's side A-pillar trim fractured and detached. The contact stated that the dealer arrived at the residence and inspected the vehicle; however, the contact was informed that parts were not available. The contact purchased the parts from Amazon; however, the contact had to apply tape to hold the parts in place. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the driver's side B-pillar trim had fractured and detached. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. Additionally, the back-over prevention camera screen displayed a black screen and an error message to call the dealer. …
The contact owns a 2014 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 while driving 65 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The contact heard an abnormal sound and after arriving to the residence, her husband noticed that the A-pillar trim was missing. The local independent mechanic was contacted and replaced the A-pillar trim. The contact stated that on another occasion, while driving 75 MPH, the passenger's trim loosened and detached. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired after the most recent failure. 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 2014 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 stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the passenger's side A-pillar trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The contact was unable to retrieve the part. The contact stated that the driver's side A-pillar trim almost flew off the vehicle. The contact stated that the A-pillar trim was fractured by the slip stream and the upper section blew off the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer and was informed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 212,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact looked in the rearview mirror and saw the A-pillar trim on the roadway but kept driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was confirmed that the A-pillar trim was missing. The vehicle was not repaired because the part for the recall repair was not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side front windshield trim detached. The contact stopped at a local store and purchased duct tape which was used to hold the trim in place. In addition, the contact stated that the passenger's side windshield trim was later detached. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. 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 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 72,600. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. 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 stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the front driver's side trim piece detached from the vehicle. The contact purchased and installed a replacement part. The contact stated that the passenger's side trim piece had also detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 95,000. VIN tool confirms 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.
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 2014 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 276 complaints about the body & structure of the 2014 Ford Explorer, 16% of the model year's 1,682 complaints. The component named most often is body (92 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2014 Ford Explorer body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 24V-031 (roof and pillars, Jan 19, 2024). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2014 Ford Explorer body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 93,000 miles, and 10% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries 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.