2015 Ford Explorer Suspension Problems

Which parts fail

• Rear
  1

Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  612%
• 25k–50k
  918%
• 50k–75k
  918%
• 75k–100k
  1733%
• 100k–150k
  1020%
• 150k+
  00%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that he previously received a recall notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension) however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. They stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the contact heard a squealing sound when the rear driver's side wheel started to wobble. As a result, the vehicle steered to the left then swerved and crashed into a guardrail. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. No police report was filed. The contact stated that he was able to drive the vehicle at approximately 5 MPH to the nearest dealer where it was diagnosed that the toe link had fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. …

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 20V675000 (Suspension) and 21V537000 (Suspension) however, after the repairs, the vehicle started experiencing suspension and alignment failures. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle seemed misaligned and was pulling to the right and to the left. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle shuddered significantly while depressing the brake pedal. The contact also stated that the vehicle was hesitant while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that while on a road trip, the floorboard of the vehicle was hot, which caused her to pull to the side of the road until the vehicle had cooled down. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. …

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to turn left, and while driving over rough road surfaces, there was a sound like metal striking metal sound coming from the rear-end of the vehicle. The contact stated that while turning left caution was used because the vehicle was bouncing and was losing stability. The contact stated that the rear driver's side wheel felt imbalanced with the rest of the wheels as if the tire pressure was low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, Lofton Motorsports (4122 S Memorial Dr, Tulsa, OK 74145); who had diagnosed that the stabilizing axle link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was returned to the dealer where the CV axle shaft was replaced; however, the failure persisted. …

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started swaying violently. The contact slowed down and pulled over to allow other traffic to go by. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The failure reoccurred while driving 30 MPH, and the contact almost lost control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the rear tires were not straight and were leaning into the wheel well. The contact stated that the vehicle had recently been repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension). The contact asked the dealer if the recall repair had caused the failure. The contact was informed that the repair was completed correctly and there was no additional repair for the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. …

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal, roaring sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact's husband discovered that the steel belts on the driver's and passenger's rear tires were prematurely worn. The contact then became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension); which the contact associated with the failure. An appointment was scheduled with a local dealer for the recall repair. Upon arriving for the appointment, the contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the issue, and the contact was informed that the recall repair was performed prior to and was a one-time repair. The contact provided an estimate for an out-of-pocket repair. …

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds and making a left turn, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that while having a routine alignment at an independent mechanic, the contact was informed that there was an issue with the alignment. The contact was informed that the passenger's side rear ball joint connected to the chassis was not aligned. The contact was informed that the bolt was embedded in the chassis. The contact stated that the nut had been overtightened. There was a crack detected. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension). The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that there was no warranty coverage for the repair. No assistance was provided. …

The toe-link on the rear-passenger side wheel broke and caused the vehicle to fish-tail uncontrollably before going into the ditch and rolling. My wife was driving with our two sons, 3 & 1 at the time, luckily no one was physically injured apart from some minor bumps and bruises. After the fact, we found out there was a recall on this specific part and it was repaired but, again, there was a recall on the replacement part. We were never notified, we have friends with the same vehicle that were never notified and are still trying to get the part repaired. Since this part failed and subsequently our vehicle totaled we were forced to buy an older, higher mileage vehicle at an inflated cost. Does Ford bear any responsibility to make this right or does it not matter until there are fatalities?

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 40 MPH, there was a clanking sound coming from the steering wheel. The contact stated that the steering wheel shifted to the left and the contact immediately corrected the steering wheel; however, in the process the vehicle became airborne. The contact stated that upon landing, the front driver's, the front passenger's, and rear driver's side tires were deflated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was advised that the control arms, wheel axles, wheel bearings, rims, and tires were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension); and the vehicle was repaired under the recall. After the recall repair, the contact noticed that the rear end of the vehicle was wobbling and the rear of the vehicle swayed towards the left or right while driving at speeds of 35 MPH or higher. There were no warning lights. The contact replaced the tires twice due to the failure, causing the tires to lose treadwear and lose traction. The dealer was informed about the failure and confirmed that the recall repair had been completed and was only a one-time free repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that she noticed that the front passenger's side door panel had started to detach. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the trim panel needed to be repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that she heard noise in the rear driver's and passenger side wheels. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the rear wheel knuckle was previously replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number and advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

Related recalls

Suspension complaints in other Explorer years