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 2015 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notice of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that while driving in the rain on several occasions, he observed water leaking from the left and top of the middle of the windshield. The contact stated that overtime water had leaked and puddling around the sunroof molder and rusted and shorted the sunroof motor. The contact stated that the sunroof did not work due to the shorted motor. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed about the two active recalls and that the rear view camera was inverted and it was diagnosed that the exterior a pillar clip attachments and sunroof and shade motor needed the replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the dealer not honoring the sunroof repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the front windshield wipers activated independently. The contact removed the fuse to stop the windshield wipers. The vehicle was not diagnosed. On another occasion while starting the vehicle, the vehicle lost power steering functionality with the steering assist fault message displayed. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the message disappeared and the power steering functionality returned. The vehicle was not diagnosed. On another occasion while the contact shifted the vehicle into park(P), the vehicle delayed recognizing that the vehicle was in park(P) and failed to turn off as needed. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 170,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the front windshield molding became fractured and started striking the front passenger's side door glass. The contact was able to safely drive the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed that there was no recall. The dealer advised the contact to report the failure to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the front windshield trim on the passenger's side detached from the vehicle. The contact stated he heard an abnormal noise when the trim detached. The contact had taken the vehicle to a body shop to replace the missing trim. The vehicle had been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to Ford Customer Satisfaction Program: 17N04 (Trim). The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that rainwater was discovered inside the cabin of the vehicle on the front passenger's side of the vehicle. Upon inspection, it was determined that a section of the front windshield seal had dry rotted allowing the rainwater to enter the vehicle and causing the front windshield to be unsecured. The cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 95,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that rainwater was entering the vehicle. There is water on the front floorboard. The contact stated that the sunroof motor became inoperable, and the sunroof could no longer be opened. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and provided the contact with a claim number, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 127,021.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated the sunroof was leaking into the cab and floored the floors with 45 inches of water. The contact took the vehicle to a body repair shop and drained the lines of the rooftop. The contact stated she continues to experience the failure. The contact called a local dealer to make them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the sunroof was leaking during inclement weather. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the gaskets and internal sunroof rails needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front windshield was detaching. The contact stated that the windshield seal was peeling away and slowly detaching. The contact stated that the trim had detached. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.
Having read in a newspaper about the side windshield trim flying off it got me thinking about the rubber seals that go under that trim. On my Ford Explorer i have had those rubber seals split and and start ripping in strips. I have had to glue them to keep them from ripping off and maybe hit a vehicle behind me. Also there is a plastic plate that is below the windshield and under the windshield wipers that is warping. Have talked to a person that owns a body shop he told me that that is a common problem on these models of Explorers. He told me if i go and complain Ford may fix it for free. I have one more thing to mention. Went put in the VIN# for my Explorer it states that i have a recall that has not been Fixed. It is for the rear toe link. Well it has been fixed and i don't know how to change it to fixed.
Window & Wiper complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2015 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2015 Ford Explorer, 2% of the model year's 1,809 complaints. The component named most often is windshield › critical fasteners (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Ford Explorer window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for the 2015 Ford Explorer, though it has 8 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 2015 Ford Explorer window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 16% 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.