2016 Ford Explorer Body Problems

Which parts fail

• Body
  202
• Body › Roof and pillars
  5
• Body › Door
  5
• Body › Hatchback/liftgate
  3
• Body › Hatchback/liftgate › Support device/strut
  2
• Interior panels › Door
  1

Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  3010%
• 25k–50k
  3612%
• 50k–75k
  5820%
• 75k–100k
  6522%
• 100k–150k
  8128%
• 150k+
  207%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign number: 24V031000 (Structure) and NHTSA Campaign number: 25V347000 (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 detached from the vehicle. The brake pedal was depressed but failed to stop the vehicle immediately. The vehicle then crashed into the guardrail. The contact stated that the vehicle spun around, and went across the freeway and hit the guardrail on the other side, where it came to a stop. None of the air bags deployed. The contact suffered injuries to his back that did not require medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to the residence, and then it was towed to the dealer. The insurance company was not notified. …

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the driver's side roof rack cover panel ejected from the vehicle and made contact with a second vehicle. The driver of the second vehicle swerved to avoid the airborne projectile and crashed into a third vehicle. During the incident, no damage to the vehicles or injuries to the occupants in either vehicle were reported. No police report was taken. The local dealer was informed of the failure. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V316000(STRUCTURER). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. Also, the front driver's door exterior A-Pillar Trim had detached and was snapped back into position, and both the driver side and passenger side exterior B-Pillar Trim had come loose. …

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURER); 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 exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced the failure while driving approximately 40 MPH the passenger side A-Pillar trim ejected from the vehicle. During the failure, the driver became distracted and crashed into the rear of a second vehicle. During the crash, no injuries were reported. A police report was taken at the scene. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,000. The VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2016 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 the vehicle was at a car wash, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and replaced the A-pillar trim. The contact stated that after leaving the dealer after the repair, the driver's side A-pillar became loosened. The A-pillar trim was replaced. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed coolant leaking from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the head gasket. …

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V435000 (SUSPENSION), 24V031000 (Structure), and 25V347000 (STRUCTURE). However, the parts to do the recall repairs for 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (STRUCTURE) were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side A-pillar detached from the vehicle. 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 contact stated that on a separate occasion, while the vehicle was idle and the contact was dropping off her child at school, the rear passenger seat caught on fire. The contact had turned on the seat warning, and when the daughter exited the vehicle, an abnormal burnt smell was coming from the back seat. …

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that water had entered the vehicle, and the inside of the windshield was freezing. There was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the defrosted was inoperable. Additionally, the TPMS warning light was illuminated. 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. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who blew out the tubes and replaced the water pump. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact stated that after a rainstorm, water entered the vehicle from the sunroof. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the sunroof track needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was inspected, and the contact was informed that the recall repair was needed; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the dealer was permanently closed. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Larry H. Miller Ford Lakewood (11595 W 6th Ave, Lakewood, CO 80215); for the recall repair; however, the contact was made aware that the first dealer had marked the recall as complete, and there would be a charge for the repair. The driver's side A-pillar trim was replaced at the owner's expense. …

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (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 manufacturer was made aware of the issue and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The contact had replaced the A-pillar trim previously. The contact stated that recently the B-pillar trim on the passenger's side had blown off, and the driver's side B-pillar trim was loosened at the top. The contact was not aware when the passenger's side B-pillar trim had detached. The contact stated that water was intruding through the driver's side trim and was causing the door entry keypad to short circuit. The contact stated that additionally the 12-Volt battery had drained. …

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim fractured and detached from the vehicle. The contact stated that the trim was hitting against the vehicle. The contact stated that the A-pillar trim detached and almost caused a crash with three other vehicles. The contact stated that the remnants of glue on the windshield impaired the contact's vision while driving. The contact stopped and cleaned the glue off the windshield. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure, and an emergency service appointment was scheduled. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. …

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that water was accumulating in the rear driver's side cupholder. In addition, the contact also stated that water was leaking through the rear speakers as well. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a crack in the driver-side roof rack panel which was repaired out of pocket. The contact was assured by the dealer that water pressure tests were performed on the vehicle which showed that there were no present leaks on the vehicle. Upon return of the vehicle, the contact stated that the passenger's side of the vehicle had experienced the same failure. The failure was later linked to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V316000 (Structure) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. …

Related recalls

NHTSA investigations

Body complaints in other Explorer years