Mileage when the problem started
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 stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the steering wheel became very firm. The contact stated that the "Steering Assist Failure" message was displayed, and the Traction Control Warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 108,000.
Was traveling down a city surface street when another vehicle tried to beat me to getting onto the same street I was traveling on made a sudden turn before I could get to his location. Upon trying to maneuver and avoid a collision the vehicle suddenly did not respond to the maneuver and instead veered off the road and crashed into a residence. Steering failed to function as intended, ABS system also failed to function properly. This has not been the first time I got into a wreck like this with this vehicle. Making a sudden turn in this vehicle will likely suffer some sort of accident, vehicle does not respond like it should with all them electrical safety features.
2016 Ford Explorer - the backup camera will come on while traveling down the highway at 55-60 MPH. Will cause it to loose power, the RPM's drop right below 1000, the wrench symbol comes on, and it will barely move down the road. A screen will pop up on occasion saying hill assist is unavailable. You have to pullover, turn the car off, open the driver door to make sure the radio and all goes off, wait exactly one minute, and then you are able to crank the vehicle up to be able to move. I have taken to dealership, and all they say is it's a sensor inside the transmission, and all they can do is clear the code out. They say that it is saying my vehicle is trying to engage in reverse while going down the road. This sounds like a huge safety issue especially when I have had others say the same thing has happened to them as well. …
While driving the traction control and ABS lights come on. System has stability control warning. While driving this causes brakes to lock up. My wife almost crashed due to the brakes locking. Once you turn off the car it will reset and everything appears normal until it happens again. Unfortunately this incident does not store any codes in the system. We have had the 2016 expolorer in the shop multiple times and the dealerships have done nothing to fix the issue. Because there are no codes they are doing nothing. They do not research the issue nor have they tried to fix anything. There are multiple complaints about this and a procedure needs to be established to diagnose and fix the problem. This is a serious safety issue and needs to be addressed by Ford before someone dies. My wife will no longer drive this vehicle because she feel unsafe.
Saturday June 20th 2020 the hill assist message came on as did the ABS and traction control lights came on. There is no power steering and both axles are making a clicking noise. I have learned that this is the rack and pinion electronic power assist system. Epas unit has failed. Luckily it was in my cul de sac turning around and not on the freeway. My wife predominantly drives this vehicle. The steering is very difficult to move. The vehicle only has 64,000 miles on it. Is this a private recall? I have spoken with a couple of other Explorer owners that Ford "took care of it" for them. I have ordered the part, but it will not be there for a week. This car is well taken care of and is normally driven on city streets and occasionally on the highway.
I stopped at traffic light, I heard a strange sound, and the airbag light came on. I press the gas gas to cross intersection and car would only go 3 miles an hour, I managed to turn into side street, and turned car off. When I restarted car and I was able to accelerate and proceeded to drive to my destination, when I stopped at another red light it happened again and then engine light came on. I then turned off car and restated to find all warning lights off. I then drove to auto nation Ford dealership. They diagnosed with a throttle problem. When checking the internet I see a lot of people have had this same problem, it could have bee a very dangerous situation since this happened st an intersection.
I recently received a 2016 Ford police utility (Explorer) as a new patrol vehicle. While on patrol I suddenly lost power steering. I received a steering assist fault message on the dash, as well as a traction and stability control error message. The vehicle has 935 miles on it. I have read where Ford has had problems in the past with this steering system. As a police officer I am very concerned that the loss of power steering with no warning could result in a very dangerous situation for officers driving this vehicle, as well as civilians driving the civilian model. As of this complaint the vehicle is at the dealership waiting to be fixed. Ford needs to get this system working correctly.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. While driving 65 MPH, the traction control indicator illuminated and the steering seized. The contact pulled the vehicle over and attempted to turn off and restart the vehicle, but the steering was locked. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who discovered that the entire front rack and pinion system needed to be replaced. The total cost, including towing, was $2,300. Ford of hibbing (2627 e beltline, hibbing, mn 55746, [phone]) stated there were no recalls and the warranty recently expired; therefore, they would not assist with the repair cost. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 31,060.
2016 Ford Explorer with approximately 8400 miles. Was traveling southbound on us hwy 1 at approximately 50mph when vehicle suddenly stops accelerating and wrench light comes on. Car will only coast at less than 5mph. Was able to pull into a parking lot without being involved in an accident. Vehicle was on and shaking but would not allow me to accelerate. Vehicle had to be towed to Ford dealership. Ford mechanic stated it was the electronic throttle bottle and they have already had a few of them come in to be replaced. Etb has been replaced but vehicle still lags when accelerating. Went on carscomplaints.com and 38 complaints have already been filed for the same issue.
I was driving home from dropping my daughter off at daycare and I lost the power steering on my vehicle while the vehicle was in motion and I was driving a steady speed down a straight road. My daughter was no longer in the car with me as this could have resulted in an accident but thankfully she was not and I was able to pull off the road with a lot of effort involved. My car had to be towed to the Ford shop and I had to have my power steering core changed. $2500. This car only has 37,000 miles and is a 2016 Ford Explorer. Quite frustrating, disappointing and expensive. There needs to be a recall with this problem because I am not the only one this has happened too.
Traction Control complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2016 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2016 Ford Explorer, 1% of the model year's 2,462 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 Ford Explorer traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control recall for the 2016 Ford Explorer, though it has 14 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 2016 Ford Explorer traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 44,000 miles, and 30% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to stability & traction control 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.