2017 Ford Explorer Body Problems

Which parts fail

• Body
  262
• Body › Roof and pillars
  12
• Body › Door
  6
• Interior panels › Door
  1
• Body › Trunk lid
  1
• Body › Hood
  1

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

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  3010%
• 25k–50k
  4013%
• 50k–75k
  8126%
• 75k–100k
  7022%
• 100k–150k
  7022%
• 150k+
  217%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the passenger's side the A-pillar applique trim had a split in the middle causing rainwater and dirt to enter the vehicle. As a result of the failure, the sunroof motor was damaged and then failed to operate. The local dealer was called, and the contact was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. On another occasion, while driving at various speeds, while making a left or right turn there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the steering. The contact stated that the failure progressively worsened when turning to the right. …

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the driver's side B-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. In addition, the keypad panel was located on the driver's side B-pillar. The wires were exposed to the elements. In addition, the fuse to the turn signals and the fuse to the trunk gate short-circuited and failed to function as intended. The contact found the B-pillar trim on the ground and taped it to the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed that water had entered the keypad and short-circuited several fuses. The fuse for the turn signal and trunk gate was replaced. The contact stated that the failure persisted. …

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure). While driving approximately 60 MPH, the driver's side B-pillar trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the residence, inspected, and confirmed that the driver's side B-pillar trim was missing. The contact stated that the electrical system on the tailgate had stopped working as intended. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was determined that the tailgate would not open because the electrical system was disconnected, and the trim had fallen off. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the dome light remained illuminated and turned off approximately 4-5 seconds later. …

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); and later became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V316000 (Structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the trims around the windshield, including the driver's side and passenger's side windshield exterior A-pillar trims, were disintegrating and had partially detached. The contact was initially informed by a car wash employee about the trim failures and advised the contact that the vehicle was unsafe to drive through the car wash. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that there was no early availability to perform the inspection on the vehicle. …

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's and passenger's side front windshield A-Pillar trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a detached A-Pillar windshield trim. The contact was informed that the driver's and passenger's side A-Pillar trim needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts were not available. The contact stated that the failure had occurred three years ago; however, in March 2025, the driver's and passenger's side front windshield A-Pillar trim was replaced by the dealer. The failure reoccurred. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. …

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 ( Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the driver's side door exterior B-Pillar trim had detached, causing the mounted keypad to detach. The failure left a hole in the mounting area of the keypad. The contact stated that the B-Pillar trim was hanging by the keypad wires, and the keypad wires had fractured. Additionally, there was a cold wind entering the vehicle with the B-pillar trim not securely taped to the vehicle, causing the contact's feet to become painfully cold. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact informed the dealer of the failure. The contact stated that the dealer took pictures of the failure but declined to test-drive or inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal beeping sound, the cabin lights illuminated unintendedly, and the message "Tailgate Ajar" was displayed. The contact decelerated and pulled over to the side of the road. The contact resumed driving; however, the failure persisted. The contact then became aware that the front driver's side door exterior keypad trim had detached and had fractured into two pieces, causing damage to the keypad wiring system. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the keypad needed to be replaced. The contact purchased the part from the manufacturer's website, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the part was installed; however, the failure recurred while driving. The dealer was contacted and provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. …

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V316000 (Structure); however, the failure recurred with the front and rear driver's side roof rail covers detaching. The contact also received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the driver's and front passenger's side door B-pillar trims had detached. The contact duct-taped the front and rear driver's side roof rail covers and the driver's and front passenger's side door B-pillar trims. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. …

The contact owns a 2017 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 at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and replaced the A-pillar trim. After the repair, the contact received the recall notification. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the part was available for the repair; however, the contact had to pay out of pocket. The vehicle was not repaired after the most recent failure. The contact stated that the passenger's side A-pillar trim had become loosened. …

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal clicking sound coming from the driver's side door. Upon arriving at the destination, the contact noticed that the driver's side exterior B-Pillar trim was loose. The contact used duct tape to hold the trim in place. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the driver's side exterior A-Pillar trim had also become loose, and the contact had used duct tape to hold the trim in place. The contact had received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V347000(Structure) and 24V031000(Structure), which are related to the failures. The contact had been calling an unknown local dealer to check for parts availability, but had been advised that parts were not available. …

Related recalls

NHTSA investigations

Body complaints in other Explorer years