2017 Ford Explorer Suspension Problems

Which parts fail

• Rear
  2
• Rear › Axle › Non-powered axle assembly
  1

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

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  316%
• 25k–50k
  737%
• 50k–75k
  211%
• 75k–100k
  316%
• 100k–150k
  316%
• 150k+
  15%

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 while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side rear toe link fractured. The contact stated that the rear end of the vehicle swerved to the left. The contact stated that it was difficult to control the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact exited the vehicle. The contact stated upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the driver's side rear suspension was on the ground underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a fractured driver's side rear toe link. The contact was informed that the driver's side rear toe link needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. In addition, the contact was informed that the ABS and the wheel bearing needed to be replaced prior to the recall repair being performed. …

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after the completion of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V675000(Suspension), the vehicle started experiencing suspension failures. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle vibrated and made an abnormal clunking sound. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle felt like the front end suspension was fighting with the rear end suspension, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle, and the vehicle crashed into a pole. The pole was damaged and bent. The vehicle sustained front-end damage. No police report was filed. The contact sustained seat belt burn and bruising on the right shoulder by the collar bone. The vehicle was driven to Sweets Auto Repair, where suspension repairs were performed. …

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle became difficult to control. The contact then noticed that the tire wear was uneven. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front and rear alignment had failed and needed to be performed again. The vehicle received the front alignment, but the rear alignment was not performed. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer for additional assistance. The dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was provided an estimate for the rear alignment. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle ran over a pothole and the contact attempted to turn and the tires slid. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 21V537000 (Suspension), but the failure persisted. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to a tire shop to get the tires replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure occurred which over time caused the tires to wear out and need to be replaced. Due to the failure consistently occurring, the contact replaced the tires on the vehicle nine times since the vehicle was first purchased the vehicle at the end of 2022. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle had a slotted tire adjustment. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH in a rainstorm, the rear of the vehicle started to violently fishtail from side to side. The contact stopped and inspected the vehicle but found no failure. The vehicle was later re-inspected, and the contact discovered that the rear tires showed severe treadwear. The contact stated that the failure had occurred previously while his wife was driving the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was contacted, and a service appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 38,000. The contact stated that the vehicle needed an alignment and two new rear tires. The vehicle was repaired and the contact has it in their possession again.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on both sides of the windshield started to detach. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 26V101000 (Suspension); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not available. The contact was informed that parts had been used to repair other vehicles after the contact had scheduled an appointment. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 142,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the contact heard a loud snap from the rear driver's side of the vehicle which resulted in the contact losing control of the vehicle and the vehicle started to fishtail. The contact was able to regain control of the vehicle and safely stopped the vehicle on the side of the road. Then the vehicle was towed to a dealer and was diagnosed and repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V675000 (Suspension). The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that they would authorize the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while accelerating from a complete stop from a traffic light, the vehicle made an abnormally loud popping sound. The contact exited and inspected the vehicle but could not determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that upon attempting to resume driving, the steering wheel was uncontrollable, the suspension seemed to have failed, and the vehicle was sliding. The message "Terrain Management System Fault" was displayed. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the passenger-side rear tire was low on air pressure. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact observed wires exposed on the inner tread of the tire. Additionally, the contact inspected the driver-side rear tire and observed exposed wires sticking out from the inner sidewall. The contact stated that NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension) was completed in October 2025. The contact associated the tire failure with the recall. The dealer was notified of the failure by phone. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,400.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear axle assembly needed to be replaced. The parts needed to repair the vehicle were on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. No additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

Related recalls

Suspension complaints in other Explorer years