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 2018 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked when there was heavy rain in the area. The contact stated that after the heavy rain passed when they were placing items in the back seat, they noticed that water was in the cup holder. The contact discovered a crack in the sunroof allowing water to enter the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure recurred multiple times. The contact was concerned that there was no impact on the sunroof to have caused it to crack. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with a cracked sunroof frame. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 99,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the driver's side windshield was cracked. The contact also stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware of a crack on the passenger's side windshield. 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 not contacted. 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. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The windshield failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front windshield was disintegrating. There were no warning lights illuminated. While driving, the contact detected that there was an abnormal chirping noise and wind entering the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had gradually progressed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the cowl screen panel needed to be replaced. The sealant around the windshield had disintegrated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the repair was not covered under the warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); the roof racks started to detach from the vehicle, almost causing the sunroof to fracture. The contact stated that the side view mirrors seized without warning. The contact had to shift to park and turn off and restart the vehicle for the side view mirrors to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear windshield trim separated from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear windshield trim needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that he needed to pay for the repair because the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the weather stripping around the windshield and the rubber seal around all doors had started to deteriorate on the passenger's and driver's side rear doors. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the windshield molding and the rubber stripping on the doors needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 27,632.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70-75 MPH, the exterior driver's side trim piece along the windshield detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the trim needed to be replaced. The vehicle part was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the rear hatch glass shattered without impact. The vehicle was taken to Safelite Auto Glass and repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the repair was not covered under the vehicle warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
The contact called on behalf of her daughter who owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after her daughter had placed her 8-month-old grandchild in a car seat in the second-row rear driver's side seat, she heard a loud banging sound coming from the vehicle. The contact's daughter, was outside of the vehicle at the time the failure occurred and noticed that the center of the rear windshield had exploded, projecting shattered pieces of glass that reached her grandchild's car seat. There was no injury sustained. The contact' daughter was able to drive the vehicle to her residence while her grandchild was transported by a family member. The dealer was notified of the failure but did not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.
The dash on my 2018 Ford Explorer platinum is rolling up from the front of the dash. It is made out of some sort of leather or vinyl. But with it rolling up towards the driver, it causes a glare onto the windshield which causes visibility issues. I know I'm not the only one experiencing these problems with the platinum trim on the 2018 ford explorer. But this really needs to be looked into and recalled. You can also look up the explorer platinum on a vehicle search website and visibly see that every platinum edition explorer has this issue. It's unsafe and should be addressed immediately.
Window & Wiper complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2018 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2018 Ford Explorer, 4% of the model year's 734 complaints. The component named most often is windshield (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2018 Ford Explorer window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for the 2018 Ford Explorer, though it has 7 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 2018 Ford Explorer window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 57,000 miles, and 27% 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.