general problems of the 2017 Ford Explorer - part 1

The 2011 to 2019 Ford Explorers have a huge issue with them. The internal water pump on my 2017 Ford Explorer 3. 5l engine failed. The failure caused coolant to leak into the engine crankcase, where it mixed with the engine oil. This contaminated the oil and led to catastrophic engine failure and seizure. The vehicle has already been brought to a dealership for service and is available for inspection upon request. This failure created a serious safety risk because the engine could have seized suddenly while the vehicle was in motion. If I had not caught the issue early, it could have resulted in a complete engine shutdown without warning, leading to loss of power, reduced steering control, and inability to accelerate in traffic. I have a strong understanding of vehicles and was able to recognize the warning signs, but the average driver would likely not identify these symptoms. Without that knowledge, this type of failure could easily occur without warning and put both the driver and others on the road at significant risk. Yes. The issue has been confirmed by both an independent mechanic and the dealership as a failed internal water pump. Coolant was beginning to leak internally into the engine and oil pan, where it mixed with the engine oil. The symptoms—coolant leaking near the oil pan, loss of coolant, lack of heat, and eventual engine failure—are consistent with this type of failure on this engine. The vehicle has been inspected by both the dealership and my independent mechanic. It is currently at the dealership for service and remains available for further inspection if needed. There were early symptoms, including a coolant leak, bubbling in the coolant reservoir, and loss of heat inside the vehicle. However, there were no clear warning lights or alerts indicating imminent engine failure. The engine did not overheat prior to failure, and the final seizure could have occurred suddenly without adequate warning. These symptoms only appeared about one day prior.

The car was up on ramps, to replace a sensor, in park and slipped out of gear rolling backwards with force. Someone could have been under or behind the vehicle. Other vehicles could have been behind, property could have been damaged. The cars door caught the building and pulled it all the way back against the front fender.

Vehicle was brought to an authorized Ford dealership for coolant leak. The dealer confirmed a coolant leak originating from the internal water pump. The water pump on this engine is chain-driven and located inside the engine behind the timing cover, requiring approximately 12 hours of labor to access and replace. This is a known design defect affecting millions of Ford vehicles with the 3. 5l cyclone/duratec engine across multiple model years (2007-2020). The defect allows coolant to leak past the bearing seal, with potential to mix with engine oil and cause catastrophic engine failure. This is a serious safety risk as failure can occur without warning while driving. The problem was confirmed and documented by the Ford dealership. No warning lights appeared prior to the leak being discovered. Repair cost exceeded $4,300. This defect was the subject of a federal class action lawsuit (roe v. Ford motor company, eastern district of michigan) which was settled confidentially in January 2024 without a recall being issued. Ford has not notified owners of this known defect or offered any remedy program to us customers, despite a canadian class action resulting in relief for affected owners there. I am providing the cost invoice but will provide an itemized invoice once repairs are finished.

Unknown.

There is an odor in the passenger cabin. Seems unsafe.

Complete failure of the water pump at 58000 miles.

October 2025 check engine light came on, took to mechanic showed misfire in cylinder two and three. Replaced all plugs and coil packs, engine light went off. Engine light came back, hard start on November 26,2025 showed misfire in cylinder 2 and 3. Replaced those coil packs again, engine light off. February 2, 2026 engine light back on, hard start with vibration. Took vehicle to mtn view Ford in chattanooga to have diagnostic test done. Received call on February 9,2026 that the engine was in complete failure, coolant leaked into the cylinders, would require a $12,000 new engine at 84,328. 6 miles on the vehicle. The vehicle had not been driven more than 50 miles per week in the past two years, had on time maintenance.

Ya me marco el funcionamiento del motor.

It is known that for the specific year make and model that the water pump goes out around 100,000 miles. This water pump was built as an internal water pump, which is not typical for most cars. In order to fix this part, the engine has to be taken out and lots of parts have to be disassembled just to get to it. The part itself is fairly cheap, but the labor cost thousands of dollars due to where it is located. Ford knowingly built this car and put that pump where it is at and therefore should be reliable to pay the cost when it is so common that this part goes out around 100,000 miles. If it is a known issue that occurs on these models frequently then it should become a recall because a failing water pump can cause significant issues within the engine and make the vehicle in operable.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle for an annual smog check, the check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where a diagnostic test was performed. The diagnostic showed that the vvt (variable valve timing) connected to the timing phasers had fractured and needed to be replaced. The contact was provided with an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,838.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed an unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed coolant pump. The contact was informed that the coolant pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised to tow the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline and report the failure. In addition, the contact was informed that NHTSA would attach the contact’s VIN to an unknown recall that had a similar failure description. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the message “engine overheating” was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and allowed the engine to cool down. After restarting the vehicle, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact then noticed a fluid leak underneath the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the mechanic and the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the water pump was leaking, causing the engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact discovered that the failure was a known issue; however, the VIN was not under recall related to the failure. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall on the VIN related to the failure. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. After a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the coolant reservoir was almost empty, even though the vehicle had just been serviced. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the water pump. The vehicle was repaired. The contact also stated that the water pump had failed and was replaced in February 2023. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 192,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the mechanic discovered an oil leak coming from the engine. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not under warranty and the contact was referred to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 16v925000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact was then referred to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 98,403.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle had experienced rough operation, white exhaust smoke was present and the check engine light had illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that engine coolant was present inside the engine cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 110,000.

The car makes a ticking/rattle sound on cold startup. Preliminary diagnosis is the cam phasers. This is a 2017 Ford Explorer with 77,000. It is the same 3. 5l v6 ecoboost (gtdi) engine that was in Ford customer satisfaction program: 21n03. The issue mirrors tgat in the program document, but the Explorer is not covered by the program.

I periodically have unintended acceleration ; it has occurred off and on for the past two years . The Ford dealer said no faults were detected so they can't fix the problem . It most often when I am shifting into reverse then the rpms increase dramatically and when I put it in neutral they shoot up even more . A few days ago I was putting the car into the garage , waiting for the door to open , with my foot on the brake and the shift in drive when the rpms started to increase . Feeling the car starting to move I shifted to neutral when the rpms shot up tremendously . This is a dangerous situation where someone can get injured or killed . Ford should be able to correct the problem !!!.

I brought my vehicle from a used certified dealer at the time of test drive I asked why such a rough transition when going from gear to gear and I was told it was the ecoboost engine packed with power. Fast forward after multiple repairs and recalls on this vehicle I’ve made it to my breaking point when my SUV shut down as I was turning onto a busy street coming from my son’s school. The engine literally cut off almost causing a head on collision. This idle function is extremely dangerous. I had multiple belts repaired and many things checked after my car overheated and couldn’t find the culprit. One mechanic explained my fan wasn’t working to assist in cooling off the engine and the vents/grill in front of car was shut causing the engine to over heat. After opening the vents and connecting the car to diagnostic machine there were no codes to fix. Over the next month my SUV would become significantly worse rattling when I stop at a red light almost drifting into a car in front of me. No longer overheating but now feeling the car physically shifting gears as if I drive a stick shift and I have an automatic transmission. After doing careful research I learned was some recalls on the fan and eco boost engine explaining the same issues that I’am currently having. Don’t mention fixing the recalls because all the certified dealers are 2-3 weeks behind on fixing and diagnosing these same vehicles. They won’t loan you a car while being repaired which is another cost associated with this vehicle. Please look into this ecoboost engine and overheating issues. Also I was told my engine would go soon do the oxygen intake not exchanging enough oxygen causing oil to push into spark plugs and other parts of the engine it doesn’t belong. This SUV is a complete lemon and should be recalled right away before someone dies from this awful feature. Just last week I saw someone on the interstate with my same vehicle stopping mid traffic. This is dangerous!!!.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 50 mph after the vehicle had been serviced, the check engine warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant inside the water pump, and the water pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 112,000.

Engine block timing plate cover has a defect crack in it causing an oil leak and fire hazard.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. In addition, while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving 40 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle jerked before slamming into gear. The check engine warning light was continuously illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle was leaking oil onto the ground and the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with coolant intrusion into a cylinder, which caused the engine failure. The spark plugs were replaced. The mechanic also informed the contact that the transmission had failed. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 52,590.

Own a 2017 Ford Explorer 2. 3l ecoboost with 116k miles, out of the blue the vehicle started to overheat the engine, with no coolant left in the reservoir. Took it to a mechanic who stated that the engine is not that old and that it was unsure of why the head gasket was blown. It is believed by many including a class action law suite that Ford is aware of the possible overheating issues with their ecoboost engines.

There was cam phaser situation that I was never informed of when this car was purchased. I just hit 80 k and I am now having issues. It appears there is a lawsuit for this. What is Ford doing to fix.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the contact became aware that there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the turbocharger oil supply tubes had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

The engine did not start and had a burning smell coming out. The SUV was towed to a Ford dealer to find out the engine block has to be replace. The SUV has been well maintain through out the years of ownership. It has 84000. 00 miles on it. After some research, my SUV is not the only one that this has happened. It seems Ford Explorer with an ecoboost engine have this issue. 2017 Ford explore with an ecoboost engine-engine long block and retesting (verified concern and performed diagnosis, found coolant bottle empty and engine to not crank but when turning key the engine attempts to crank but stops, hand verified that crank shaft was locked and found hydro-locked engine due to coolant intrusion) fail $11,690. 90.

Coolant on garage floor. Researched and found common among this engine, called dealer. Said do not drive and get to dealer. Can cause engine seizure and breakdown if internal coolant leakage has started. Dealer stated they see at least one a week of this water pump problem.

At 40,000 miles my head gasket failed, causing the engine to have to be replaced. This has now happened again at 112,000 miles. In reading on line, this is a common problem for the design of this engine. How can a car engine have to be replaced twice? this seems to be a significant design flaw and safety issue.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made an abnormal clunking sound, went into limp mode, and failed to exceed 25 mph. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact shifted to reverse(r), but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact called the independent mechanic whom the vehicle was purchased from, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with catastrophic transmission damage. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. There was no warranty coverage on the vehicle for the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

The engine block (2. 3l ecoboost) has a coolant intrusion into cylinder 3 causing it to miss fire and overheat. This problem almost left my wife and child stranded on the side of the road. If she hadn't had a safe place to pull over to allow the vehicle to cool down it could have had a catastrophic failure while driving. The dealer pressure tested the coolant system and showed leak in the coolant system. They then removed the number 3 spark plug and scoped the cylinder finding coolant inside cylinder. This coolant leak caused the miss fire and the overheating. Prior to failure the only thing that happened was that the number 3 cylinder had a miss fire. At this time the spark plugs and ingnition coil pack was replaced only to have the problem start up again a few days later. The number 3 and 4 ignition coil pack was then switched and codes cleared. The miss fire for number 3 then showed up again. At this time we set an appointment up with the dealer to look at the issue. Two days before the apointment the engine overheated. We were able to get the vehilce to the dealer and they diagnosed the coolant intrusion into the number 3 cylinder. Prior to the over heat the only warning was the miss fire for number 3 cylinder. No other warnings or codes were available for the engine. Upon researching this issue I found that it was a known issue and that Ford had an extended powertrain warranty for some customers under the customer satisfaction program. However, upon contacting Ford they said that my vehicle was not listed as a candadate for this extended warranty option.

I was driving my 2017 Ford Explorer on 10/14/22 and the engine started shaking aggressively randomly. So, I took it to our local mechanic shop . They said that from the engine shaking, it had broken the engine mounts, and it had an internal problem. I had paid $200 to fix the engine mount. So, they had a service bulletin and said Ford should fix it for free because it’s a known problem. They had provided me with the service bulletin 22-2287. My husband took the copy of the bulletin to Ford, and brought the car. Explained that it already had other recalls on it that needed to be fixed and showed him the service bulletin. He asked if it would be covered and the guy said “it should be”. Then, we proceed to get a call the next day that it’s not covered because it hasn’t “officially” been recalled and it would be$4200 to fix. Even though the engine is going to ruin the parts in a few years because it’s the engine causing the other parts to overheat. So, I told them I wanted to get a second opinon, and they charged me “diagnostic fee” of $213. 76, even tho they told my husband the diagnostic fee if it wasn’t covered would be $80. So, after months of fighting Ford to make things right,I had the car towed to a local transmission shop , and had them repair it for 4,655. . I go to pick it up, and it’s still shaking. So bring it back, and they fix it again, well, it’ still not fixed. Then, they fix it again, and I pick it up, the transmission isn’t running correctly. I have been without a working car since 10/14/22. So, now they are fixing it again and putting another brand new transmission in. Ford needs to be held responsible. This is a known issue, and could lead to someone getting into a terrible accident when the engine falls through the car, and could kill someone. The engine itself it heating up other components of the car, and ruining it. As of today, 02/27/2025 the transmission is starting to have problems again! when I am driving and come to a stop it wont accelerate.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered that there was coolant underneath the vehicle inside the garage at the residence. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

Check engine light came on while driving on highway. I had a obd reader with me and plugged it in. Came back with a cylinder misfire. Took it to a local mechanic to get new plugs and coils. Mechanic cleared the code but the light came back on. I took it to another mechanic that I trust who found coolant in the oil due to cracked heads. Mechanic gave me information about this 3. 5l motor being known to have this problem to take back to dealer. 3 months of waiting and having to argue that despite being out of warranty, they knew this motor was bad and should replace it. Ford finally put a new motor in. Drove for 6 more months and just had the check engine light come back. Cylinder misfire again. They shouldn't be allowed to sell this motor knowing that it can leave people stranded. This is criminal. Will never buy a Ford again. They know this motor is trash but keep letting unsuspecting consumers foot the bill be cause they assume it's a one off. Shame!.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her sister was operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the long block engine was faulty and needed to be replaced, due to excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 97,575.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the vehicle began vibrating abnormally, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle stalled and the contact was forced to park on the side of the road to attempt to restart the vehicle. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was coolant intrusion into engine, which caused damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the engine overheated. The contact turned off the vehicle and waited for the engine to cool down before continuing to drive. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the water pump was leaking. The mechanic informed the contact that it was a known failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 108,435.