Body Problems of Ford Explorer - part 1

The lift gate glass shattered / exploded while sitting at a red light.

See all problems of the 2017 Ford Explorer 🔎.

I went to open my hatch and the bolts have completely rusted through to the point of detaching the rear hatch/trunk on the left side due to rust corrosion. Car is in a shop but I am told this might be a Ford defect. I have had multiple people tell me of huge rust issues from the rack into the rear trunk/hatch door.

I was driving on the highway and I heard a loud bang , with grinding and a jerk I assumed the rear axel or differential something in the rear area along with smoke and I was able to swerve to the side of the highway along the grass and jump out with my kids multiple cars where behind me but I turned on my emergency lights & got out just in time before causing a accident , this is all tied to a recall that’s been fixed twice now here we are a third time and it’s back again at Ford dealership.

See all problems of the 2020 Ford Explorer 🔎.

2016 Ford Explorer exterior a-pillar & b-pillar applique trim clip this may result in the b-pillar trim appliques detaching while driving. A b-pillar trim applique that detaches while driving can create a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash. The problem been confirmed by a Ford dealer the vehicle has been inspected by the Ford dealership with no resolutions available!!!!?? no warnings at all before purchase of the family vehicle.

See all problems of the 2016 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Woke up one morning and noticed the b pillar almost completely detached. Called Ford dealership in musk*** mi. They told me I could pay out of pocket for labor and parts since no approved remedy is available. I’m a single mother of twins, and I cannot afford this. I need this fixed. The Ford dealership told me to duck tape it. This is dangerous and could kill someone with spring coming around the corner and motorcycles (think of all the other states that are warm enough all year round)- mi allows you to have no helmet by choice thank god nobody has brought out a bike yet and had one hit them in the face. Sounds like a lawsuit to me. It is really selfish to hold off on a remedy for greedy purposes if that is what this is just to save a buck at the cost of someone’s life. I’d hate to see someone I know get hurt. And yes I’m ticked off I have to duck tape my freaking car as well.

My VIN was removed for the a pillar recall. I received no notice as to why and my car was inspected a year ago. At that time the problem was not present. It is present now, but for some reason, my VIN has been removed. I would like to know under what conditions it was removed and by whom.

See all problems of the 2018 Ford Explorer 🔎.

I brought my 2025 Explorer in on 12/19/2025 for a recall check. I mentioned to the service advisor that the left rear inner wheel well skirt was detached from the quarter panel. After the car was looked at, he came to me and said that they can be replaced at a cost of $600. . . Wtf. He said it is from the snow and ice tearing them because of the larger tires on the vehicles now. . . . No shit . . We live in wny. This is a brand new-ish vehicle with 15,000 miles. How is this something that is my cost, there is obviously a problem with parts or engineering. Basically I will have to replace these after every winter season for the reason that was given. . . . Again. . . Why is this not covered. I regress, he did say Ford may help the first time. . . Really?? what happens the next winter and the one after that?? $40k+ for the vehicle and this.

See all problems of the 2025 Ford Explorer 🔎.

I was driving down the road and my roof driver's side roof rail flew off. The previous owner had the recall addressed in 2023. The previous dealership who fixed the vehicle glued down the rails instead of installing new screws. There is dried glue now exposed where the roof rack use to be. When contacting Ford they claim there is no resolution but for me to fix my own roof rack though it was recalled for this issue. Thankfully no one was behind me when it flew off but it could have hit someone else or damaged my window that it hit when it flew off. The passenger side is also loose and showing the dried glue as well. Ford states that since the warranty period has expired there is nothing they can do. I cannot find the roof rail on the road to put it back and have been told it is $400+ just for the part. This is a safety hazard that was supposed to be fixed and there is no telling when the next one will come off as that is loosening as well.

Loose/detached bilateral exterior c-pillar around the rear window. Both sides are lifted and very loose with the potential to cause driver to lose control if detached resulting in damage to other vehicles on the road or even a traffic collision… this is a safety defect.

See all problems of the 2011 Ford Explorer 🔎.

During a storm, our SUV had water leaking in through the top, middle of the windshield. The water soaked the dashboard controls and our heating/air system was stuck on high heat and would not turn off. It was 70° and it was extremely hot in the SUV and the windows kept fogging up making it hard to see. Our temperature controls no longer work properly.

Exterior a-pillar appliqué trim clip attachments mfr recall # 24s02 NHTSA recall # 24v031 remedy has been unavailable @local Ford dealership too long and gave been told it’s not available to them. Approximate date given for incident occurrence is not remembered and date entered is inaccurate).

See all problems of the 2014 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Roof rail brackets (snap pieces) broke off of both left and right side and roof rails fell off of car while driving.

I am filing a complaint regarding Ford recall 24502 / NHTSA recall 24v031 for my 2017 Ford police interceptor utility (explorer-based). My vehicle’s a-pillar interior trim was identified as defective under this safety recall. For nearly two years, the repair has not been completed because the dealer claims the required parts are still on backorder. In that time, the a-pillar trim on my vehicle has become loose and is now detaching while driving, which creates a dangerous condition. The loose trim vibrates, moves, and could detach completely at highway speeds, posing a safety hazard to me and other drivers. Ford and the dealership have confirmed the recall but have not provided a repair, a temporary safety fix, or a loaner vehicle. I have repeatedly contacted the dealer, and they continue to tell me that Ford has not supplied the part. Because this is a federally mandated safety recall and the defect is actively creating a crash risk, I am requesting that NHTSA investigate Ford’s failure to provide parts or a remedy within a reasonable timeframe. This is an unresolved safety hazard, and Ford has not provided a solution.

Dashboard not attached to frame. Clips intended to attach dashboard to frame are defective (cracked in half). Air bags may be affected (either won't deploy or will deploy on their own). Service dept. At Ford dealership says this is the first case they've seen and repairing it would cost $$$. This vehicle has been regularly maintained and has 0 history of accidents. It is unknown if this defect has existed from the date the car was purchase(or earlier).

See all problems of the 2021 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Pillar molding driver side.

See all problems of the 2013 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The recall campaign from Jan 19,2024 manufacturer recall number24s02 NHTSA recall number24v031 has been open since 2024 and has not had a remedy become available. In the meantime, my passenger side pillar has become detached, as warned in the recall. Rain leaks into my car and causes visibility issues. This is worrisome because I do have three young children, one in a car seat right behind the passenger side. In addition, the second recall,oct 13,2025 manufacturer recall number25sa9 NHTSA recall number25v695 is also an extreme issue with my vehicle. The backup camera has malfunctioned several times, almost daily at this point. It also will not notify me of something behind me as it's intended to at times. Ford has yet to remedy either of these.

See all problems of the 2015 Ford Explorer 🔎.

1 year ago, the exterior pillar trim detached on the 202 highway in mesa, arizona while I was drivign 65 mph. It cracked another windshield. I received the recall and went in to robert horne Ford dealership. They informed me those pieces are on recall. I told them to notify me when they became available. It has been 1 1/2 years and still nothing. This week, the other side pillar trim came off, again while I was on the highway. This is dangerous. Now I feel like my windshield is not secure, as it is shaking while I am driving. The recall was announced in January of 2024. It is October of 2025. How can a company ignor the recall and simply not address explicit safety violations? NHTSA # 24v031.

Left side roof rack chrome cover came off on the freeway with no warning. It could have flown into other cars. Haven't taken to dealer yet. No inspection, the part is gone, run over by other vehicles. No symptoms prior to failure.

I called Ford about this recall in December of last year. The dealer in chico CA. I submitted a request to get it done and they keep saying Ford isn’t making them yet. I lost my piller and my car looks ugly an I just want it fixed.

We were driving and heard a loud noise but didn’t see anything hit the car. We stopped and the trim around the windshield on the passenger side had completely detached and flew off while driving.

This recall has been 1. 5 years and still does t have a remedy by Ford? part was checked by Ford dealership, they advised yep it qualifies but we don't have parts then left. That was 1 year ago.

The a pillars are coming off. Other years make and model were recalled . The a pillars on the sides should be recalled just as the front b pillars.

See all problems of the 2019 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Roof window cover/headliner has come loose and is impeding full vision to the rear of the car while the headliner is retracted.

The sunroof does not seal properly. Randomly it starts to make a clicking sound when driving. It goes away once we open and close the sunroof. The sound is only generated when moving forward at speeds 35 and above. Appears to be a loose seal.

See all problems of the 2022 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Both my a pillars have ripped off on the highway. Called Ford service center and they continue to say there are no parts available. Most recent incident was on [xxx], when my passenger side ripped off information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Trunk liftgate isn't operating. Cannot open up the trunk. Interior driver sides armrest stitching is busted.

See all problems of the 2012 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Both an and b pillars are junk and dealer inspected a pillars and said they were fine? and there’s no remedy for the b ones which is annoying. My car shakes bc of a transmission shutter at 100k miles it’s not bad but why is jt going on? and wind noise because of the pillars I’m hoping? needing help from someone.

The panoramic sunroof rolo shade has malfunctioned and is currently sagging. This condition is expected to worsen over time, potentially obstructing driver visibility or posing a safety risk due to the possibility of entrapment or flammability. The vehicle has been brought to a certified Ford dealer for inspection; however, no additional inspections have been performed by other authorities at this time. There are no warning lights or alerts displayed in the vehicle related to this issue.

Hello. From what I understand, Ford has not come up with a solution for the exterior a--pillar applique trim clip attachments. I fully believe they have abandoned this issue as its not a brand new vehicle. Well, its new to me so it fully counts and should not be abandoned. I was on the highway in st. Louis, missouri (I live right across the river in illinois) and out of nowhere, something hit my car. I swerved and almost hit a driver to my left and after that, I almost got the guy in front of me. Now this caused a massive panic attack and soon after anxiety set in. I have horrible anxiety issues and I have the prescriptions to prove it. Its so bad, I can't fall asleep and so I take another prescrption for help getting to sleep. Anyway, I got off the closest ramp ands parked to see what happened. Sure enough, the passenger side exterior a-pillar is hanging there. That's the "something that hit the car and almost caused a multi car accident. I tried to call Ford about this but I'm left with ongoing ringing. Live chat agent had no idea what I was talking about. That set me off. I had taken a screenshot of the kelly blue book website stating there was a recall, which, by the way, has been removed. Now that is extra suspicious. The kbb website stated notices were sent sometime earlier this year but I got nothing. The registration is in my name and is 100% accurate with my address and phone number are all up to date. I found no other way to contact Ford. I didn't want to file a complaint, but here we are. This is a safety issue which caused me to fall into a panic and anxiety attack. I have a witness as my husband was in that passenger seat when it happened. Like I said, I, without a single doubt, believe that Ford motors has abandoned this problem and that they don't care. This issue needs addressed now. I can't afford to go get it repaired myself as I am between jobs. If this isn't resolved, I will call my attorney for guidance.

Why is it taking Ford years to fix body molding for a recall. It would appear they are not going to comply with the recall and hope they wait long enough they can age out the vehicles and there won’t be any left. I don’t understand why n. H. T. S. A is night having Ford comply with the recall.

So for starters the visibility wipers should have a auto wiper function as in when it detects rain they will automatically come on. Well they do but they also come on at random intervals even when it’s not raining. Secondly the glove box design is horribly engineered and it falls apart by its self. My glove box flew open while driving down the road and caused me to run off the roadway with my kids in the car. Luckily my kids and I are safe and no one was hurt but something should be done about this. The tension cord that hooks to the glove box just snapped from the looks of it.

I am writing to you today with an urgent and serious safety concern regarding my 2016 Ford Explorer XLT. My vehicle is affected by the a-pillar molding inspection recall, campaign 24s02/24v031. Last week, while I was driving on the interstate, the passenger side a-pillar molding detached from my vehicle and flew off. This created an extreme safety hazard for myself and other drivers on the road. I contacted my local Ford dealership, cloninger Ford of salisbury, to have the recall addressed. They informed me that they cannot perform the repair because the necessary part is out of stock. This is a critical safety issue. The driver's side a-pillar molding is also loose and could detach at any time, posing the same risk. I have found the replacement part is available for purchase from various online retailers, which contradicts the dealership's claim of part unavailability. The recall documentation states that a detached trim piece can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash. Given that this has already occurred with my vehicle, I need an immediate and concrete solution. I am requesting a specific timeframe for when a permanent remedy will be available for recall 24s02/24v031 and when I can bring my vehicle in for the repair. The safety of myself and others on the road is at risk. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] VIN: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Exterior review side mirrors cause loud whistle noise when driving.

The a-pillar trim on the vehicle flew off after being notified that there was a recall for that part. We have contacted the dealership several times about fixing it and have gotten the same response of "there are no parts available yet. " the last time getting the vehicle serviced the dealership informed us that there were no open recalls on the vehicle. We checked on this website and found that there are no recalls that hove not been fixed. The vehicle has never been fixed for this and is currently missing the trim that was recalled.

I received a recall letter in February 2024 stating there was a recall on my vehicle and that the parts for fixing the recall were out of stock, and they should be available in the latter half of 2024. I never recieved another letter and the part of my vehicle that is recalled flew off my vehicle while driving on the highway it hit my rear passenger window and scared everyone in the vehicle the window didn't bust and I didn't realize that it was a piece of my vehicle that flew off until I got to where I was headed and seen the part missing, while we were driving I thought someone threw something out the window.