Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Ford Explorer - part 1

Engine hesitated, kept hesitating/slowing down until 2017 Ford Explorer just stopped. Towed SUV to koons Ford service center. Charged $200 for diagnostic assessment. Informed that oil/coolant mix due to water pump failure. Diagnose: replace engine long block and hardware and thermostat. Costing $11,195. 04 for job. Never mentioned what happened to cause this. At another dealership, mechanic told us of the NHTSA recall 25v685000 regarding this malfunction. Note: koons Ford has had a "history" with this SUV, only working on recalls when we push the issue. Also, requiring a $200 diagnostic charge each time the vehicle is seen. This location is where we bought the vehicle.

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Sudden catastrophic engine failure due to coolant mixing. This resulted in a safety issue due to time and location of the event. From online consumer reports this event happens just after 100,000 miles to the 2017 Ford Explorer SUV's and is a known event that Ford has not disclosed. Regular maintenance can not prevent this event and stopping the use of the vehicle only helps if it is immediate and the problem known. That Ford hasn't disclosed this possibility of failure nor suggested preventative measures is a safety concern.

I had a very serious safety failure of my 2021 Ford Explorer. On Monday, xxx my 2021 Explorer suffered an unprompted, catastrophic failure matching recall 26s48, but Ford is denying coverage based on build dates. After driving roughly 35mph, pressing the brake, and nearing a stop sign, the Explorer put itself into park. The engine compartment made noises and the vehicle continued to roll until the I quickly prompted activating the emergency brake before rolling into the intersection with heavy traffic. Even in park, the vehicle continued to roll (until the e-brake was activated). I had my [xxx] child in the vehicle with me, and thankfully nobody was injured. I had no dash warning lights, or any other signs of impending failure. I had it towed to my trusted (certified) mechanic who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the following: the transmission output shaft is sheered off, right at the parking pawl. He states this would only happen if the vehicle put itself into park, while moving. This catastrophic failure could lead to a tragic accident, and could kill somebody. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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I am writing to report a severe, inherently dangerous engineering defect regarding the internal water pump design on the 2016 Ford Explorer equipped with the 3. 5l naturally aspirated v6 engine. On September 8, 2026, my vehicle experienced a sudden, catastrophic primary seal failure of the internal water pump while operating. The vehicle immediately began dumping large quantities of engine coolant onto the ground from the designated engine block weep hole located on the lower passenger side. Because Ford engineered this specific engine with the water pump hidden entirely behind the front timing cover and driven directly by the engine's timing chain, any mechanical failure of the pump poses an immediate, severe safety risk to the driver and occupants. If the secondary pump seal fails or the weep hole becomes obstructed, coolant dumps directly into the engine crankcase, mixing with the engine oil. This sudden loss of lubrication can cause the internal pump bearings to seize rapidly, leading to the timing chain snapping or jumping tracks. The consequences of this design create two distinct, critical safety hazards:sudden engine stall at speed: a seized water pump or broken timing chain will cause an instantaneous, un-commanded engine shutdown while traveling at highway speeds. This immediately cuts off the vehicle's power steering assist and power brake booster, placing the driver at extreme risk of a high-speed collision. Passenger cabin hazmat hazard: a major coolant dump underneath the engine bay onto hot exhaust components generates blinding steam and toxic chemical fumes that can enter the vehicle’s hvac system, severely impairing driver visibility and breathing. This internal, chain-driven water pump design is a known, systemic manufacturing defect that forces vehicle owners to pay between $3,000 and $5,000 in preventative labor to fix an auxiliary cooling component before it destroys the entire engine block. I urge the NHTSA to open a formal safety investigation int.

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On several occasions when trying to drive from a stopped position I press the gas and the car will move slowly but not shift into gear and then after turning off it struggles to restart. The check engine light is solid but goes away by the next day. This has happened after sitting idling in a parking lot most often but recently it happened 2 times as I was turning left onto a street where I luckily was able to slow roll to the side and not get hit. I brought it in once for service and they struggled to find the issue for hours and eventually said pins in the fuel injector were lose and replaced but it is continuing to randomly happen.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph on the interstate, the engine light illuminated and the vehicle stopped in the middle lane. The contact was able to maneuver and coasted the vehicle over to the side of the road. The instrument panel was illuminated afterwards. The contact stated that the failure was like NHTSA action number: dp26008 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was towed by firestone and then towed to the local dealer, where the engine was replaced. The manufacturer was contacted, and two letters were sent, three emails were sent to the ceo, and two phone calls were made to Ford customer service, who opened a case, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 55,000.

At approximately 17,000 miles the Explorer started misfiring, would not shift out of gear and check engine light would flash. Dealer replaced #1 spark plug. 1 week later the car misfiring occurred again, where #4 spark plug was replaced. 18,300 miles later, #1 and #3 spark plugs were replaced due to cracked spark plugs which caused misfire. All instances happened under engine load while merging onto freeway which caused a hazard due to lack of acceleration and reduced speed while getting onto freeway.

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On approximately 09/02, I took my 2016 Ford Explorer to an authorized Ford dealership for recall-related pcm service. After the recall service was completed, I experienced additional problems with the vehicle and returned on 09/4 and I also called the same dealership that same day because I believed something was wrong following the repair. The dealership replaced the battery but did not perform additional diagnostics unless I paid out of pocket. I was unable to immediately afford those diagnostic charges, so I later sought additional diagnosis. The vehicle continued to experience drivability/electrical problems, including misfire symptoms and eventually a no-start condition. After further testing, another authorized Ford dealership diagnosed the pcm as faulty. I contacted Ford motor company because I am concerned that the recall service, programming, or work performed during the recall may have contributed to the pcm failure. Ford closed my case because the recall was marked completed and stated that my vehicle is outside its warranty period. I returned the vehicle two days after servicing dealership as the recall repair to report problems. I am requesting that this be reviewed as a possible recall-repair-related safety issue. The pcm failure and associated engine/electrical problems could affect drivability and the vehicle’s ability to operate safely. The vehicle and related repair records are available for inspection.

The water pump on these Explorers are internal and if not caught by a professional in time, the water pump will fail and cause catastrophic engine failure.

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The contact owns a 2025 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 26v122000 (engine and engine cooling). The contact scheduled an appointment at the local dealer after being notified of the recall. The dealer initially stated that the part would be available within a week, but the contact was subsequently informed that the part was on backorder and there was no estimated date when the part would be available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.

My 2018 Ford Explorer XLT 3. 5l that we bought brand new from bob bell Ford/glen burnie maryland had a water pump failure at only 72,344 miles, this was a safety concern when driving down the road that put us & others at risk. The only indication was dashboard warning that said (engine coolant over temperature)this failure happened while taking daughter to college on 8/21/26 we had to get towed to independent service center 175 miles away & repaired at the cost of $2900. 00.

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Transmission downshifts hard, jerks at take off.

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While driving down a main road, the speed limit changed from 40 to 55 mph. When the gas pedal was pushed, the car violently jerked, did not speed up, and proceeded to have a grinding sound emitting from the engine. No warning lights appeared. The grinding noise continued until the vehicle was placed in neutral and back in drive. We began looking into it and found a recall for the transmission. We contacted a local dealership and were told that they would not be able to inspect or address the issue until Ford issues a remedy (projected to be 8-11 months from now). Since then, the car has experienced harsh upshifting, hesitation with acceleration, jerking, and grinding along with significant rolling when put in park and let off the brake. We contacted Ford directly with no avail. No one has had any advice to “help” with the issue until Ford decides to issue the remedy. We have essentially been told to either park it and continue to make payments on something that is of no use, or to keep driving it and go until it stops. The concern is we have two small children and can not risk engine/transmission failure while driving down the road. The safety of our children comes before anything else, and this vehicle no longer provides safety for them.

Driving down the highway and checkengine light came on when I was headed to work. The vehicle lost power due to misfire with engine. I check the spark plugs and there is oil all over sparkplugs and the coil packs. This is a serious issue and needs to be addressed by Ford immediately, they need to put a new engine in or pay me to get this fixed.

Pursuant to recall 24s55 engine valve crack causing catastrophic damage. Misfire codes given and addressed independently giving brief changes however car reverted back to "limp" mode on major dallas hwy causing extreme safety issues. Conditions confirmed by freedom Ford greenville texas. Estimated replacement costs exceeds 14k.

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The internal timing-chain-driven water pump on my 2019 Ford Explorer sport 3. 5l ecoboost is failing. I began experiencing coolant loss and the cabin heat would turn cold while the vehicle was stopped or idling. The vehicle was professionally inspected by an independent repair facility. After diagnostic testing, the mechanic confirmed coolant leaking from the water pump weep hole and diagnosed a failing internal water pump. The water pump is located inside the engine and is driven by the timing chain. Continued failure can result in significant coolant loss, overheating, coolant entering the engine oil, and potentially severe engine damage or engine failure while driving. I am concerned about the safety risk of an unexpected loss of engine operation. The vehicle did not initially display an overheating warning despite the coolant loss and heating symptoms. The failure has been confirmed by a professional mechanic and documentation/photos of the leak and diagnosis are available upon request. Replacement requires extensive engine/timing-system disassembly and I was quoted several thousand dollars for the repair. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate internal water pump failures involving the 3. 5l engine used in these Ford Explorer vehicles.

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Exhaust manifold turbo charged cracked while driving. Exposing everyone in the vehicle to raw exhaust inside the vehicle every time it is driven. The replacement part is back ordered until September 16th from the dealership. I was told this is an extremely common issue with Ford Explorers. I don’t understand how this part is not recalled. It has slowly gotten worse and worse. No warning lamps came on. You can hear the engine or manifold rattling/ticking while the vehicle is running. The vehicle is available for inspection. I brought the vehicle to a repair shop called midas. Where I was told exactly what was wrong with it. The problem is reproduced every single time the vehicle is on. The replacement part is also not covered under Fords “emissions warranty”. Even though it is part of the emissions.

This vehicle was inspected by a certified Ford dealership (premier Ford, service advisor: harry). Ford motor company’s consumer affairs department subsequently reviewed the case under complaint xxx. In their official written response, Ford explicitly admitted the root cause, stating: "the vehicle experienced a failure to the harness for the alternator which melted due to heat from the exhaust. " information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I drove to work with no issues, lights or warnings. I parked and worked for 7 hours. Upon leaving and cranking the engine, it immediately showed overheated and went into limp mode. I drove it less than 100ft, parked and called for a tow. There was no puddles or other indications of an issue. Upon towing to the closest dealership, I was informed the oil cooler failed putting coolant into the oil and "scorching" the engine and I need an entire new engine. The dealership confirmed there wouldn't be any warning lights of this happening.

Truck turns off.

This 2026 Ford Explorer has stopped, stalled, hesitated and jerks after fuel fill-ups. It stopped twice for myself in busy intersections. The dealer has had it for weeks and when driving the vehicle back to me, stalled and hesitated for Ford service dept. Twice. They told me I could not have my car back for safety reasons.

A strong exhaust smell comes through the cabin during acceleration at speeds higher than 35 mph. Worries us for possible co2 exposure coming through if exhaust smell can come through. But Ford dealership has said it passes the recall standards. Still uneasy.

I am reporting a severe safety hazard regarding an immediate, drastic increase in fuel consumption and erratic fuel range calculations following a manufacturer recall repair. My 2025 Ford Explorer st-line was operating perfectly until a Ford mobile service technician performed safety recall 26s21 (ipma reset). According to official Ford manufacturer specifications, this SUV has an expected driving range of up to 501 miles on a full 17. 9-gallon tank of fuel. However, immediately following this software update, the vehicle's total driving range drastically dropped. On a 100% full tank of gasoline, the dashboard's "distance to empty" (dte) display now only reads 316 miles left to empty—nearly 200 miles below the manufacturer's expected capability. Furthermore, during a subsequent continuous, short 1. 8-mile drive near my residence with no stop-and-go traffic, the dte display rapidly plummeted from 15 miles down to 5 miles remaining, dropping visibly every two seconds. The vehicle is physically burning through gasoline at an accelerated, unsafe rate. This creates an immediate safety risk. If the vehicle is suffering from an uncalibrated software glitch in the powertrain/fuel modules due to the recall update, or if the procedure triggered a mechanical fault, the vehicle is at high risk of a sudden highway stall or leaving the driver stranded in live traffic due to inaccurate fuel signaling. I request that NHTSA look into whether the software installation process for recall 26s21 can corrupt engine/fuel management maps or trigger fuel delivery faults on the 2. 3l ecoboost platform.

Recall compliance & safety defect description: the vehicle was transported via roadside assistance to a licensed manufacturer dealership due to severe engine overheating under an active manufacturer safety recall. Service personnel systematically modified intake paperwork to alter the true mechanical state upon arrival, removing safety recall and towing documentation. Intake files were falsified with the notation stating that the customer reported a bad battery, executed solely to evade mandatory factory safety recall tracking protocols and obscure dealer liability for subsequent failures. Unauthorized shop-floor hazards & mechanical damage: following custody transfer, shop technicians induced severe physical damage to the vehicle's twin-turbocharger assembly, resulting in a snapped turbo stud and a torn engine air filter. The vehicle was subsequently operated on public roads by shop personnel for 75 to 80 unauthorized miles under active engine overheating conditions without correcting thermal or safety recall failures, creating an immediate risk of catastrophic engine block structural cracking. The safety failures triggered 13 critical system fault codes across powertrain, electrical, and battery systems, which went entirely unaddressed while the shop attempted to compel payment under an altered repair estimate. Cyber sabotage of outbound safety telematics: to actively obstruct diagnostic tracking and safety verification, shop staff executed a forced remote network reset of the vehicle's cellular modem. This reset deliberately severed user profile access and entirely deactivated the outbound telematics pipeline to systematically block the outbound transmission of the 13 powertrain and thermal fault messages to the user and manufacturer databases.

While driving at highway speed on a 2-lane highway with three children under the age of [xxx] in the vehicle, my 2018 Ford Explorer experienced sudden complete engine failure with no prior warning. No warning lights, no temperature gauge change, no unusual sounds. The vehicle went from operating normally to catastrophic failure instantaneously, forcing me to sharply cross active traffic to exit the roadway. The vehicle came to rest near a train track. The root cause was internal water pump failure. Ford's design places the water pump inside the engine, causing coolant to leak internally with no external indicators and no dashboard warning until catastrophic damage has already occurred. Ford did not install a coolant level sensor in the reservoir, and the only coolant warning available is an overheating alert, which never triggered. I had taken every reasonable precaution. Two thousand miles prior, an oil change showed no coolant contamination. One week prior, I physically checked the coolant level and it was within safe range. Ford's design gave me zero opportunity to detect or prevent this failure. This is a known recurring issue. Over 86 engine complaints have been filed with NHTSA for this model year alone and Ford has been aware of this defect since at least 2007. Despite class action litigation in both canada and the united states, Ford has not issued a u. S. Recall. Repair costs exceed $9,000. I am requesting NHTSA open a formal investigation and compel Ford to issue a u. S. Recall. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The check engine light was on. A Ford dealership diagnosed the issue as a coolant intrusion manufacturer defect. There are a number of safety concerns associated with this issue. The primary danger of the coolant intrusion defect is catastrophic engine failure. Severe overheating, internal damage, misfires, fire hazard and oil contamination. There are no active recalls\campaigns\TSB for 2022 Ford Explorer XLT 2. 3l ecoboost engine. The car is available for inspection. Although, the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police or insurance agent, the issue was presented to Ford and a claim was submitted to the insurance company that services my mechanical breakdown insurance. So far the insurance company is not authorizing the work without an engine breakdown. They are not excepting the p0300 and p0316 code or the results of a barascope and other test. The Ford corporation will not provide a written statement that confirms the dealerships diagnosis is accurate. Some doctrine that states the engine long block had to be replaced to fix the coolant intrusion defect. Ford has recalled coolant intrusion issues on other engine models. I requested a formal tiered goodwill review based on the miller v. Ford framework and resolution terms. Since the service center’s portal does not display an automatic, VIN-specific internal factory code for a long block replacement. The request was denied. While the miller v. Ford litigation established corporate accountability for structural block and cylinder coolant intrusion faults in 2. 0l blocks, my 2022 2. 3l engine shares a highly similar open-deck block geometry and suffers from the exact same systemic coolant failure. Furthermore, Ford has acknowledged manufacturing line coolant and block defects on 2021–2023 2. 3l engines through customer satisfaction programs 23b42 and 23b08. Yet there are no recalls associated with my VIN.

While stopped at a stop sign my engine suddenly died, before restarting a low oil pressure light came on but went out immediately. I was approximately 40 miles from home when I got to my destination. The car was showing no signs of issues, no warning lights or errors. When I went back out to start it and head home it would not start. I had to pay additional expense beyond my insurance road side coverage due to the distance. I have had an independent mechanic going over the vehicle since it died. Starter has been replaced because it appeared to be the issue. (the original was bad) once replaced while attempting to start it he found out the engine had locked up. I bought the vehicle March 30, 2026 & this happened on June 10, 2026. The vehicle had 132,344 miles on it when bought and 135,716 when it seized up. After looking through other reports I have found this to be a reported issue.

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My vehicles transmission has been replaced 2 times already (3 years apart)- now it is overheating. Absolutely no warning lights have came on at any time in regards to any of my situations - my vehicle is available for inspection at any time. When the transmission went in my vehicle, I was traveling on an interstate with my child. The dealer has confirmed replaced the transmission as it was still under the 5 year warranty - my vehicle is set to go back into the shop today to be inspected as to why it is overheating.

Stalling in mid traffic. I was told it is poor quality of timing components. The vehicle has less than 200,000 miles and has had routine maintenance as it was a police investigation car.

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Transmission with known defects failed at 72,000 miles under normal driving circumstances and a vehicle only six years old.

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at 55 mph, the vehicle was driving unusually rough and the vehicle stalled. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to stall as intended. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed low pressure fuel pump. The contact was informed that the low pressure fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact referenced a recall, NHTSA campaign number: 25v455000 (fuel system,gasoline) however the contact's VIN was not associated. The failure mileage was approximately 64,598.

See attached document for complaint.

Description on your vehicle, it may be possible that one or more engine camshaft roller finger followers were not properly installed at the time of engine assembly. Safety risk an improperly installed engine camshaft roller finger follower may result in engine failure, resulting in a no-start condition or a loss of motive power. A loss of motive power increases the risk of a crash. Your vehicle may also experience engine ticking or tapping noise, and or a low-volume oil leak due to this condition. Remedy a remedy is not yet available. Ford motor company is working to provide parts for this repair. When the remedy becomes available, Ford motor company will notify you via mail to schedule a service appointment with your dealer for repairs to be completed free of charge. The remedy is anticipated to be available 4th quarter of 2026. Next steps contact your dealer for more information to schedule the free service.

Unknown! sometimes the rear back up camera goes into a black screen and then once in drive the info screens stays black for about 30 seconds. The cars shifting is hard at times especially when going from slow to fast like for instance on a highway on ramp the shifting is very sluggish. The cupholder are a real hazard my cupholder bottomed out and my drink fell thru luckily there was no liquid in the cup otherwise it could have spilled into the electrical since it is right where the gear shift is. The the car not accelarating is dangerous when you trying to get on the highway. Rear camera going blank sometimes and not being able to see whats behind you even when looking around you just can not see the blindspot which the camera could if it would not go black sometimes. If the car does not shift right when it is supposed to makes it really hard to go with flow of traffic on the highway. There never have been any warning lamps, message or anything else during these incidents and it does not happen all the time but when it does it is not safe.

I noticed fluid on the driveway. I scheduled a diagnostic about a week later began hearing a grinding noise. Took it in for repairs and was told the transmission cooler failed which led to fluid leaks from the inlet and outlet tubes where they connect to the unit. The leak caused the transmission to run dry and result in complete failure. There have been recalls specifically targeting transmission fluid leaks in certain 2020 Ford Explorers. The recall should be expanded to include this model as well.