Front Suspension Control Arm Problems of Ford Explorer

In less than a month time the control arms and back tie rod ends snapped completely while just driving on normal flat roads. Costing $1,000's in damage repairs . The whole back end gave out swerving my whole vehicle while I had children in it.

See all problems of the 2015 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Tl the contact owns a 1997 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the vehicle started to shake abnormally, the contact was unable to drive in 4 wheel drive. The contact stated the check gauge warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with the front drive shaft, the control arms, the front oxygen sensor, and the front and rear brakes needing to be replaced. The control arms were replaced however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.

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My son was driving and made a u turn on a city street and during the end of the u turn the passenger control arm snapped nearest to the wheel. The car did not hit a curb or run over anything to cause the break. The local police dept, tow truck driver and myself inspected the area and there was nothing that was "hit" to cause this. Once the mechanic was able to look at the control arm when it was on the hoist they pointed out to us that the metal control arm was defective when it was cast or wasn't fabricated correctly. The metal was less dense and more hollow on one side of the break than the other side. The break was a clean break without jagged edges. This was the cause of the broken control arm. We where lucky since my son drives the freeway at 65mph speeds almost on a daily basis and if this front control arm broke at those speeds he would have lost control of his car and cause a major accident and there could have been a loss of life. We had routine maintenance work done on the car in October and the mechanic said he saw nothing wrong with the car then and suggested that since the driver side control arm was also an original part and probably cast at the same time and using the same methods that it was only a matter of time before the driver side control arm gave out similarly. We opted to pay the added cost to replace both front control arms since our son's safety is paramount.

See all problems of the 2011 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Tl- the contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer and stated that the driver front wheel detached due to the control arm corroded through and called elder Ford dealer, 777 john r rd, troy, mi 48083, (248) 825-8646) and advised to schedule an appointment. The vehicle was later taken to and independent mechanic and was diagnosed that the metal of the upper control arm was not a good metal and the control arm corroded through and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000. Aw.

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Vehicle was traveling at approximately 45 mph on a smooth strait stretch of road when a loud back was heard and a sudden loss of steering resulting in striking the curb as it came to a stop. Upon inspection it appears the lower control arm failed just before the balljoint and had broken in half. This appears it's an issue across a range if Explorers that utilize the same control arm.

See all problems of the 2018 Ford Explorer 🔎.

After leaving my community property with my 2015 Ford Explorer, I turned left at approximately 5-15 miles per hour and suddenly I heard a clank/scrape and lost control of vehicle (image 1). See scrap on cement where vehicle control was lost in the street. Vehicle stopped at end of skid marks (image 2). After turning left (east) , I immediately lost control of vehicle where orange van is located, which is believed due to axle break (image 2). After losing control, vehicle veered left towards curve. I continued to fight for control and vehicle hit the curve while vehicle was headed between two trees towards homes. Fortunately, I was able to momentarily gain control before vehicle went down embankment and return vehicle to main road. See skid marks. My vehicle only had 75,038 miles. The Ford dealership said that my control arm broke which caused the incident. However, they would not take responsibility of the repair.

When it accelerate 0 to 60 it feels like trembles, even when it passes 60 mph it feels. If you active the over drive it feels iven more. . . I replace the tires, brakes , control arm, motor mount. The mechanic check everything. So the only rest for check is the rack and pinion the hall thing. The Explorer is in very good condition.

See all problems of the 2012 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Right front axle/control arm failing (snapped cleanly in 2) 3 times within 2 years. First time may have been subsequent to low speed front end collision. Second & third times driving less than 25 mph with no collision until after hearing the snap & subsequent loss of steering. Second time failure occurred while accelerating from a full stop & turning left on a city street. Third time I'd been driving straight approximately half a mile on a city street with speed no greater than 25 mph. Last two replacement/repair done by progressive insurance certified repair facility.

When turning leaving a shopping center on a main road at ~30 mph, heard loud pop sound and car immediately stopped moving. Car would not move and needed to be towed. Upon inspection the lower control arm broke next to ball joint. Car currently has little over 2000 miles. The police did respond to the incident to assist in guiding traffic and securing a tow truck. Currently the vehicle is at the dealer waiting further assessment. It appears the control arm has a weak point in the structure. In reviewing internet post the arm appears to break in the same place from early and late model years of the new body style Explorer. The car was never taken off main roads, and there is no other damage to wheel (shown in photo). I have major concerns this appears to be a issue with Explorer models and if on a highway would cause possible loss of life. We are lucky that the car was not going faster and in traffic when this event happed.

Stopped in the street to do a u-turn, started my turn and lost steering. Drove into a curb, got out of the car and discovered the lower control arm had snapped in half.

Tl the contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. While driving approximately 30 mph, the contact heard an explosion coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle then stalled without warning. In addition, the front passenger side control arm detached, which caused the passenger tire to explode. The vehicle was towed to a towing lot. The vehicle was later taken to penske Ford collision center (8970 la mesa blvd, la mesa, CA 91942, (619) 464-7777) where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and stated that they were not responsible for the failure and advised the contact to work it out the best he could. No further assistance was offered. The approximate failure mileage was 11,000.

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. While driving approximately 15 mph, the contact heard an abnormal noise coming from the front passenger side. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact got out to observe the vehicle and noticed that the lower control arm was detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to gus machado Ford (1200 w 49th st, hialeah, FL 33012) where it was diagnosed that the lower control arm and wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

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The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. While driving approximately 35 mph, the contact lost control of the steering wheel and the brakes started to squeak and then locked up. The vehicle shifted into oncoming traffic, but no crash occurred. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to frank fletcher Ford Lincoln (3015 turkey creek rd, joplin mo 64801, phone number: (417) 623-5660) where it was diagnosed that the control arm detached due to the contact hitting something with the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

See all problems of the 2014 Ford Explorer 🔎.

While driving vehicle on highway, lost control and was barley able to stop truck after right lower control arm broke in half. Ball joint was also completely out of socket. I don't see how something this dangerous and unsafe can happen while driving.

When driving on a highway at approximately 70mph, I completely lost control of my vehicle for no known reason. I veered across 3 lanes of traffic and back across 2 more. Cars were swerving around me and miraculously I was not in an accident. I pulled over to the side of the road and other cars traveling behind me at the time did too. We couldn't see any reason why the car wasn't working properly so after catching my breath, I tried to get back on the road. I could feel my car intermittently "slipping". It felt as though it was losing traction and I was losing control and not able to steer. I ultimately pulled over and called a towtruck as I knew my vehicle was unsafe to drive. The tow truck driver saw that my rear tires were completely bald only on the inside. My car had 27,000miles on it at the time. I replaced the back 2 tires that day. And the front 2 the following day. 2 weeks later, my car was not driving properly and I brought it into a local Ford dealership for service. They performed a diagnostic. They told me my rear suspension was a mess, the uppercontrol arm needed to be replaced, the bushings on my back right wheel were lose and had a lot of play and that none of this was covered under my b2b warranty because the right rear tow link was bent and the weddings were lose. Also, the tires I put on 2 weeks ago were stripped bald on the insides again and needed tombs replaced. My car has never been in an accident. Ford recalled 75,000 explores made in 2014-15 due to faulty rear suspension from improper welding of tow links. I believe my car is a demonstration that this is still an ongoing manufacturer issue with these vehicles and I want to properly report it so that other young mothers do not have the same dangerous encounter that I had.

See all problems of the 2016 Ford Explorer 🔎.

On September 17, 2015 picked my daughter up from swim practice at 5:50 pm then we went to pick her friend upr and went on 220 towards mill hall to drop them off at a football game, while on high way smelled an awful smell, thought it was car in front of me, we proceeded to mill hall exit where we got off and took them to central mountain middle school dropped them off to a football game and proceeded through parking lot which is 5 mph or less and at approximately 6:16 pm my car locked up skidded over to curb and hit that a couple times and then across the parking lot where it stopped half in middle of road. I waited 4 hours for a tow truck which as towed to Ford garage, next day state police looked at my car before anyone else and definitely a faulty lower control arm which snapped off. . On September 23, 2015 Ford garage called said Ford is not going to pay for my car or look at it and I need to call into my insurance company.

Vehicle was traveling approximately 30-35 mph down a road with no pot holes when the front right lower control arm broke in half. Vehicle lost control and pulled to the right bringing the vehicle into the street curb. Damage to the fender, tire, wheel, cv joint, and other associated parts reported. Ford denies warranty claim.

To avoid hitting another vehicle that illegally came into the lane I was entering (they were driving on the shoulder), I had to take evasive action, which caused me to turn my vehicle into a curb. At the time, I was traveling 15 to maybe 20 mph. After hitting the curb, my vehicle came to a stop and upon inspection I discovered that the lower control arm had completely broken in half. My vehicle was towed to a local dealership, where they subsequently serviced the vehicle, which I picked up on March 15, 2014. However, within 100 miles of driving, multiple system errors occurred, and my steering went out. The dealership is now saying there was apparently an issue with the steering gear assembly, and that they will be able to further diagnose upon replacing that part. My concern is the safety of the vehicle and specifically that I do not think a control arm should snap in half at that speed, particularly in a SUV that has an upgraded suspension as part of the trim package.

The contact rented a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph, a loud explosive noise was emitted as the front passenger's side of the vehicle collapsed. The contact inspected the vehicle and discovered that the front axle had become separated from the transfer case. The shaft had also rotated and caused damage to the passenger¿s side upper control arm. The vehicle was towed to the rental company for further inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure and current mileage was 13,000.

After hearing several different noises coming from the Explorer, I took it in to have it checked out. I was told that the front struts were broken and needed replaced. I paid to have those replaced. After leaving, I continued to hear a second noise. I took the vehicle back to have it checked out again. I was told that they couldn't find any problem. After another week I didn't hear the noise anymore. I then started having problems with a chugging occurring in the engine. While having this serviced, I was told that the rear springs were broken and the struts also need replaced. The first estimate for the rear springs and struts was $780! so far on the 2002 Explorer I have had to have the transmission rebuilt (50k miles), od sensor replaced (45k miles), abs sensor replaced (45k miles), rear control arm replaced (75k miles), front struts (78k miles), and rear latch replaced (recall). The emergency brake (75k miles) also needed replaced. When the control arm was replaced, the emergency brake crumbled apart. I was told by the dealership that I am luckily the broken spring did not pierce the tire and cause a blowout. The springs/struts and the transmission are common problems and should be recalled. Between paying out of pocket and the issues covered by an after market warranty, over $5000 have been spent on a vehicle 7 years old with only 79000 miles. This vehicle has never towed anything or been driven off road.

See all problems of the 2002 Ford Explorer 🔎.

I have had the control arms bolts on both sides of the vehicle now loosened up sufficiently enough to cause the vehicle to swerve suddenly when braking. Fortunately was able to control vehicle. The left side failed first now the right side. Extremely dangerous and I was lucky I was able to react to avoid hitting cars next to me.

See all problems of the 2006 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The upper ball joints and lower ball joints were warped.

See all problems of the 1998 Ford Explorer 🔎.

While driving at highway speeds consumer lost control of vehicle. Dealer was contacted, and stated ball joints needed to be replaced. Please provide further details.

See all problems of the 1999 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The truck's ball joint and suspension was lose starting at 30,000 miles. Replaced 10 months later by dealer. Truck difficult to control during this time, but we thought it was the recalled tires.

Front ball joints are wearing excessively due to a lack of lubricant. New ball joints do not require lubrication. Mechanic refuses to replace old ball joints with newer ball joints.

Left front tire fell out. Consumer thought that tire had exploded. The left front tire became loose due to the front upper ball joint bolt failure.

See all problems of the 2001 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Ball joints should last for 100,000 miles this along with the tires in question should make you look at Ford for the current tire failures . If I had not went to firestone to get the tires checked I would have had a blowout on the front and blamed it on the tires. I took the car to a Ford dealer and they told me that it was not there problem that the ball joints are bad but at this time I am dealing with Ford motor CO. To get the situation resolved. ( dot number: tire size: p235/75/15 ).

Ball joints again on 3/15/02.

Consumer stated problems with the ball joints. Manufacture was contacted and stated that they will pass the information to the engenieers but has been 8 days and he has not heard about them. The rubber boots fell apart causing dirt and water to enter the ball joints. Consumer is aware of other complaints on the internet regarding this condition. However a month has pasted and consumer has yet to hear from manufacture.

See all problems of the 1996 Ford Explorer 🔎.