Front Suspension Wheel Bearing Problems of Ford Explorer - part 1

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v093000 (seat belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was leaking oil near the front wheels. Additionally, the vehicle was shaking while driving at various speeds. The contact stated that the rear seat belts failed to secure the passengers. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the right and left bearings were leaking oil and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that there were no additional recalls on the VIN. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

See all problems of the 2020 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side door panel had started to detach from the body of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that while driving at highway speeds, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the rear wheel bearing needed to be replaced. The dealer repaired the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light later was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the contact was informed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

See all problems of the 2014 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Driving on nys thruway at 70 mph. Roadway dry, weather is clear, dry and sunny. Suddenly and without any warning signs the vehicle violently lurched to the left, right, sideways, etc. The car was unable to be steered and was completely out of the driver's control and not responding to any input. This repeated itself until the car scrubbed speed and ended up on the road shoulder. Luckily there were no other vehicles on our side or following closely behind when the wild ride occurred. We are also fortunate that the car didn't roll over during the sideways movements- it came close to it. At this point the car's steering wobble was so severe that it was impossible to operate. The car was towed to our local Ford dealer and upon examination it was determined that the rear suspension toe link had snapped causing the knuckle and wheel bearing to shift which then caused the incident. The Ford people could offer no explanation as to the cause of this catastrophic failure. This exact failure is addressed in NHTSA campaign #16v245 and was subject to Ford recall #16s18 in April 2016. The recall applied to 2014 Explorers- mine is a 2013. This car has been repaired at my expense ($1600) but I will not drive it again. There exist a potentially fatal flaw with these vehicles and we consider ourselves fortunate to escape with no injury or worse. In researching I found a youtube video of "out of control SUV on interstate" (Ford Explorer)which accurately portrays what happened to us! please contact me if you need any further information regarding this incident.

See all problems of the 2013 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Explorer. While driving 35 mph, the front passenger wheel seized and caused the contact to head towards oncoming traffic. There was no crash involved. The vehicle was not able to be driven and was towed. It was diagnosed that the front passenger side wheel bearing disintegrated. The vehicle was repaired and the wheel bearing was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 128,600.

See all problems of the 2001 Ford Explorer 🔎.

2003 Ford Explorer. Consumer writes in regard to malfunction to company's rear wheel bearing.

See all problems of the 2003 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. While the vehicle was at a local dealer for routine service, the front wheel bearings and hub assemblies were replaced. After the repairs, the contact heard an abnormal noise coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the front wheel bearings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. While driving 60 mph, the front driver side wheel detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the front wheel bearings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.

See all problems of the 2002 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Air bag wiring harness to short : every time you move the seat the air bag light would come on $683. 00 repair service technical service bulletin from Ford no compensation for repairs miles 22,000. Front wheel bearing failure left and right 60,000 miles. Rear spring failure 75000 miles front spring failure 75000 miles. Fuel tank registers 1/4 tank when tank is empty 45000 miles transmission cellinoid failure 28000 miles and 800000 miles heater control module 70000 miles. Intake leak 80000 miles. Rear wheel bearing and axle seals 100,000 miles. Other than that great car. If Ford cared about its customer it would have fixed the transmission problems they had six flaws from day one of production from 1990 ---- why Ford if you had a real transmission it would make up for all the other failure built into this car. You make great real trucks like the f150 other than that your entire fleet is junk.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. While driving various speeds, an exhaust odor emitted inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the brakes, wheel bearing, and fuel sending unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, a month later, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but the cause of the failure was undetermined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.

The rear suspension is broken on either side of vehicle, the rear passenger side bearings were replaced, now the drivers rear wheel bearings are shot.

Every since we've fiananced this lousy SUV 08/2012 we've had a clicking noise from the rear and still cant figured out what that is,but the transmission has been slipping and shifting hard,we have replace front left wheel bearing and abs sensor just a few months ago and the bearing is bad again and the front right wheel has a bad ball joint and the visibility thru windshield is horrible,always have a hard time seeing, cna only see a few inches ahead!!! this car needs serious recalls the air conditioner stopped working in less then a yr!!! and we bought this car with only 68,506 miles!! we already spend over a grand for a fuel pump!!! this car sucks!!! plz help we still owe thousands and everytime we blink an eye it's not safe to drive because of wheel problems!!!!.

See all problems of the 2004 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Both front wheel bearings failed and caused damage to front axle that needed to be rebuilt.

See all problems of the 2008 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Cpsc#i12a0111a. 2001 Ford Explorer. Consumer stated that a day after she brought the car it broke down. The consumer stated there was a problem with the engine, as well as a hole in gas tank, which had rusted out, the bearings needed to be replaced, the tire were dry rotted, as they kept going flat, the driver's door did not lock, the rear doors did not open from the inside, the rear driver's door did not open at all, the outside handle was broke, the rear hatch would not close, and most of the time it had to be slammed shut.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the front and rear wheel bearings deteriorated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the rear driver's side and the rear passenger's side wheel bearings on two occasions. The remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that there was an abnormal noise coming from the front and the rear of the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

My personal vehicle is a 2008 Ford Explorer that has been diagnosed with multiple wheel bearing failure. I work for a Ford dealership and we have had multiple model wheel bearing failure. . . Mostly on SUV I. E explorer,edge,mountaineer,mkx. . . Have worked here for 20 years and have never seen this amount of wheel bearing failure, most of these failures are on vehicle that are less then five years old and not high mileage. . . When left go and not repaired,these wheel bearings which start out as being noisey, can quickly lead to failure which could result in wheel seperation from axle. . . . . . I feel this should be investigated before any fatalities are involved. . . .

My name is[xxx] and I own a 2002 Ford Explorer XLT (v6). I have owned it for almost a year now (will be in Jan 2012) and loved every minute of it until recently. About 4 months ago, I heard a strange loud whining noise. I immediately took it to my mechanic and found that rear wheel bearing was going. I was also told that if I would have took the interstate to work that evening I could have possibly died or caused serious injuries to others on road. Very scary! mind you this bearing went with no warning. Immediately after I heard the noise I took it in. Well the bearing got fixed and I couldn't have been happier. However, about a month ago I was on the interstate with my two year old daughter doing about 70mph when my truck began to shake violently. I assumed I was in the process of having a tire blow-out and began slowly breaking and losing control of the vehicle. Luckily I made it onto the shoulder of the interstate. My tire however was not as lucky. All 5 studs on my right rear tire snapped causing the tire to completely fly off and proceed down the road at a fast speed just passing the turn ramp and missing several other vehicles. In the process of losing the tire, it also caused damage to rear end of my SUV. It looked as if the tire got caught and caused the rear to dent in. Replaced studs and everything seemed fine. Today (Dec. 15th) not even an entire month later, vehicle started shaking again. Oh how I remembered that scary shake. Examined tire and once again, studs snapped. 2 this time with a third one missing the cap. The tire was only held by 2 studs. Thank the lord I noticed this problem before going onto the interstate and once again having my tire fly off! I have been doing research this evening to find that this is a common problem with the 02-04 Explorers. Please make a recall Ford and others help me to get one made! this is a scary and dangerous situation! it can cause the loss of many lives as it has almost done mine and my daughters. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I recently had the dealer install 2 new rear wheel bearings (2nd time in 2 years) and was told that both rear springs are broken. I was told that the broken pieces can come out while driving and puncture the tire. I did an internet search and found over 100 complaints of the same broken springs on other Explorers.

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Explorer. While driving approximately 80 mph, a loud noise emitted outside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front wheel bearing hub assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred 30 miles later. The vehicle was repaired a second time. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

2003 Ford Explorer front wheel bearings make a loud grinding sound. Common problem in all 2003 Ford Explorers. It ground down the wheel lugs from the inside and the tire came off on the freeway doing 60mph. The rotors got eaten up on the inside too. Ford needs to address this issue before someone gets killed.

My 2003 Ford Explorer has only 70,000 miles on it and three out of the four wheel bearings have had to be replaced, at a total cost of over $1,100. The mechanic told me that this could cause a dangerous situation such as abnormal tire wear or the wheel coming off during driving. This potentially unsafe situation warrants a recall by Ford.

Rear springs both cracked-front & rear wheel bearings bad needed to be replaced Ford should recall these vehicles before someone seriously if not already has been hurt or killed in an accident.

Left rear "permanently sealed" wheel bearing failure.

The front bearings on my 2003 Ford Explorer have gone out in the past two weeks. The vehicle has 75,000 miles on it. The car stopped steering and I had a very difficult time driving it to the nearest repair station. Had I been on the highway it would have been a disaster. The right front bearing went at the beginning of the month and the left at the end of the month. The mechanics that worked on the vehicle stated that they see many of these. Additionally we had to replace the rear strut assembly since the spring actually snapped. This too was familiar to the mechanic. When researching this issue I have found that many owners have the same problems. The mechanics I have spoken to stated that wheel bearings should not go that soon and that this is a hazard that should be fixed.

Rear wheel bearing on my 2004 Explorer were bad and on one side the wheel bearing was so bad that the rotor was moving with no effort to move it and the SUV only had 76,000 miles on it.

2002 Ford Explorer. Wheels nearly fell off due to faulty wheel bearings. Needed replaced at only 70,000 miles. A recall is needed for public safety.

Took the truck into have a vibration and noise checked out coming from the rear of the vehicle. Turned out to be a failure of passenger rear knuckle assembly and wheel bearing. Went on car complaints. Com to see if a recall was issued for this. There were report of the same type of failure with the wheels actually coming off.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The wheel bearings on three of the wheels have to be replaced. A representative from the manufacturer stated since the warranty expired, he was ineligible for a free remedy. The failure mileage was 61,000. Updated 01/12/10 updated 01/14/10.

I have had troubles with the wheel ends on my Ford since I bought it in 2005. I didn't realize the problems that I am having are common in this vehicle. I started noticing more brake dust on some of the wheels than others. Then on my rear/passengers tire I hear a squeaking, grinding noise with a little wabble in the wheel. Take it back to the dealer -said they grinded something down. Didn't hear the noise anymore. My abs light kicks on won't go off has something to do with defect in wheel end assembly apparently. Paid $150 to get it off comes right back on weeks later!! my entire wheel end almost falls off while on the hwy. Pull over all 4 studs had come completely off of the wheel except 1, the wheel was literally hangin. Had to have all studs replaced. Have had to have wheel studs replaced frequently at some point on all four tires. Paid to have rear passenger wheel bearings replaced finally $300+. Front, drivers wheel bearings went out while driving 70-80 mph on hwy, loss control, barely made it off hwy in the middle of nowhere! 1-2months later front passengers wheel bearings go bad have to be replaced-$300+ each time. Had front brakes & rotors replaced March '07, rear brakes & rotors Jan '08. This month sept '09 had to have rear brakes & rotors replaced. Could only afford to have brake pads replaced. Only put 30,000miles on it since had b/r changed in '08. Why am I having to have them both changed a year later. Something in the wheel end assembly is causing increased wear & tear on rear brakes, rotors and everything else! now my brake pads are burning insanely crazy, alot of smoke comes from the wheel. New brake pads shouldn't burn that fast even with somewhat bad rotors. (that shoudn't be bad), have to go back to the shop this week. All are common issues apparently. Please review link w/complaints on this 02 model. & they tell me my ball joints are going out! thank you. . Read more...

Flat tire; after taking tire off I noticed that the coil spring was broken in half and the wheel bearing was bad, causing the wheel to wobble. There was no apparent reason for the part failures. After consulting others with the same vehicle type this is a very common problem for 2002 Ford Explorers - wheel bearings and coil spring failure. Ford may want to recall these before it causes accidents.

Both front and rear wheel bearings failed on my 2003 Ford Explorer at 67,000 miles. The vehicle is only driven on paved roadways and has been maintained by both myself and Ford. Under normal operating conditions all 4 of these bearings should not have failed.

Have had several incidents with my Ford Explorer attempting to run off parkway at 65 mph after wheel bearing failure. Have had to replace wheel bearings 6 times from 100,000 to 102,000 miles. This problem is extremely dangerous due to failure of control of vehicle with no prior notice of any mechanical problems concerning the bearings until complete failure . Even the replacement parts after installation have failed after less than 1000 miles.

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Explorer. The contact continued to hear a roaring noise coming from her vehicle. She took her vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the front driver's side wheel bearings were defective. The necessary repairs were made by an independent mechanic. The two front wheel bearings were replaced and, upon further investigation, all four wheel bearings were found to be defective. All four wheel bearings were replaced at the cost of over $600. The failure and current mileages were less than 120,000.

See all problems of the 2005 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Had to have both front wheel bearings replaced.

While driving loud grinding noise followed by a pulling to the side. A dangerous and possible catastrophic event. This is apparently a common problem with Ford Explorers. Had car towed and new wheel bearing placed. A very expensive and should be unneeded repair.

Wheel bearing failure, rear, both sides. At 40,000 miles, and again at 86,000 miles. Normal driving, primarily highway. This is dangerous and potentially life-threatening to occupants of the subject vehicle, as well as any vehicles in proximity during bearing failure. Loss of control can, and probably will result. Premature wheel bearing failure is common on these vehicles. The community at large is slowly spreading the word about the danger to self and family regarding this. I wish I had known earlier, I would not have purchased this vehicle. It is irresponsible of the manufacturer to sell a vehicle with this predisposition to failure. I work in aerospace, and this would never have gotten through failure analysis during the design phase. I will now begin attempting to contact anyone that this has happened to in an effort to get them to file a complaint as well. Eventually you will hear us. Maybe the media will get involved, they love this kind of stuff, especially if they can drag government indifference into it. I know you guys know about this. You just don't think enough people have complained yet, so it gets ignored. I'm going to start trying to change that. Maybe nothing will happen, maybe it will become a giant mess, who knows? either way, I can't let this go without saying something. This thing is marketed and sold as a family vehicle, and there is no way on earth I will ever put my wife and children into it again. And my conscience will not allow me to just trade it or sell it with this issue being exposed, just to get rid of my problem and pass the risk onto some other family. . Read more...

I bought my 2003 Ford Explorer in sept 2007. After driving it to and from work I noticed a loud humming sound up front @ 94,000miles. When I finally had it looked at 2 months later, I had to replace the drivers side front side wheel bearing. Now a few months later the passenger side front bearing is humming even worse so I had that one replaced. 10,000 miles later the drivers side has started doing the same thing again. I do not live on a dirt road, there is no reason for this to happen in such a short time. I have never had to replace a $400. 00 wheel bearing (each) in my life on any truck or car that I have owned until now on a Ford explore.