Headlights Problems of Ford Explorer - part 1

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 24v031000 (structure); 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 contact stated while driving approximately 30 - 40 mph, the windshield side a-trim panel detached from the vehicle. The contact stated that the following day the passenger’s side trim and two clips had detached causing the failure. The trim on the bottom of the front and rear doors between the front and rear wheels had become loosened as well. The contact stated that there was a film on the headlights causing the headlights to not illuminate properly. The contact used wd-40 on the headlamps to remove the film for proper illumination. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspected the vehicle and removed the trim cover, as instructed by the manufacturer, to determine if the windshield mounting plate, was an older version. Based on the inspection, the dealer determined that the vehicle had failed and there was no need for the part mentioned in the remedy to be used for a repair. While completing the inspection the trim cover had to be removed and the trim cover became loosened, causing further damages with other trim panel detaching from the vehicle. The contact informed the dealer, and the dealer offered to secure trim with tape. The dealer also advised the contact to use duct tape to further secure the area. The contact stated that the following day the tape had raised up. The contact called bp Ford of long beach (2950 n bellflower blvd, long beach, CA 90815) and was informed that the part could be ordered to complete the recall repair. The dealer informed the contact that the trim could be replaced; however, the recall remedy part was not yet available. The headlight and lower trim on the body of the vehicle had not been replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,000. VIN tool confir.

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Two days after purchasing the light warning alert system started coming on. Check systems headlights warning comes on every month then the headlights will go out first the left them the right…Ford can’t fix the problem because they don’t know what and why this keeps happening. The lights have been replaced 4-5 times and reprogrammed. I have took it Ford dealership 7 times, and the last time I was told it can’t be fixed because Ford has to send an update for the electrical system… plus one for the back up camera going blue/black as well…. . They also have to send an update program for the other warning as well…. So no end to the problems to date….

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Ford designed the headlights in the 2016 Ford Explorer so that the led low beam is built into the housing. So you either have to replace the very expensive housing (1,000) when your low beam goes out or drive with less visibility. Most people do not have $1,000 just laying around.

Driving in the dark and passenger side headlight went out. Got diagnosed that it was a bad light housing. Got various prices from 700 to 1200 dollars. Now the light works . Was out for 3 weeks decided to come back on. Well I would assume its not the headlight or just faulty electronics. Not sure any hekp?.

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I believe the headlights on Ford Explorers are defective. When encountering one in the oncoming lane of a 2 lane road, the headlight are overly bright and annoying in the daylight. At night they are blinding painful and dangerous. It doesn't help that the manufacturers of trucks, including suvs, position the headlights at the same distance above the road as the windshield of a sedan.

Driving 55mph on I-94 last night in a steady rain and check battery message came up in the left ip display. Within a few seconds I lost the power steering, then the center console entertainment/info screen, then the instrument cluster went black with the headlights and windshield wipers which were on highest setting slowed but continued to operate only while in the highest setting. This scenario continued off and on for the next 30 miles with intermittent electronic steering failure, internal ip and console screen failure and exterior lighting failures. We pulled over each time and within a varied amount of time from a few seconds to a few minutes, a sound similar to a squealing belt would be heard and the system would "reboot" and all functioning would be restored for a limited time. We limped the vehicle home over the course of the next hour and a half for 35 miles as I was not leaving the car on the side of the freeway or in detroit if I could safely avoid it. This morning (Sunday) I tested the battery and had the battery and alternator tested under load at an auto parts store and both were within normal parameters. Belt looked good with visual inspection and 1 hour of idle and drive time close to home in damp puddling roads could not get any adverse symptoms to reappear. It will go to the Ford service department at our local dealer tomorrow for a thorough inspection. This is my wife's daily driver and if no issue can be found we will be replacing the car as she would have been in extreme danger without steering, lights and ip, especially on a Saturday night driving through the city of detroit's I-94 expressway.

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Oncoming cars are constantly flashing their lights at me because they think that my headlights are on high beam. I took my Explorer to landmark Ford in tigard oregon to have them verify that the lights were adjusted properly. I was told that everything meet specifications. The service manager stated the he and the technician had the same extra bright low beam issues with their Ford pickups. I asked if there was another type of lamp that could be used, but they didn't have any recommendations. I don't know what else to do to resolve the issue. I purchased this vehicle in July 2017.

Headlights are suppose to be sealed units but when I'm driving in the rain the water gets in. Ford denied warranty replacement of them calling it condensation and that is normal. The water stays in for a day or two but when driving at night it obscures my vision from the light being defused. This is a known problem by Ford and they don't seem to want to own up to it. I sent pictures to them but have since deleted them I will take more the next time it rains when I'm traveling.

The headlights on this vehicle are terrible. They barely illuminate the road in front of me. I find it unsafe to drive at night. On city streets at night the problem isn't as apparent, but when I'm traveling on the interstate or any other road without street lighting, if I'm approached by an oncoming vehicle it's as if I don't even have my headlights on. Side lighting is also an issue when turning at night as its nearly blind. It's a vehicle I really enjoy, but I'm considering selling because I find it completely unsafe for night driving.

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The headlights are far too bright,even in daylight conditions. As an unintended consequence of an effort to increase the visibility of the vehicle,they are quite capable of momentarily blinding oncoming drivers. Obviously,this effort to increase headlight intensity is overlooking the fact that it may be causing serious injury to other drivers.

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The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. While driving at unknown speeds with the low and high beam headlights activated, the lights failed to illuminate properly. There was an abnormal line through the passenger side headlight. The contact called a local dealer (coconut point Ford, 22400 s tamianmi trl, estero, FL 33928) and was informed that the headlights were not aligned. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified and opened case number: cas13705636. The contact was referred back to the dealer. The failure mileage was 42,000.

We had to replace the headlight pig tail twice as it melted to the bulb.

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I have a 2014 Ford Explorer. The headlights are so poor in operation that it is unsafe to drive the car at night. Upon going on the internet, I found numerous complaints for the same exact problem of consumers not being to see safely when the lamps are on in the evening. The Ford dealers say that the car meets Ford specs and the Ford CO customer service dept confirms that they had numerous complaints and that Ford has no fix. This is indeed a safety issue and a fix and recall is essential.

The headlights on my 2014 Ford Explorer sport do not safely light up the road at night on a road with no street lights. The low beams project a black line from left to right approximately 6 inches above the dashboard. There is also no light on either side of the vehicle when making a right or left turn. Last week I almost ran into a ditch because I did not have enough light to see the road. I spoke to my Ford dealer and they responded they know of the problem but Ford has not sent out a maintenance bulletin or a recall. I called Ford customer service and they responded they would make note of this issue and would use it to enhance next years model. I responded that they need to fix this years model. The headlights this year (2014) are new. They use a projector system which is not working. I believe this is a major safety concern and a recall should be issued to convert the new lights back to the old style lights.

Tl-the contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the high beams warning light illuminated continuously even after the engine was shut off. The failure recurred whenever the engine was started. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. The technician diagnosed that the headlight module needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The failure mileage was unavailable. Pam.

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This is just a formal complaint to hopefully avoid accidents: headlights on most new vehicles are dangerous. They do not project, if you face a garage, there is a distinct line where above this line there is no extra light and below the line is where the headlights shine. When going up and down hills you can see about 3 feet in front of you and no further. It is just as dangerous around curves. You can't read street signs and it would be hard to see deere standing on the side of the road. I had my headlights adjusted up by the dealership and everyone flashed their brights at me so I had to have them turned back down. Miy husband has a new Hyundai, everyone is flashing their brights at him and they are not on. My daughter-in-law who has a chevy said the same thing and she drives with her brights on as much as she possibly can since the low beam is so horrible. Take a test drive in the country on hills and curves at night you'll see just how dangerous these light truly are.

The 1997 Ford Explorer 4d eddie bauer edition has a computer controlled message center. The message center controls among other things the vehicle headlights and fog lamps. The light out module (lom) also known as the indicator warning system control is located inside the message center console and runs "hot" in temperature because of a flawed design. The current design leads to internal electrical system failures that result in a loss of the low beam headlights. The system is designed to notify the driver of a headlight or lamp failure, etc, however, the failure of the notification system causes the low beam headlights (and fog lamps as they are on the same circuit) to fail. On June 25, 2014, the second failure of the system occurred (we are the original owners and have previously replaced the indicator warning system control or light out module (lom) at great expense). Ford motor company must recall the 1997 Ford Explorer eddie bauer edition and any other like designed Ford product with a light out module (lom) that fails leaving the driver without low beams and no means of fixing the said defect without an authorized Ford dealer's repair (at great expense) that is life threatening in the interim. Such repairs are not possible if on an extended trip in rural settings. The absence of low beam headlights after sunset and before sunrise is life threatening and unacceptable to the occupants of a 1997 Ford Explorer as well as to pedestrians and other vehicles who cannot see the Ford Explorer operating without headlights. The corrective solution needs a venting system such that the message center does not continually melt the indicator warning system control or light out module (lom). Thank you for your service and for your prompt attention to this defect requiring a corrective recall.

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The headlights on the 2014 Ford Explorer do not illuminate the road when turning, esp to the right. The driver turns into darkness. Therefore if you are turning right at night, the driver can not determine if a pedestrian is in a crosswalk or if the lane he/she is turning into is obstructed or compromised in any way. This has been a problem with this vehicle since I got it but I was able to limit my night time driving until recently. Now I have come to realize how dangerous the inability to see into the turns you are making is. In October 2015, I was turning right on to a busy state highway at night. Because the headlights do not illuminate the road through the turn, I could not see where my lane was, overestimated the distance and then realized as I straightened the vehicle that I was in the lane of oncoming traffic traveling at 60 mph from a distance of about 1/4 mile! if I had not quickly moved into the correct lane, many people could have been injured or killed. This incident prompted me to realize how dangerous these headlights are and to formally report the problem here and to the Ford CO. After this incident,I took my Explorer to my Ford dealer who checked the headlights and told me that there was an "engineering/design flaw" that the service department could not fix. I then filed a safety complaint with the Ford CO. A representative called me within 48 hrs. She explained that she had talked to my Ford service department who told her that there was a headlight illumination problem. She also stated that as of this time, Ford considers the headlights to be working within acceptable level. She stated that I needed to file a complaint here and that Ford would not consider this a problem until enough people file complaints through your agency and the Ford CO. . I am fearful that I will injure or kill someone before this is remedied.

Headlight bulb and plastic connector have melted at the connection.

Headlights don't illuminate far enough in front of vehicle and aim down into the road. When making a turn the headlights do not reflect to the edges of the road limiting your vision. We have to stop when making a turn to point the headlights in the direction we want to go because there is no side vision. These headlights are not safe to drive with at night. It's like driving with two flashlights for headlights! this has limited our driving at night. We have been to the dealership to try to resolve this and since found out that there have been numerous complaints for the past two years! will you please contact me and let me know how Ford plans to resolve this safety hazard.

2013 Ford Explorer. Consumer writes in regards to headlights do not illuminate far enough in front of the vehicle and aim down into the road. The dealer informed the consumer, it was a design feature, and there was nothing to fix.

Tl-the contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving various speeds, the headlights failed. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 23,000. Tw.

When driving on rural unlit roads, the headlights at times light up less than 3 vehicle lengths and or blind oncoming drivers when using low beams. The issue appears to be associated with the recent headlight design which uses a "projector style" lens incorporating a "high beam" bulb and a shutter to create the low beam by cutting off the top portion of the beam. There is "no" light above the cut-off line so when driving down an undulation and/ or during braking, the light beam aims down relative to the road. When going up an undulation, the beam cut-off moves up and shines the uncut-off beam into the eyes of oncoming drivers. Additionally, the headlights have no light onto the shoulder above headlight height so roadside traffic control signs and pedestrians are not illuminated. Situation has been observed by dealership salesman and technician who expressed disbelief. Dealership management and manufacturer customer assistance center have advised condition is "normal and acceptable" even though they have not observed the condition and have refused to do so. No service actions are to be performed per the technical hotline. Other conditions presented by this design are also present creating additional lesser issues. Condition is ongoing since first being observed on first night drive.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the head lights were not adequately designed. When driving with the headlights illuminated, the contact was not able to see any objects through the top portion of the windshield. The contact was concerned about the possible safety hazard of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 12,300.

The headlights are severely inadequate ,if it is raining it is not safe to drive.

Headlight illumination of roadways is severely inadequate. We have both observed this issue with this vehicle since it was purchased new in December 2012 (the primary driver is a 5'5" female, the secondary driver is 5'10" male). The headlights seem to aim too low and leave dark spots in the road, particularly when turning in either direction. And the problem is only exacerbated with higher speeds. Illumination is better on high beam, but one cannot leave high beams engaged during normal driving. These are the worst headlights I've ever seen on a vehicle in over 40 years of driving including cars that I've driven from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, let alone for a modern car.

Headlights are way to dim for night driving.

Headlights do not provide sufficient lighting of the road. It feels like someone has painted black paint on 1/2 of the windshield. On a two lane unlit road the car is unsafe. The lights light up only half way up a street or stop sign and less than that if going downhill. The car has been in the dealership 1 time and the lights have been adjusted as much as possible. The service manager said he drove one and had to stop overnight because it was so bad. This car is not safe to drive at night on a two lane unlit road.

Headlights on this vehicle are the worst that I have ever driven. Had lights adjusted at the dealership and not much improvement. The road does not get very well illuminated. Even though the lights are irritating to oncoming traffic they don't do much to help the driver see the road. This is an ongoing problem since it was new.

May 20, approximately 03:30am, while driving about 35mph to work in the dark with head lights on; headlights unexpectedly turned off. Luckily that section of the street, had street lights working properly; but, I was approaching an unlit stretch of winding road with a 45mph speed limit. This could have become very dangerous. (dashboard lights were not affected. ) turning the normal headlight switch did not seem to fix the problem. I tried the bright light function, which is part of the turn signal lever. They did not come on at first; however when jiggling the "turn signal lever," I noticed a "looseness in the lever, at the base where it connects to the steering column. " wiggling it, turned the head lights back on, temporarily; but, wiggling from vibration in traffic caused them to turn "off" again. The turn signal lever on the 1998 Ford Explorer is used to control the "bright lights" and also controls windshield wipers. I am not certain; but, I believe I had the turn signal lever assembly repaired several years ago by a Ford dealer in san diego. . . Neither of the dealers I used to have service my vehicle are still in business. I believe the problem with the turn signal lever at that time, had to do with the wipers cutting off unexpectedly; and, eventually, not working all together. First: is this something the government should investigate "before" having the vehicle repaired? second: should Ford be the one investigating this problem? third: should Ford replace the turn lever assembly and provide the labor at their expense? . . . On a personal note, after working for the same company for 12 years and being a workaholic, I just got laid off last week. This expense is definitely going to cost several hundred dollars in parts and labor, when I can least afford it. At this time, I can rule out trying to apply for a night job.

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the illumination of the headlights was extremely dim. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they advised the contact that they would adjust the lights. The vehicle was repaired for the adjustment of the headlights. The same failure recurred soon after the adjustment. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 5. The VIN was unavailable.

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8 days after new vehicle was purchased, I was pulled over by the sheriff for no taillights. The vehicle was later taken into the dealer for repair and they said the fuse was blown and they replaced the 15amp fuse to the Smart junction box. About 50 miles later, a highway patrol drove by and announced on the speaker system to turn on the headlights. I checked and my headlights were on, so I pulled over and noticed the taillights were out again. The next day, the car was serviced a second time and they said they replaced the burned out fuse again and did an extended road test and put 130 miles on the car and said the taillights are working fine. After 5 days of being with the dealer service, we picked up the vehicle, the taillights went out again after 100 miles. We will be in contact with the dealer. . .

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The contact owns a 1999 Ford Explorer. While driving approximately 60 mph at night, the headlights failed for ten seconds before returning to normal. The contact notified the dealer, but they could not duplicate the failure. The failure and current mileages were 110,493. Updated 02-25-08 updated.

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This applies to all of the newer cars, trucks etc. I don't know what the new headlights are called, but they are bright white or bluish in tint. I have experienced many times where the oncoming cars with these light blind me to the point I can't see the road in front of me. I don't know what can be done since more and more people have these lights and us them in conjunction with fog lights. Please look into this matter, I can't be the only person with the same issue. Thank you stanley przybylski.

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The contact owns a 2008 Ford Explorer. While driving at any speed, the headlights were shining sideways instead of forward. The failure resulted in poor lighting. The dealer is aware of the failure. The VIN was unknown. The current mileage was 1,030 and failure mileage was 120. The consumer stated the was very low intensity when the high beams were on. Updated 12/31/07.

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