2016 Ford Explorer Body Problems
- 33
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 33 stored complaint records:
- 0 indicate a crash
- 2 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- passenger side · 4 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 1–30k mi | 16 |
| 30–60k mi | 13 |
| 60–100k mi | 3 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Body
Plastic moldings on the right and left of the windshield fly off at highway speeds and the weatherstripping splits and bangs against the windshield
ODI 11307349
Body
Obeying speed limit driving down the highway on n127 towards jackson michigan, going past an on ramp and my passengers windshields outer pillar cover flew off out of no where, no reason, very unexpected. Almost hit a car that was coming onto the highway on a on ramp. I have found 5 other reports of exactly same thing. My vehicle only has 37k miles on it, have only drove it barely 3 months. This should not have…
ODI 11306603
Body
2016 ford explorer xlt - while driving 70 mph on straight highway, the plastic outer pillar windshield trim on the passenger's side of the window shield detached without warning. The vehicle has not yet been taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. The failure mileage was ~38,000.
ODI 11242265
Body
The key pad on the driver door fell off while driving on a highway. Then an hour later, also while driving, the lift gate light came on. I was unable to open the lift gate by any means. Ford charged me approximately $450 for the door panel. It was $900 to repair both. It is unknown what caused both problems.
ODI 11266071
Body
The oem roof racks will not stay mounted on the vehicle. I took the vehicle to ford and they told me there was nothing that could be done. Ford recommended that i take it to trucking thunder and see if they could help. I took the vehicle to trucking thunder and they said i should follow up with corporate at ford because this is something ford needed to correct. I purchased new retainer clips (this is what holds the…
ODI 11287255
Body
Both pieces that hold the windshield to the car on the left and right of the windshield have flown off on my car and several others i know who also own a 2016 ford explorer.
ODI 11282607
Body
When driving on the highway there is a buzzing noise coming from the cowl grille panel on the windshield. It becomes very distracting and hard to hear any audio.
ODI 11206193
Body · Fuel/Propulsion System · Unknown Or Other
One morning, i began to smell a sulfur or gas-like smell inside the car. I thought nothing of it but it persisted from 5:00 a.m. -9:00 a.m. My 7 year old son even smelled it when entering the car. After dropping him off at school i drove to dealership to get it inspected. During that drive, with the windows cracked, i began to feel a dull headache, dizziness and muscle weakness. Once i dropped my car off for…
1 injury
ODI 11196870
Body
2016 ford explorer windshield pillar trim falling off. Ive read numerous post about others having the same problem. Flying off the vehicle while going down the highway. Danger of hitting the car behind or causing them to swerve and wreck. The dealership wants almost $1000 to fix this, thats outrageous and ford should be paying for these repairs.
ODI 11228435
Body
Whistle or buzz-type noise from front cowl panel grille cover. Ford dealership confirms this "body defect issue" but will not cover it under any warranty. Want $1,300 to fix. This is the issue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwc3-ptt3l0&t=49s
ODI 11192841
Body
I was driving down the highway at 55mph. Heard a loud noise. Thought i had scraped a tree as was in an area with alot trees. The next day noticed that the pillar trim on my passenger door was gone. Checked the rest of my car and the pillar trim on the windshield is loose also. Researched this on the web and it is a very common problem with this vehicle. I am concerned about this trim flying off at high rates of…
ODI 11193098
Body
Paint on the hood is bubbling up and chipping off, causing corrosion where the paint has chipped off.
ODI 11161279
Body · Visibility/Wiper
While driving on interstate, the windshield molding became loose and starting vibrating. After pulling over and attempting to secure, it then became partially detached and was bent backwards. It obstructed the view of the rear view mirror and passenger side window. It then flew off into oncoming traffic. Luckily, it landed on the shoulder and did not hit another car/cause a wreck on the interstate. The driver side…
ODI 11133449
Body · Engine · Unknown Or Other
Strong exhaust and very high levels of co entering cabin at normal acceleration, very bad at hard acceleration i have multiple pictures of my co sensor i had in the vehicle for some time now with lethal co levels. I believe the exhaust manifolds have big enough cracks to flood in co into the cabin through openings. Mine has had the 'dealer itsb' to resolve, no change and it registered higher after. Replace this…
ODI 11128353
Body
Driver side exterior plastic window pillar flew off while driving on the highway. Went to ford dealership and they will not cover since it is not under warranty. Total bs!!!
ODI 11030193
Body
On the windshield pillar, they have plastic covers held on by a few plastic clips. While driving the cover flew off without me noticing. I was driving on a major highway at 65 mph. This issue has been reported online, and i contacted ford directly and they refused to acknowledge or remedy the situation. This could have caused a major accident if a vehicle was hit or tried to avoid being hit by this piece of plastic.…
ODI 11021648
Body · Seat Belts · Steering
Since purchasing this vehicle in december 2016 i have had seatbelt retractable mechanism in the third row replaced; i have had the navigation system replaced; i had to have the keypad on the door panel replaced; i have had to have the power steering epas replaced (most recent). Most happened while the vehicle was stationary thank goodness. The navigation system did go out while driving.
ODI 11013793
Body
The trim between the driver side door and the windshield flew off of the the car. I estimate that my speed was 65 mph. There are 51,000 miles on the car. Not only does this cost about $300 every time it happens, it is an extreme safety hazard to other drivers or pedestrians near the road. It virtually becomes spear when it becomes detached. I pass other explorers often that are missing the same piece of trim and…
ODI 11012662
Body · Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 ford explorer. While driving, the contact noticed an abnormal odor inside the vehicle resembling carbon monoxide while the recirculation air conditioner was activated. The passenger (the contact's wife) noticed the odor. The contact saw the failure on the news and called the dealer (l&s toyota, [redacted], beckley, wv, 25801; [redacted]; ext 231) where the dealer advised the contact that…
ODI 11012831
Body
While driving on a highway at approximately 55 mph i heard a noise and caught a glimpse of a object flying by the passenger side window of my vehicle. Upon stopping to investigate the sudden occurrence i discovered that the piece of plastic trim on the front windshield passenger side had broken off. I retrieved it from the shoulder of the road and upon examination it appears that the molded clip holders broke away…
ODI 10978604
Body · Engine · Unknown Or Other
I already submitted one complaint today about the cabin filling with exhaust fumes while accelerating but then i was reading other issues people were having and wanted to ensure you were aware of mine as well. I had to have the cooling fans replaced because they would come to a screeching halt when you would shut the motor off. I had to have the inside of the power lift gate repainted where the motor and shock are…
ODI 10955762
Body
Leak in roof due to body weld issues. Leak caused rain to enter. 3rd row seatbelt was wet, as well as electrical outlet in trunk.
ODI 10967307
Body · Engine · Unknown Or Other
We took our 2016 explorer limited back to the shop for the second time after smelling exhaust in the cabin again while in operation. During the first visit the dealer began discussing the ford repair bulletin that came out 30 days or so ago that was to fix the exhaust leak. However, after a couple of hours later we received a call that the bulletin he referenced was specifically for 2011 thru 2015". We were told…
ODI 10950398
Body
When driving at highway speeds the a-pillar windshield moulding/applique flies off. Not only is it unacceptable for body/trim panels to fly off a vehicle during normal driving, but this poses a safety risk, as it creates flying debris for vehicles traveling behind the affected vehicle. *tr
ODI 10934505
Body · Exhaust System
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 ford explorer. While driving at any speed, the contact smelled exhaust fumes without warning. The vehicle was taken to the sharpe motor dealer where it was diagnosed that the bumper needed to be replaced. The fume odor remained. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but the technician was unable to diagnose the source of the fumes. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.…
ODI 10991534