AutoUtility currently tracks 1773 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2015 Ford Explorer. Body & Structure issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 407 complaints (23% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 37 filings cite a crash, 1 cites a fire, 57 report one or more injuries.

Key Problem Findings
  • Total NHTSA Complaints: 1773 reports
  • #1 Reported Problem Area: Body & Structure (407 reports • 23% of submitted complaints)
  • Secondary Problem Areas: Steering System (345), Engine & Cooling (261)
  • Crash-Citing Complaints: 37 filings
  • Fire-Citing Complaints: 1 filings
  • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 57 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Reporting Methodology: Statistics describe unverified consumer submissions voluntarily filed with NHTSA. Complaint volume is not normalized for vehicle sales volume or miles driven. Multiple components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission.
Total Complaints
1773
Submitted to NHTSA ODI
Crash-Citing Complaints
37
Filings citing a collision
Fire-Citing Complaints
1
Filings citing smoke or fire
Complaints Reporting Injuries
57
Filings citing one or more injuries
Complaints Reporting Fatalities
0
Consumer filings citing fatalities

Most Reported Problems for 2015 Ford Explorer

Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records

#1 Problem Area 23% of complaints

Body & Structure

407 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 4 crash reports 🩹 4 injury report entries
#2 Problem Area 19.5% of complaints

Steering System

345 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 4 crash reports 🩹 10 injury report entries
#3 Problem Area 14.7% of complaints

Engine & Cooling

261 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 2 crash reports 🔥 1 fire report 🩹 18 injury report entries
#4 Problem Area 8.3% of complaints

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech

147 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:

*Component overlap means an official recall exists for the same broad vehicle system. It does not establish that an individual owner complaint was caused by, covered by, or resolved through that recall.
⚠️ 4 crash reports
#5 Problem Area 6% of complaints

Air Bags & Restraints

107 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 9 crash reports 🩹 21 injury report entries
Domain Share Note: Share percentage represents the proportion of unique complaint filings referencing each vehicle system. Because single complaints may cite multiple systems (such as engine and electrical simultaneously), domain percentages represent individual category incidence and may sum to over 100%.

Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2015 Ford Explorer

Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis

AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.

Powertrain & Transmission 2.7% of complaints

Loss of Motive Power While Driving

48 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Steering System 1.3% of complaints

Steering Sticking, Binding or Assist Loss

23 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Visibility, Wipers & Glass 0.6% of complaints

Rearview Camera / Screen Display Blackout

10 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Engine & Cooling 0.5% of complaints

Engine Coolant Intrusion / Oil Leak

8 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Air Bags & Restraints 0.3% of complaints

Airbag Warning Light / Non-Deployment in Crash

5 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Symptom Identification Method: A complaint may describe more than one symptom, so percentages may sum to more than 100%. Symptom identification reflects text contained in consumer-submitted complaint records and does not establish a confirmed mechanical diagnosis.

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2015 Ford Explorer

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Body & Structure NHTSA ODI ID: #11759445
Filed: 08/25/2026

"The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure). The contact stated that while parked, the windshield molding trim next to the pillar and windshield became raised. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at..."

Incident Date: 02/15/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STRUCTURE
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech NHTSA ODI ID: #11759115
Filed: 08/24/2026

"The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera image was black, and the message..."

Incident Date: 10/24/2025 • Raw NHTSA Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION
Body & Structure NHTSA ODI ID: #11759277
Filed: 08/24/2026

"Manufacturer Safety recall: # 24S02 2011-19 Explorer A-Pillar Trim Detachment Safety NHTSA: #24V031 [XXX] came a loose on FL interstate and reported to Riverside Ford 8-17-26 And dropped car off 8-18-26 They kept car two nights Call to pickup car but it was not fixed just ordered parts. My husband..."

Incident Date: 08/15/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STRUCTURE
Body & Structure NHTSA ODI ID: #11757977
Filed: 08/19/2026

"The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the exterior A-pillar trim panel separated from the vehicle, exposing the weathering strip. The failure allowed air and liquid to seep through the structure and enter the cabin of the vehicle. The..."

Incident Date: 01/19/2024 • Raw NHTSA Component: STRUCTURE
Other / Miscellaneous NHTSA ODI ID: #11758019
Filed: 08/19/2026

"NHTSA Safety Complaint — Ford Recall 25V695 / 25SA9 Rearview backup camera has stopped working, limiting rear visibility. Camera is still installed and available for inspection. I cannot clearly see behind my SUV when backing, increasing the risk of striking a person, vehicle, or object. Hardy..."

Incident Date: 01/01/2021 • Raw NHTSA Component: UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Consumer Narrative Notice: Excerpts are sanitized text descriptions submitted by vehicle owners to the federal ODI database. They reflect the reporting consumer's observations at the time of filing and have not been independently confirmed by vehicle manufacturers or government investigators.

Complaint History for Ford Explorer

Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)

Model Year NHTSA Complaints Crash Reports Safety Recalls Detailed Report
2015 Ford Explorer Current Page 1773 37 9 Current
2016 Ford Explorer 2441 38 15 View 2016 Problems →
2017 Ford Explorer 1687 33 14 View 2017 Problems →
2018 Ford Explorer 720 15 7 View 2018 Problems →
2019 Ford Explorer 291 2 6 View 2019 Problems →
2020 Ford Explorer 1198 35 34 View 2020 Problems →
2021 Ford Explorer 416 16 27 View 2021 Problems →
2022 Ford Explorer 257 17 25 View 2022 Problems →
2023 Ford Explorer 105 8 15 View 2023 Problems →
2024 Ford Explorer 19 1 10 View 2024 Problems →
2025 Ford Explorer 95 7 19 View 2025 Problems →
2026 Ford Explorer 0 0 12 View 2026 Problems →
Comparative Disclaimer: Complaint totals are unadjusted historical counts and are not normalized for vehicles sold, active fleet size, or total road mileage. Newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time to accumulate owner filings.

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2015 Ford Explorer

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 168 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Reported Injury Entries Reported Fatality Entries
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 312 0 0 0 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 289 5 0 26 0
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 282 0 0 2 0
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 134 0 1 2 0
Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION 69 2 0 0 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 57 4 0 5 0
Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 51 1 0 10 0
Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION 43 5 0 1 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 38 3 0 4 0
STRUCTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION 38 0 0 0 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 37 0 0 8 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 21 0 0 4 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 20 0 0 0 0
Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS 19 2 0 2 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 13 0 0 0 0
Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY 13 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 12 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 11 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 11 1 0 1 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION 11 2 0 1 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 9 0 0 1 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 1 0 0 0
Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS 8 1 0 9 0
Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 8 1 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 7 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 7 0 0 0 0
Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS 7 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS 6 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION 6 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 6 0 0 0 0
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 6 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE 5 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 5 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION 5 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 5 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,STRUCTURE 4 0 0 2 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,ENGINE 4 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 3 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 3 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 3 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN 3 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE 3 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,WHEELS 3 2 0 0 0
VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER 2 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 2 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN 2 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER 2 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,STRUCTURE 2 1 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER 2 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION 2 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
Tires NHTSA category: TIRES 2 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 1 0 2 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
CARRY HANDLE, SHELL, BASE,OTHER/I AM NOT SURE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE 1 1 0 1 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,WHEELS,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,TIRES 1 0 0 0 0
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 1 0 0 0 0
PARKING BRAKE 1 0 0 0 0
PARKING BRAKE,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
PARKING BRAKE,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SEATS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 4 0
SEAT BELTS,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
SEATS,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 7 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SEAT BELTS,SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,ENGINE,AIR BAGS 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 1 0 1 0
SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 5 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 1 0 0 0
VISIBILITY,EQUIPMENT,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY/WIPER,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY/WIPER,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY/WIPER,VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
WHEELS,TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
Data Attribution & Reporting Methodology: Complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Because multiple vehicle components can be cited within a single owner complaint submission, component-level rollups may sum to more than the unique complaint count (1773). Injury and fatality entries in the detailed table reflect raw values entered by reporting consumers across individual submissions; they are not deduplicated casualty statistics and may include duplicate or unverified entries. Complaint volume is not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and does not represent an audited component failure rate.

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (5)

5 CLOSED

Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Official Federal Inquiries: NHTSA opens a defect investigation when safety screening or consumer defect trends indicate a potential unreasonable safety risk. An open investigation is a formal inquiry and does not by itself confirm a defect or result in a mandatory recall.
CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE) ODI Action #PE23001
Opened: 2023-01-27 • Closed: 2024-02-08

Windshield trim molding Item detachment

Affected Component: STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

On January 27, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23-001 to investigate allegations of A-pillar trim panel detachment on model year (MY) 2011-2019 Ford Explorer vehicles. At the time of opening, the office had received 164 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) reporting this failure. ODI has received 671 VOQs regarding this failure, including 1 alleged crash and 2 alleged injuries. Some consumers have reported that the failure...

✓ Resulted in Safety Recall Campaign: 24V031 Official NHTSA File →
CLOSED Engineering Analysis (EA) ODI Action #EA17002
Opened: 2017-07-27 • Closed: 2023-01-17

Exhaust Odor in Passenger Cab

Affected Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

During the EA17-002 investigation, the agency reviewed and analyzed reports of exhaust odors in the passenger cabins of Model Year 2011 to 2017 Ford Explorers. This investigation required an approach that incorporated knowledge and expertise from the automotive, medical, environmental health, and occupational safety fields. The agency conducted an in-depth investigation that encompassed the review of over 6,500 consumer complaints, conducting fie...

Closed without associated recall campaign. Official NHTSA File →
CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE) ODI Action #PE16008
Opened: 2016-07-01 • Closed: 2017-09-12

Ford Explorer Exhaust Odor

Affected Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

During the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration?s (NHTSA?s) investigation into the Ford carbon monoxide allegations, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) identified additional Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) reports with similar exhaust odor claims.Presently, ODI has identified 791 VOQs for Model Year 2011-2017 Ford Explorers pertaining to exhaust odor claims.ODI has identified three crashes and 41 injuries potentially linked thi...

Closed without associated recall campaign. Official NHTSA File →
CLOSED Engineering Analysis (EA) ODI Action #EA15005
Opened: 2015-09-28 • Closed: 2018-11-02

Front Brake Hose Failure

Affected Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

On April 29, 2015, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE15-017 to investigate a report alleging incidents of front brake hose failure in model year (MY) 2015 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor vehicles used by the Sacramento Police Department in its pursuit driving training program (VOQ 10705832).On September 28, 2015, ODI upgraded the investigation to an Engineering Analysis (EA15-005) to assess maximum front caliper crimp temperatur...

Closed without associated recall campaign. Official NHTSA File →
CLOSED Preliminary Evaluation (PE) ODI Action #PE15017
Opened: 2015-04-29 • Closed: 2015-09-28

Front brake hose failure

Affected Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

On April 29, 2015, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE15-017 to investigate reports of low-mileage failures of front brake jounce hoses in model year (MY) 2015 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor vehicles operated as training vehicles by the City of Sacramento, California (ODI VOQ No. 10705832). To date, the Sacramento police fleet has reported a total of 7 front hose failures in 5 different Explorer Police Interceptor vehicles used...

Closed without associated recall campaign. Official NHTSA File →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.