AutoUtility currently tracks 2441 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Ford Explorer. Body & Structure issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 584 complaints (23.9% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 38 filings cite a crash, 14 cite a fire, 43 report one or more injuries.

Key Problem Findings
  • • Total NHTSA Complaints: 2441 reports
  • • #1 Reported Problem Area: Body & Structure (584 reports • 23.9% of submitted complaints)
  • • Secondary Problem Areas: Steering System (528), Engine & Cooling (443)
  • • Crash-Citing Complaints: 38 filings
  • • Fire-Citing Complaints: 14 filings
  • • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 43 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
2441
Submitted to NHTSA ODI
Crash-Citing Complaints
38
Filings citing a collision
Fire-Citing Complaints
14
Filings citing smoke or fire
Complaints Reporting Injuries
43
Filings citing one or more injuries
Complaints Reporting Fatalities
0
Consumer filings citing fatalities

Most Reported Problems for 2016 Ford Explorer

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

#1 Problem Area 23.9% of complaints

Body & Structure

584 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 3 official safety recall campaigns 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 🔥 1 fire report 🩹 6 injury report entries
#2 Problem Area 21.6% of complaints

Steering System

528 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 10 crash reports 🩹 7 injury report entries
#3 Problem Area 18.1% of complaints

Engine & Cooling

443 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ NHTSA Recall Context

NHTSA records list 2 official safety recall campaigns 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.
⚠️ 3 crash reports 🔥 3 fire reports 🩹 9 injury report entries
#4 Problem Area 8.8% of complaints

Powertrain & Transmission

214 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.
⚠️ 6 crash reports 🔥 4 fire reports
#5 Problem Area 5.1% of complaints

Electrical System

125 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.
⚠️ 1 crash report 🔥 6 fire reports 🩹 4 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 2016 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 3.5% of complaints

Loss of Motive Power While Driving

85 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Steering System 2.3% of complaints

Steering Sticking, Binding or Assist Loss

56 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Engine & Cooling 0.9% of complaints

Engine Coolant Intrusion / Oil Leak

22 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Air Bags & Restraints 0.6% of complaints

Airbag Warning Light / Non-Deployment in Crash

15 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Engine & Cooling 0.6% of complaints

Engine Overheating / Temperature Warning

15 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 2016 Ford Explorer

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

Body & Structure NHTSA ODI ID: #11759118
Filed: 08/24/2026

"After multiple communications with the local Ford Dealership, the recall on the vehicle has not been completed nor inspected. The Ford Dealership has repeatedly stated that they do not have the parts and cannot give an estimated time frame of arrival. The conversation always ends, "we will call..."

Incident Date: 05/30/2025 • Raw NHTSA Component: STRUCTURE
Body & Structure NHTSA ODI ID: #11757701
Filed: 08/18/2026

"The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the driver’s side B-pillar trim detached from the vehicle and was dangling by two wires. The contact later used black duct tape to seal the trim in place. The dealer was notified of the failure and later informed..."

Incident Date: 08/11/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STRUCTURE
Body & Structure NHTSA ODI ID: #11756446
Filed: 08/12/2026

"The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure). The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH on two occasions, the driver's side A-pillar trim flew off the vehicle into traffic. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer twice,..."

Incident Date: 04/15/2023 • Raw NHTSA Component: STRUCTURE
Body & Structure NHTSA ODI ID: #11756325
Filed: 08/11/2026

"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..."

Incident Date: 02/15/2024 • Raw NHTSA Component: STRUCTURE
Steering System NHTSA ODI ID: #11755766
Filed: 08/09/2026

"Hello. I purchased my car in 2018. 2-3 years later, the power steering would randomly go out while driving - on the highway and city roads. This could happen once and then not again for 6+ months. When this happened a message would display about a "steering assist fault, service now". I found that..."

Incident Date: 06/25/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STEERING
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 1773 37 9 View 2015 Problems →
2016 Ford Explorer Current Page 2441 38 15 Current
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 2016 Ford Explorer

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 182 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 519 3 0 3 0
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 432 4 0 3 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 286 3 1 15 0
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 208 0 2 6 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 130 2 3 0 0
Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 87 0 0 2 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 60 6 0 6 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 41 0 0 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 38 0 3 3 0
Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS 35 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 33 1 0 1 0
Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION 31 4 0 1 0
Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 28 1 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 21 2 1 0 0
Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS 20 0 0 3 0
Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY 19 0 0 0 0
Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS 18 0 0 0 0
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 17 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION 16 1 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 15 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 15 0 0 1 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 12 1 1 2 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 11 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11 1 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 10 0 0 1 0
Tires NHTSA category: TIRES 9 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 9 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS 8 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE 8 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 8 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 7 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 7 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 7 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 7 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 6 1 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 6 0 0 0 0
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 6 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 5 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE 5 0 1 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 5 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE 5 0 0 0 0
Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION 4 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 4 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 4 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES 4 2 0 2 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS 4 0 0 0 0
STEERING,WHEELS 4 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 4 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER 4 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 4 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 3 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN 3 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
STEERING,LANE DEPARTURE 3 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE 3 1 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY 3 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEATS 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 2 0 0 2 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,STRUCTURE 2 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE 2 0 0 0 0
Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 2 0 0 0 0
Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
TIRES,WHEELS 2 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,STRUCTURE 2 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 1 0 2 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEATS 1 0 1 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 1 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STEERING 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,SEATS 1 0 0 1 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 1 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,STRUCTURE,TIRES 1 0 0 0 0
Equipment & Accessories NHTSA category: EQUIPMENT 1 0 0 0 0
Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
PARKING BRAKE,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 1 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
SEATS,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
SEATS,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,AIR BAGS 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 0 0
STEERING,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,EQUIPMENT 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SEAT BELTS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES, AIR,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,SEAT BELTS 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 1 0 2 0
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 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,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,TIRES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,TIRES 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 1 0
STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,AIR BAGS 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 1 0 1 0
TIRES,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,EQUIPMENT 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 1 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY,AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY,SEAT BELTS 1 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
WHEELS,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 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 (2441). 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 (2)

2 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 →

Related Official Reports for 2016 Ford Explorer

Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year

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.