AutoUtility currently tracks 1687 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2017 Ford Explorer. Body & Structure issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 657 complaints (38.9% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 33 filings cite a crash, 11 cite a fire, 35 report one or more injuries.

Key Problem Findings
  • • Total NHTSA Complaints: 1687 reports
  • • #1 Reported Problem Area: Body & Structure (657 reports • 38.9% of submitted complaints)
  • • Secondary Problem Areas: Engine & Cooling (282), Powertrain & Transmission (123)
  • • Crash-Citing Complaints: 33 filings
  • • Fire-Citing Complaints: 11 filings
  • • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 35 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
1687
Submitted to NHTSA ODI
Crash-Citing Complaints
33
Filings citing a collision
Fire-Citing Complaints
11
Filings citing smoke or fire
Complaints Reporting Injuries
35
Filings citing one or more injuries
Complaints Reporting Fatalities
0
Consumer filings citing fatalities

Most Reported Problems for 2017 Ford Explorer

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

#1 Problem Area 38.9% of complaints

Body & Structure

657 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.
⚠️ 7 crash reports 🔥 2 fire reports 🩹 7 injury report entries
#2 Problem Area 16.7% of complaints

Engine & Cooling

282 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.
⚠️ 7 crash reports 🔥 3 fire reports 🩹 14 injury report entries
#3 Problem Area 7.3% of complaints

Powertrain & Transmission

123 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI
⚠️ 4 crash reports 🩹 1 injury report entry
#4 Problem Area 5.5% of complaints

Electrical System

93 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.
⚠️ 3 crash reports 🔥 6 fire reports
#5 Problem Area 4.5% of complaints

Steering System

76 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
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 2017 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.

Engine & Cooling 2.3% of complaints

Engine Coolant Intrusion / Oil Leak

38 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Powertrain & Transmission 1.5% of complaints

Loss of Motive Power While Driving

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

Engine Overheating / Temperature Warning

9 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Air Bags & Restraints 0.2% of complaints

Airbag Warning Light / Non-Deployment in Crash

4 complaint narratives describe this symptom
Steering System 0.2% of complaints

Steering Sticking, Binding or Assist Loss

4 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 2017 Ford Explorer

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

Body & Structure NHTSA ODI ID: #11759049
Filed: 08/24/2026

"The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver’s side door B-pillar trim detached and was hanging by the wires, which became frayed. The message "Liftgate Ajar" was displayed while the liftgate was closed. The contact associated the..."

Incident Date: 08/21/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STRUCTURE
Body & Structure NHTSA ODI ID: #11758208
Filed: 08/20/2026

"I know there is a current recall, but I have NO idea why FORD is taking almost 2 years now for a remedy. Now the trim piece under this recall is starting to separate from the driver side. This also has electrical functions (keyless entry), and is making driving the vehicle a challenge as who knows..."

Incident Date: 08/01/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STRUCTURE
Body & Structure NHTSA ODI ID: #11757397
Filed: 08/17/2026

"The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure). The dealer was contacted, and the driver’s side..."

Incident Date: 01/31/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STRUCTURE
Body & Structure NHTSA ODI ID: #11756707
Filed: 08/13/2026

"The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side B-pillar trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The contact stated that the B-pillar trim struck another vehicle. In addition, the driver's side B-pillar trim was fractured...."

Incident Date: 08/06/2026 • Raw NHTSA Component: STRUCTURE
Steering System NHTSA ODI ID: #11756710
Filed: 08/13/2026

"The steering wheel sticks when going into a turn then pulls back . It’s been on going . I know they had issues and recalls with steering ."

Incident Date: 01/01/2026 • 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 2441 38 15 View 2016 Problems →
2017 Ford Explorer Current Page 1687 33 14 Current
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 2017 Ford Explorer

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 146 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 581 0 1 0 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 269 1 2 9 0
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 136 0 2 5 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 75 0 0 0 0
Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 57 0 0 1 0
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 42 1 0 0 0
Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS 42 1 0 0 0
Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION 32 4 0 4 0
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 29 0 0 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 27 0 3 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 27 1 0 0 0
Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY 23 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 21 1 0 3 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 17 0 0 5 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 16 6 0 9 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 15 1 0 0 0
Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS 14 0 0 0 0
Tires NHTSA category: TIRES 13 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 0 0 0 0
Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS 8 0 0 1 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 8 2 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE 7 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER 6 1 0 0 0
TIRES,WHEELS 6 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 5 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION 5 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 4 0 1 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE 4 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 4 0 0 0 0
Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 4 0 0 0 0
Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 4 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 3 0 0 0 0
Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 0 0 0 0
Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 3 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 3 1 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN 3 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS 3 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,ENGINE 3 2 0 1 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 0 0 1 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 3 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE 3 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 2 1 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER 2 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN 2 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,STRUCTURE 2 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 1 0
Equipment & Accessories NHTSA category: EQUIPMENT 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 2 0 0 0 0
STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,SEATS 2 2 0 4 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 2 0 0 1 0
SUSPENSION,AIR BAGS 2 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE 2 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,WHEELS 2 0 0 0 0
TIRES,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,STRUCTURE 2 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY 2 0 0 0 0
WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 1 0 1 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE 1 0 1 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 1 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 1 0 2 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,EQUIPMENT 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 1 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEAT BELTS 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SEAT BELTS,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE 1 1 0 1 0
POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,WHEELS,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SEAT BELTS,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 1 0
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 1 0 0 0
STEERING,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,STRUCTURE,AIR BAGS 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,STRUCTURE,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION,AIR BAGS 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,TIRES 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,ENGINE 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,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
TETHER, LOWER ANCHOR (ON CAR SEAT OR VEHICLE) 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 1 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
WHEELS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES 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 (1687). 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 2017 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.