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Owner-Reported Problems · NHTSA

2016 Ford Explorer — Problems & Complaints

NHTSA has 2,461 owner complaints on file for this vehicle. Every report below was filed by a real owner with the US government's road-safety agency.

2,461
Complaints
filed with NHTSA
39
Involved a Crash
owner-reported
14
Involved Fire
owner-reported
59
Injuries
across all reports
Years to Avoid

Ford Explorer — Complaints by Model Year

Years flagged AVOID have at least twice this model's average complaint count — the strongest public-data signal of a bad year.

115 complaints

1,196 complaints

829 complaints

2,237 complaints

1,680 complaints

1,808 complaints

2,461 complaints

1,710 complaints

732 complaints

299 complaints

1,233 complaints

445 complaints

269 complaints

111 complaints

Problem Areas

What Owners Complain About Most

Structure 591 reports
Steering 531 reports
Unknown Or Other 431 reports
Engine 382 reports
Power Train 215 reports
Electrical System 128 reports
Engine And Engine Cooling 114 reports
Fuel/propulsion System 104 reports
In Their Own Words

Recent Owner Reports

Structure ODI 11633325 12/31/2024

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the keyless entry pad driver’s side B-pillar detached. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that the driver’s side B-pillar needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred after two years. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was de…

Structure ODI 11633440 12/31/2024

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side windshield trim detached and flew off the vehicle. The contact stated that due to the failure, there was a gap at the base of the windshield, allowing water to enter the engine compartment. Additionally, the contact stated that the passenger's side windshield trim…

Vehicle Speed Control ODI 11385949 12/31/2020

USING A PEDAL COMMANDER PC18 BLUETOOTH "THROTTLE ENHANCER" IN AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH A VHF MOBILE TWO-WAY RADIO. THE RADIO TRANSMITS AT 50W AND IS INSTALLED BY A PROFESSIONAL EMERGENCY VEHICLE UPFITTER PER MANUFACTURERS INSTRUCTIONS. WHEN TRANSMITTING IN THE 156MHZ RANGE THE PEDAL COMMAND CONSISTENTLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO BEGIN ACCELERATING WHEN I…

Visibility/wiper ODI 11292265 12/31/2019

THE REAR WINDSHIELD SPONTANEOUSLY SHATTERED WHILE DRIVING ON 495 SOUTH IN MA. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THE GLASS REMAINED INTACT TO PULL OFF TO SAFETY. WITH THE IMPACT OF THE CAR DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING, PIECES OF GLASS BEGAN TO BREAK AWAY.

Steering ODI 11164274 12/31/2018

MY POWER STEERING HAS BEEN MAKING A SNAPPING NOISE AND I'M AFRAID OF CATOSTROFIC FAILURE. I NO LONGER TRUST DRIVING THE VEHICLE, IT HAS ONLY 36,000 MILES.

Same Vehicle

Recalls & Crash Tests

Complaints are one half of the picture — see the official recalls and NHTSA crash-test stars for the 2016 Ford Explorer, or check your exact car by VIN with the free VIN lookup.

Check Another Car

Problems Checker

Any year, make and model: open the Car Problems Checker. Data: NHTSA (US DOT, public domain), cached up to 7 days.

Questions

FAQ

Is the 2016 Ford Explorer reliable?
Owners have filed 2,461 safety complaints with NHTSA for the 2016 Ford Explorer, most often about structure. Compare the complaint counts across model years above — a year with far more complaints than the model's average is the strongest 'avoid' signal in public data.
Which Ford Explorer years should I avoid?
The rule of thumb used by analysts: a model year whose complaint count is well above the model's own average (we flag 2× or more) usually had a real manufacturing or design problem — not just noisy reporting. Use the year-by-year strip on this page.
Where do these complaints come from?
Directly from NHTSA, the US government road-safety agency. Any owner can file a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire; NHTSA publishes them as public domain data. We cache each lookup for up to 7 days.
Do complaints mean a recall is coming?
Sometimes. NHTSA opens defect investigations when complaint patterns emerge, and investigations can end in recalls. Check the recalls page for this vehicle to see what has already been recalled.