2016 FORD EXPLORER Electrical System Problems

The display screen keeps rebooting and not available. Its a safety issue as the backup camera is not available for sometimes up to 10 minutes

Intermittently, the vehicle's backup camera displays a blank (black) image when the vehicle is placed in reverse. The issue resolves its self by turning the vehicle off and back on.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving in the rain, water leaked inside the vehicle from the dome light. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the moonroof failed to function as intended and was no longer able to be opened. The contact stated that there was mold on the front driver's side and front passenger's side seats, as well as inside the cupholders. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. However, the contact was informed that the moonroof assembly needed to be repaired. The contact had a friend inspect the vehicle and found a burnt wire underneath the steering wheel unit. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000.

The rear camera, mounted on the lift gate, is no longer operating correctly. At times, it will flicker off and on, camera picture 'rolls', or does not work at all (black screen with error message - "camera is no longer operational, contact the dealership"). These incidents with the camera have occurred multiple times each month over the last year. When reversing in the dark especially, this becomes a major safety issue. Currently do not see a NHTSA or Ford recall for this defect.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (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 contact stated that water was entering the cabin of the vehicle through the A-pillar and B-pillar trims, sunroof, and doors. The contact stated that the water had started to affect various electrical systems. The contact stated that the A/C unit failed to cool as prior to the failure. Additionally, the turn signals failed to self-deactivate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was 142,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the front passenger side door was opened, and the contact noticed water on the carpet after it had rained overnight. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that on another occasion, while driving 25 MPH, during a rainstorm, the contact noticed water leaking from the front windshield. Additionally, there was water leaking from the dome light into the vehicle. The contact became aware of failures with the electrical system. However, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost for the most recent failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V435000 (SUSPENSION), 24V031000 (Structure), and 25V347000 (STRUCTURE). However, the parts to do the recall repairs for 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (STRUCTURE) were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side A-pillar detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while the vehicle was idle and the contact was dropping off her child at school, the rear passenger seat caught on fire. The contact had turned on the seat warning, and when the daughter exited the vehicle, an abnormal burnt smell was coming from the back seat. The contact then noticed smoke was emitting from the seat. The contact pulled...

See attached document for complaint.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the keypad detached and flew off the driver’s side door. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the sunroof opened independently, and an abnormal burning odor was coming from inside the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was pending a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000. The VIN was not available.

The car will give an error “service charging system now” the car will then lose power steering and the ability to give it gas. Eventually , minutes later it will completely lose all power while in use. This has happened on several occasions, started in 2023. Had it checked and nothing was found and again it happened 01/15/2025

I was driving 55mph (speed limit) down a curvy country road when the steering wheel became stiff and wouldn’t turn. A red light flashed and said I had lost steering. I was barely able to get stopped before going of a steep embankment. I was stoped in a dangerous spot with no way get out of oncoming traffic. My vehicle flashed a yellow light that said Terrain management system failure. No only was my life risk everyone that traveled down that road that morning. This included a school bus full of children and several other people that were trying to make it so work just like me.

The problem remedied by TSB 21B11-s2 did not occur in my vehicle while the TSB was in effect. It has now surfaced

Randomly, the power steering, ABS, and traction control went out on my car. There are thousands of others with this issue and previous years of this car have already had a recall relating to this issue.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the A/C unit became inoperable. The vehicle was driven to a dealer and an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a leak in the A/C unit. The contact was informed that the A/C unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

Randomly whilst driving, my dash had multiple error messages pop up and my power steering went out completely. The error messages were as follows: Service AdvanceTrac, Terrain Management System Fault, Hill Start Assist Not Available, & Power Steering Assit Fault. This keeps happening intermittently, while I am driving. This causes a serious safety issue, for my steering wheel to lock up while I am driving! I did get the codes for the errors and they are as follows: U0420-41, C0051-67, U0151-00, U0131-00. My ABS system failed check, as well. This is a known issue with Ford vehicles, as there have already been recalls for previous models. According to [XXX]: "Ford has recalled earlier model year Explorers with power steering problems before. In 2014, Ford recalled certain model year 2011-2013 Ford Explorers, saying these vehicles “may experience an intermittent connection in the electric power steering gear, which can cause a loss...

Rack & Pinion Went out while driving . Ford dealer said it’s on back order a lot of vehicles have done it . Had complete steering loss in the mist of driving down road. It’s electrical .

All of my warning notifications (911 Assist, airbag, front camera, parking assist, lane departure, lane keeping, etc.) turn on after 10 minutes of driving or turning on ac/heat. I was told by Ford dealer that the steering column control module cluster needs to be replaced and that there is a backorder for the part meaning it is unknow when the part will be available ($1450 for repair plus $175 for diagnose). I have been waiting a month already and still no update. Dealer also said that they hope it will fix the problem but no knowing until it is done.

The water pump failed vehicle only has around 105,225 miles on it. This has been a known issue with the 3.5L Twin turbo ecoboost. The water and coolant continuously coming out happens to be on the alternator which has caused it to short out and no longer be working properly. There has not been any kind of malfunction or warning lights for any of the issues and because of the way ford designed the water pump to be inside the motor working off the timing chain it turns into what the book lists at 14-15 hours to complete. The motor has to come out taken apart to replace the water pump and with that not just one but both timing chains have to be set again which adds additional hours for the repair and of course more money to take it to a ford shop to have it fixed the...

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the second-row seat wiring harness plugs were damaged and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,000.

Stereo/ inside lights turn off randomly. Unable to know if others can see if blinkers are on or not. Has not been checked due to high out of pocket cost through dealership. No warning lights ever come on from the times the issues have occurred.

There has been many reports of electronic steering issue where it would just swerve you off the road and loose full control while driving for years 2013-2015 cars but 2016 years are also being effected. A dealership confirmed it was an electronic steering rack causing the issue. No warning lamps had went off either

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that rainwater had leaked into the driver's side B-pillar trim panel causing electrical failures to occur which included the battery failure and the keyless entry failure. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 125,000.

Vehicle sat for a little more than a week, and battery dies has happened multiple times. I consider this a safety issue, because I cannot leave my car for longer than a week. If I go on a trip, and coming back to a dead battery in the middle of the night is clearly unsafe. Battery is 1 1/2 months old, replaced it because it kept dying after a week to one and a half weeks of sitting. Dealer confirmed, parasitic draw, but says it’s within spec and nothing they can do about it. Suggestion from dealer, was leave the car on a trickle charger. If you look on Ford Explorer groups, this is a rampant problem with the Ford Explorer dating back years.

Faulty power steering making noise while turning, difficult while driving because power steering seems to be failing. Making it hazardous to drive because it is difficult to keep straightforward in the road. Day before occurrence the back hatch (lift gate is ajar) would not open and shows light on dashboard and not sure if it's electrical or related to power steering. Only open manually through back of vehicle.

The power liftgate stop working. The liftgate light on dashboard shows liftgate open and the power liftgate does not work open nor closes.

water pump blew up at 120k miles, motor locked up leaving me in the middle of the road

I was Driven down in Orlando FL while on vacation and 3 notifications popped up on the screen back to back. I pressed Ok to clear the notifications off the screen because I was Unsure what they meant. I soon lost control of my vehicle and was unable to steer. I ended Up veering into another lane and almost hit another vehicle. My boyfriend grabbed the wheel from the passenger side to help straighten it up. I was Thankful that incident did not harm my family or the other family. I get It towed to PepBoys and they inform me I need A new rack and pinion installed and that was going to run me up to $4500. I was Also told in the same sentence that the part I needed Was out of stock or unavailable pretty much everywhere. I contact Another shop and receive a cheaper quote but...

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the instrument panel intermittently went blank. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for a diagnostic test. The contact was informed that the APIM (Accessory Protocol Interface Module) had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer provided the contact with an estimate for the repair and agreed to cover half the cost of the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated upon conducting a routine inspection on the vehicle, he became aware that the battery was leaking acid onto the terminal connectors, and the terminal connectors were severely corroded. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the battery and the terminal connectors were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the battery and the terminal connectors needed to be replaced again. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 36,421.

Vehicle is experiencing a loss of power steering at all speeds. Steering stiffens and loosens erratically. Repair shop reports failure to electronic steering system and state that a replacement of the electronic steering gear assembly is required.

Everytime my ac/heat is on it affects my engine as I’m driving. My speedometer fast jumps. As soon as I turn it off it seems to run better. I made a complaint a week ago about something going on with my fuel and fan running high speed. I have a foul smell in my car. I thought for awhile it was something outside but now I believe it’s coming from my car. It smells like fuel/rubber/sewer if that makes sense.

My fuel evap pump check engine light keeps coming on. I’ve owned this vehicle since July 2022 and I have paid for the evap pump 3x’s. My fan constantly runs in the engine. My engine has a stutter when I press the gas. Ford absolutely dropped the ball with this vehicle. I have already paid thousands of dollars (water pump, evap pumps and more) please help on getting this car serviced. I still owe like 20k on this car. I cannot afford to keep getting it fixed. I have 121k miles on it.

My vehicle had a rear seat air bag recall. i brought the vehicle in for the recall and during a test of the airbag system the driver side air bag had a fault and the harness was replaced. Ford indicated that the vehicle airbag system is operational. I got a airbag light come on the dash and an appointment was made. They told me that the passenger side airbag harness is defective. They would not repair the issue because they said that the recall had been resolved and this is a new one? I feel that they did not resolve the issue since it is a electrical harness issue that needed a recall for the entire vehicle. since they said the fixed the driver side they will not honor the recall. I feel this is not fair for the consumer and the safety of the passengers. I feel that there...

My touch screen isn’t working properly and I have brand new converters in there is smoke coming out of my tail pipes, also I have to jump my vehicle every time I want to go somewhere.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N01 (High Speed Fan Motor Relay) the dealer diagnosed that the water pump was faulty, causing the air conditioner fan to fail to deactivate. The dealer declined to perform the repair because the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 41,785.

Rack and pinion power steering rack stopped working while my wife was driving back home with our two kids that are 4 years old and 9 months old. Thankful she didn't crash because she was unable to steer the vehicle. No warnings or signs of the part going bad. Ford should be held responsible for issues like this. Numerous people are having the same issue.

The accelerator for the climate controls is malfunctioning. Cannot defrost the windows to see, when driving the windows get so fogged I have to pull over to get them to defrost. Over 50k people online have stated the same issue. The climate controls stop working and there are no recalls from Ford. When I spoke to Ford, the lady made a statement that she’s had many calls with the same issue and it’s definitely a Saftey hazard.

First problem I had was with the Actuator. I lost the ability of defrost and have the heat/AC go to anything other than direct face mode. Now, the power steering to my 2016 Ford Explorer is gone. It felt like I was grinding concrete when I would make any turn or slight shift. It’s been at the shop for weeks due to a backorder. I’m a single mom of 2 and it’s my only transportation. I’m really struggling without my vehicle. This should be part of a recall ASAP cause from my research this is too common almost this vehicle and good people are really going through it.

On 6/16/22 my vehicle was put in the shop for overheating. It was a water pump leak. It is a timing chain run water pump. The water pump is located in the engine. It was a very expensive repair. Due to the amount of labor this took to fix I was out of a vehicle for almost a month. I paid for the repair. Less that a week after I got it back my AC stopped working. Back to the shop it went. More money later... Mechanic explained to us that the water pump is located on top of the compressor. When it leaked it got all over everything destroying it. Now I must get a new compressor. No telling what else it ruined under there. This is a huge problem with this year model of Ford. Matter of fact in Canada it has already been recalled. Why is this...

My rack and pinion steering column and power steering pump went out causing a hefty cost to replace and it is starting to fail again creating hazardous conditions while driving. I do believe there is a steering issue in these models. Also my power lift gate in the back closes without stopping automatically while I’m loading the rear or unloading. There is NO STOPPING SAFETY SENSOR, I HAD THE BACK CLOSE ON ME MULTIPLE TIMES AND ALMOST CRUSH ME. there is no safety sensor to stop the power lift gate from closing on you, I have had to crawl in my rear end to avoid being crushed by my liftgate! This is not safe!

The airbag light comes on due to the connectors in the wiring harness used for the airbag and seatbelt restraint system. When the light is on the airbags will not deploy, making this a safety related issue. Ford has a technical service bulletin Ford TSB 16-0001 showing the issue. This is not covered for repair and the cost is $900.00 to $1100.00 per side (there are two sides) to replace the wire harness and connectors. https://www.tsbsearch.com/Ford/16-0001

Vehicle displays airbag warning light. Dealership diagnostic test determined there is a faulty connection to the 2nd-row inflatable seatbelt sensor. Ford issued a service bulletin to replace the wire harness pigtail connection. When the airbag light is illuminated due to this faulty connection, all of the airbags in the vehicle are deactivated. Directly from site: Https://Ford.oemdtc.com/1203/air-bag-warning-light-illuminated-with-dtc-B141B-B141C-2014-2016-Ford-Explorer tsb 16-0001 airbag warning light illuminated with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) B141B and/or B141C. This is not normal wear and tear but a safety item design by Ford that has failed in the vehicle. Ford dealership claims that this is not warranty failure. Cost to repair $1085 plus $230 diagnostic test charge.

The electronic door clocks are continuously failing where the door cannot be opened in an emergent situation. On 6/24/20 the front driver door latch had to be replaced and on 03/21/21 the left rear door latch had to be replaced. Presently the right rear door latch is not operating and the vehicle has been scheduled for service on 7/9/21.. When these locks fail you are unable to open the doors unless you can reach the lock to pull up. In an emergency such as a crash or fire this failure can be fatal. It appears that there is a design flaw or defect with these locks. Review of internet blogs reveal this may be a common unreported problem that needs immediate attention. In the event there are emergent circumstances requiring the removal of a child or elderly this may be tragic.

RADIO SPARKING AND SMOKING PLUS PEELING AND BUBBLES INSIDE THE HOOD PAINT

AIR BAG LIGHT ON DASH. CAUSED BY DTC B141B. FOUND TSB RELATED TO CONNECTORS UNDER REAR SEAT MP 130. CAR WAS STATIONARY.

THE 2ND ROW AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON, AND FORD TOLD ME IT WAS A SHORTAGE IN THE WIRES AND IT WASN'T COVERED UNDER THE MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY. THEY STATED THAT SINCE THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS ON, THE SHORT IN THE WIRING WOULD STOP THE AIRBAG FROM DEPLOYING, WHICH IN TURN IS A SAFETY ISSUE.

94000 MILES THE TRANSFER CASE BURST AND WHEN 70000 MILES CHARGING CYCLE DOES NOT WORK , THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPS.

AIRBAG LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY FOR OVER 1 YEAR. DIAGNOSTIC TEST DETERMINED THERE IS A FAULTY CONNECTION TO THE 2ND ROW INFLATABLE SEATBELT SENSOR. FORD ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN TO REPLACE THE WIRE HARNESS PIG TAIL CONNECTION. WHEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED DUE TO THIS FAULTY CONNECTION, ALL OF THE AIR BAGS IN THE VEHICLE ARE DEACTIVATED. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, AND MY FAMILY HAS BEEN DRIVING THE CAR IN THIS CONDITION FOR OVER A YEAR. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH, NUMEROUS CASES EXIST REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE. PLEASE ADDRESS THIS SAFETY ISSUE.

THERE IS AN SRS AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD THAT USED TO INTERMITTENTLY DISPLAY. NOW IT IS ON CONSISTENTLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN. IT IS DUE TO A CIRCUIT FAILURE OR A BROKEN CORD LEADING TO THE DRIVER SIDE MIDDLE ROW SEATBELT AIRBAG. DIRECTLY FROM SITE: HTTPS://FORD.OEMDTC.COM/1203/AIR-BAG-WARNING-LIGHT-ILLUMINATED-WITH-DTC-B141B-B141C-2014-2016-FORD-EXPLORER TSB 16-0001 AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) B141B AND/OR B141C THIS IS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR BUT A SAFETY ITEM DESIGN BY FORD THAT HAS FAILED IN THE VEHICLE. FORD DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THAT THIS IS NOT WARRANTY FAILURE. BUT SOUNDS LIKE AN ELECTRICAL AND SAFETY ISSUE TO ME...WHICH SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE TRUTH TO THE MATTER IS...FORD DOES NOT CARE THAT A POTENTIALLY HIGH RISK PROBLEM HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A FAILURE ON THE COMPANY'S END BUT THEY DON'T CARE ENOUGH TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. WELL..OTHER THAN CHARGE THE CUSTOMER CLOSE TO...