RoadVitals

2015 Ford Explorer Body & structure Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Body & structure reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
401
Latest Sep 21, 2026
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
22%
of 1,791 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
4
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
4

What this page shows

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2015 Ford Explorer submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 401 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming body or structure

The 25 most recent of 401, in the owner's own words

Body & structurePowertrain (other)
Filed Sep 21, 2026

The contact owned a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving, the front windshield trim detached from the vehicle. Additionally, the ABS warning light illuminated on the instrument panel, and the "Service Advancetrac" message was displayed. Additionally, the message “Transmission not in Park” was displayed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with gear shifter failure and an obsolete instrument panel.

NHTSA ID
11765973
Incident
Sep 21, 2026
Body & structure
Filed Sep 20, 2026

Driving down road and A pillar trim started to vibrate. Eventually while driving within 2 hour the lower part of the pillar raised up and flopped in wind. It was inspected and rejected for recall replacement in April 2025. Visual inspection by dealer service writer states the a pillar trims definitely meets the requirement for replacement but recall has expired

NHTSA ID
11765710
Incident
Sep 15, 2026
Body & structure
Filed Sep 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact's brother became aware that the driver's side exterior B-pillar trim was loose. The contact was concerned that the front driver's side exterior B-pillar would detach and fall off while the vehicle was being driven. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V347000 (Structure); as a possible cause for the failure; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

NHTSA ID
11761536
Incident
Aug 30, 2026
Mileage
65,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Aug 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 various speeds, the driver’s and passenger’s side windshield trim was flopping and was loose, and there was wind entering the vehicle through the windshield trim. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the exterior A-pillar trim needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ID
11759445
Incident
Feb 15, 2026
Mileage
100,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Aug 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 has to get [XXX] We have no transportation The car sits in our garage not drivable. Macon,GA [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11759277
Incident
Aug 15, 2026
Body & structure
Filed Aug 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 contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available even though the recall information stated that parts were available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 137,000.

NHTSA ID
11757977
Incident
Jan 19, 2024
Mileage
137,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Aug 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side windshield exterior A-pillar trim detached. Two dealers, including Bozard Ford (540 Outlet Mall Blvd, St. Augustine, FL 32084), were contacted and confirmed that parts were unavailable. 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 manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that parts were unavailable with no anticipated availability date. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ID
11755870
Incident
Jul 10, 2026
Mileage
150,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Aug 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the windshield exterior A-pillar trims had detached while driving. The contact stated that one of the trims struck and cracked the windshield. The windshield was replaced. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for inspection, and the contact was informed that the A-pillar trims needed to be replaced; however, one of the four required parts was unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

NHTSA ID
11755220
Incident
Jan 14, 2026
Mileage
89,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Jul 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the exterior A-pillar and B-pillar trim appliques loosened and detached from the vehicle on multiple occasions. Due to the recurring failure, the contact applied duct tape to secure both trims. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time to provide the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 90,061.

NHTSA ID
11748580
Incident
Jan 24, 2024
Mileage
90,061 mi
Body & structure
Filed Jun 17, 2026

The Trim piece that has the keyless entry pad on it that was attached to the drivers door came off while driving down the interstate.

NHTSA ID
11744901
Incident
May 17, 2026
Body & structure
Filed Jun 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000(STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact had stated while driving 70 MPH, an unknown windshield exterior A- pillar trim separated from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 150,000.

NHTSA ID
11742693
Incident
Mar 1, 2024
Mileage
150,000 mi
Body & structureDriver assistance
Filed May 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received the recall notification letter for NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The rear camera was blank and backwards. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ID
11739207
Incident
May 21, 2024
Mileage
100,000 mi
Body & structureDriver assistanceVisibility
Filed May 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notice of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that while driving in the rain on several occasions, he observed water leaking from the left and top of the middle of the windshield. The contact stated that overtime water had leaked and puddling around the sunroof molder and rusted and shorted the sunroof motor. The contact stated that the sunroof did not work due to the shorted motor. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed about the two active recalls and that the rear view camera was inverted and it was diagnosed that the exterior a pillar clip attachments and sunroof and shade motor needed the replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the dealer not honoring the sunroof repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

NHTSA ID
11738028
Incident
Oct 1, 2021
Mileage
117,000 mi
Body & structureDriver assistance
Filed May 13, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while reversing, the rear view camera displayed a blank screen. In addition, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side Exterior A-Pillar Applique Trim detached. The contact stated that two weeks later, the passenger's side Exterior A-Pillar Applique Trim fractured. The contact applied tape to hold the trim in place. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was inspected, however the contact was informed that the parts were unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received recall notifications, NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention) however the parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.

NHTSA ID
11737687
Incident
May 15, 2024
Mileage
130,000 mi
Body & structureDriver assistance
Filed Apr 24, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image failed to function properly, and the rearview camera image was blank. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention) and 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.

NHTSA ID
11733673
Incident
Apr 24, 2026
Mileage
116,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Apr 23, 2026

my B pillars started coming off on the highway going 60 mph. driver side was hanging by electrical piece for the keypad for door opening. my son looked and passenger side coming off as well. had to pull over and duct tape it on. already had A pillars replaced which left side was coming off, had to duct tape. for some reason their is a recall for this on 2016 and up but not 2015.

NHTSA ID
11733184
Incident
Apr 13, 2026
Body & structureDriver assistance
Filed Apr 20, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the exterior A-pillar trims had detached. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where tape was applied to the trims as a temporary fix. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. No further information was available. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ID
11732325
Incident
Apr 20, 2025
Mileage
80,000 mi
Body & structureBrakesSuspension
Filed Apr 15, 2026

My vehicle has been shaking and clunking for years now, and my dealership has denied me service for two years on account of them not being able to recieve parts

NHTSA ID
11731418
Incident
Mar 23, 2024
Body & structureDriver assistance
Filed Apr 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to do the recalls repairs were not yet available. An unknown dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the parts were not yet available for the recall repairs. Additionally, the contact stated that the parts had been unavailable for more than a year. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID
11730335
Incident
Apr 10, 2026
Body & structure
Filed Apr 2, 2026

Insignias on motor vehicle labeled as "POLICE" facilitates false impersonation of a police officer and/ perception of false pretenses. Seller has actual knowledge and can be punished under color of law upon a purchase agreement.

NHTSA ID
11728813
Incident
Apr 2, 2026
Body & structure
Filed Mar 30, 2026

Passenger's side A-pillar molding flew off while driving.

NHTSA ID
11728033
Incident
Feb 5, 2024
Body & structure
Filed Mar 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID
11727034
Incident
Mar 25, 2026
Body & structure
Filed Mar 25, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side A-pillar trim fractured. The contact stated that the A-Pillar trim was loosely swinging across the windshield. In addition, the contact stated that because of the failure and the unrepaired recall, the exterior air and moisture came into the interior of the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or a dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, parts for the recall repair were unavailable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

NHTSA ID
11727021
Incident
Mar 25, 2025
Mileage
40,000 mi
Body & structure
Filed Mar 23, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, one of the windshield exterior A-pillar trims detached and was flapping against the driver's side window before separating from the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure), and the dealer was contacted for the recall repair. The dealer sent a mobile technician to the residence, and the vehicle was inspected. The technician informed the contact that the windshield exterior A-pillar trims were missing. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available, and the vehicle was not repaired; however, after contacting the NHTSA Hotline for recall information, the contact was informed that the VIN was no longer included in the recall. The contact confirmed that the recall repair had not been completed. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

NHTSA ID
11726401
Incident
Sep 7, 2025
Mileage
83,000 mi
Body & structureSuspension
Filed Mar 19, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal, roaring sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact's husband discovered that the steel belts on the driver’s and passenger’s rear tires were prematurely worn. The contact then became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension); which the contact associated with the failure. An appointment was scheduled with a local dealer for the recall repair. Upon arriving for the appointment, the contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the issue, and the contact was informed that the recall repair was performed prior to and was a one-time repair. The contact provided an estimate for an out-of-pocket repair. The contact stated that the top of the driver’s and passenger’s side A-pillar trims were loose. The contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the part for the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

NHTSA ID
11725654
Incident
Dec 1, 2025
Mileage
127,000 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .