2015 Ford Explorer Engine Problems

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there were exhaust fumes inside the vehicle, causing the contact headaches and nausea, and the two grandkids were complaining about headaches as well. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined to have a catalytic converter failure, which was repaired, but the fumes persisted. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, who determined that the exhaust fumes were coming from the rear liftgate seals. No further information was available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 120,000.

NHTSA ID

11754025

Incident

Jan 3, 2026

Mileage

120,000 mi

Exhaust fumes leak into the cabin while increasing speed.

NHTSA ID

11752881

Incident

Sep 7, 2022

The specific component or system has not fully failed. However, my vehicle is currently experiencing an intermittent check engine light condition, turning off and on, which was diagnosed at a Retailer producing code P0018 then at the dealership and produced code P0017. The codes relate to the engine control module (ECM) detects that the camshaft on is out of sync with the crankshaft resulting in misaligned engine timing. I have requested that the dealership further review and escalate the diagnosis to determine whether the issue aligns with any known concerns, Technical Service Bulletins, or manufacturer-supported programs. The vehicle and any related components are available for inspection upon request. At this time, the vehicle experiences reduced engine performance, including stalling, and inability to accelerator as needed, which pose a safety risk while driving, particularly in traffic or at highway speeds. The vehicle has been inspected and confirmed by the dealership. I have also contacted the manufacturer, who advised me to work directly with the dealership to have the issue reviewed and potentially escalated. I have since requested that they further evaluate the condition and determine whether it corresponds to any known issues or manufacturer-supported repair programs. At this time, the vehicle has not been inspected by police, insurance representatives, or other third parties. This check engine light and fluctuating RPM directly impacting the vehicles acceleration was the primary indicator of the issue. The manufacturer previously issued two Customer Satisfaction Program notices to address this issue for other model year vehicles. I have attached both notices to this complaint. This demonstrates a manufacturer defect which is a safety hazard for drivers.

NHTSA ID

11725963

Incident

Jan 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there were exhaust fumes inside the vehicle while accelerating. There were no warning lights illuminated. Upon research, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Action Number: EA17002 (Structure, Engine and Engine Cooling). The local dealer was contacted and informed that there was a fee for the repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ID

11722194

Incident

Mar 5, 2026

Mileage

140,000 mi

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the odor of exhaust fumes was present inside the cabin of the vehicle, causing the driver and the passenger to experience nausea and dizziness. No medical assistance was required. The contact was concerned that there was possibly carbon monoxide hazard inside the vehicle while driving. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were contacted regarding ethe failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed of NHTSA Action Number: EA17002 (STRUCTURE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the investigation. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11719301

Incident

Feb 20, 2025

ENGINE LIGHT ACTIVATION code: P0430 Catalyst system efficiency below threshold Bank 2

NHTSA ID

11714409

Incident

Jan 30, 2026

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that on several occasions, while starting the vehicle and while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the long block assembly had failed, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.

NHTSA ID

11705695

Incident

Dec 17, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon placing the gear shifter in park(P) and turning off the vehicle, the message "Transmission Not in Park" was flashing on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start up after several attempts. The contact called an independent mechanic, and the vehicle was towed to the shop. The mechanic discovered that the water pump inside the engine was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

NHTSA ID

11694118

Incident

Jul 1, 2023

Mileage

72,000 mi

When accelerating and braking, motor rocks forward and backwards. Rpms jump erratically when this happens and when sitting stationary at a light or stop sign. Which causes the entire vehicle to vibrate. Oddly enough, fuel injector cleaner seems to help with the vehicle shaking somewhat.

NHTSA ID

11693819

Incident

Oct 14, 2025

1. Component/System Failure: The water pump on my 2016 Ford Explorer failed, causing a significant antifreeze leak. The component is available for inspection upon request. 2. Safety Risk: The failure creates a risk of engine seizure while driving. Loss of engine coolant can cause the engine to overheat suddenly, potentially leading to a dangerous situation on the road that could harm myself or other drivers. 3. Confirmation of Problem: The problem has been confirmed by the dealer service department during inspection. The water pump leak was observed and diagnosed by a certified Ford service technician. 4. Inspections: The vehicle has been inspected by the dealer. I have also documented prior repairs to the vehicle, including a timing chain replacement two years ago. The water pump issue has not yet been inspected by Ford corporate. 5. Warning Lamps/Symptoms: Prior to the failure, there were no warning lamps on the dashboard. I noticed coolant leaking from the water pump area, and the temperature gauge began to rise. The leak was first observed AUG 15

NHTSA ID

11687615

Incident

Aug 15, 2025

The factory installed headlight screw punctured the coolant line of my 2015 Ford Explorer causing my transmission to stop working properly. This resulted in a $725 tow bill and $1,067.56 in repairs. The certified mechanic verified that the screw was an original part and it punctured the line, likely after some time rubbing against it. The transmission did not appear to be damaged however my safety was at risk trying to pull over to when the vehicle would no longer shift gears. I have a video of the leak that lines up with the screw placement but was not able to upload it...I am happy to email it to you.

NHTSA ID

11679847

Incident

May 17, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the power steering assist was inoperable. The failure occurred while the contact’s husband was stopped for fuel. The driver turned on the vehicle and the steering wheel had seized. The engine maintenance warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion and steering needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired by the dealer. The contact stated that an independent mechanic confirmed that the steering and rack and pinion needed to be replaced, but the parts were on backorder. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was opened. The owner was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

NHTSA ID

11678555

Incident

Jul 12, 2025

Mileage

102,000 mi

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost automotive power, with the ABS, traction control, and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the ABS control module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 158,443.

NHTSA ID

11676216

Incident

Jun 25, 2025

Mileage

158,443 mi

When vehicle is on and either in park or at a stop, RPMs will idle at about 800-1000 RPM then randomly shoot up between 2000-2500 RPMs then drop to below 500 RPMs before returning to idle. It’ll do this randomly.

NHTSA ID

11666213

Incident

Jun 10, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, there was an abnormally strong odor entering the cabin of the vehicle. The contact was experiencing reoccurring headaches from the odor. No medical attention was needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the failure could not be replicated. The contact stated that shortly after a visit to the mechanic, the check engine warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 166,000.

NHTSA ID

11647833

Incident

Jan 26, 2025

Mileage

166,000 mi

Took vehicle in to see local mechanic due to small drops of antifreeze on ground. Mechanic concluded water pump would need to be replaced. Since water pump is built into the engine for this Ford model, the engine would need to be dismantled to fix. Repairs are going to cost around 3500-4000 to fix just a water pump.....(poor design by Ford) 2015 Ford Explorer Sport has 110,000 miles.

NHTSA ID

11646437

Incident

Mar 4, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rubber around the front windshield had disintegrated. There was water entering the vehicle from the front windshield. The contact added a caulk to the vehicle to stop the water leaking in on the dashboard. The engine and air bag warning lights were illuminated. 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 an unknown local dealer was contacted. 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 issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11622711

Incident

Jan 1, 2016

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, there was a strong abnormal odor intermittently coming from the inside of the vehicle. The failure occurred on several different occasions. The contact stated that it became difficult to breathe; there was no medical attention sought. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the place of residence. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.

NHTSA ID

11621010

Incident

Oct 21, 2023

Mileage

76,000 mi

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at 35-40 MPH, the rear turbo failed. There were no warning lights. There was smoke emerging from the rear exhaust. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, while test driving the vehicle determined that the front turbo blew out and an engine replacement was needed. Additionally, the fan was moved by the turbo failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

NHTSA ID

11620518

Incident

Aug 15, 2024

Mileage

155,000 mi

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly shuddered before losing motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart. The engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the torque converter. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 20N07. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 127,000.

NHTSA ID

11619212

Incident

Oct 10, 2024

Mileage

127,000 mi

Had the car for about a year. After the last service I brought in car was fine for a few months, but just recently Had a coolant leak start, very slow but not good. Took it to the service department and they said The water pump is bad. I’ve heard several case of this being a known issue but am learning that it has not been issued as a recall. Now expected to drop $5K on replacing the water pump on a known issue.

NHTSA ID

11617809

Incident

Sep 23, 2024

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the water pump was leaking. The contact added coolant. There was cool air being distributed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined there was a water pump leak and that the water pump needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.

NHTSA ID

11616216

Incident

Sep 10, 2024

Mileage

145,000 mi

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the RPM increased to 6,000 and the vehicle lost motive power. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics where it was diagnosed with a failed leaking turbo charger. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

NHTSA ID

11612263

Incident

Jul 15, 2024

Mileage

94,000 mi

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID

11610136

Incident

Mar 12, 2024

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while operating the vehicle the odor of exhaust fumes was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who determined that the cabin of the vehicle needed to be resealed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the vehicle did not qualify for the manufacturer’s Extended Warranty coverage to repair the vehicle. The failure mileage was 114,000.

NHTSA ID

11609880

Incident

Aug 16, 2024

Mileage

114,000 mi