2015 Ford Explorer Problems

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.

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

Power-assisted steering fails repeatedly. No warning lights, codes, or alarms are presented or shown. Steering reverts to manual control only and becomes very difficult to turn. This presents a potentially serious safety issue. Power-assisted steering returns to normal operation but fails again intermittently and repeatedly. Ford has not issued a recall and the price is exorbitantly expensive for consumer. additionally , only a dealer can replace or program the failing parts, consumer cannot replace them on their own using standard automotive repair tools. this is a serious safety risk and a known issue from Ford, and a clear violation of consumer protection acts. Ford's corporate behavior in this matter is inconscionable. I would not have purchased the vehicle had I known that Ford does not support warranty for this very common issue. it is a design flaw and a serious safety risk. consumers will soon be dying due to this problem, if they have not already.

I was driving at 65 mph on the highway when the light for the steering came up and the power steering shut down. I had a hard time to turn the steering wheel until I was able to exit the road. I shut the car down and restarted and everything was ok, but there is a problem because the light came up again. More cars with same problem.

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.

Exhaust fumes leak into the cabin while increasing speed.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the rear-view camera was intermittently inoperable. The message "Rear-view Camera Unavailable - Contact Dealer" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. A local dealer was contacted and stated that parts were only available for Ford Mustang vehicles. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear-view camera displayed incorrectly, causing the screen to go blank or forcing the image to appear reversed, shifted, or upside down. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do 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 for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed fuel leaking from near the fuel tank. The contact was unsure which warning light was illuminated, but stated that a yellow warning light was illuminated, and there was a strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the vehicle was unsafe to drive and that the failure could potentially result in a fire. The vehicle was then towed to the residence, where the failure continued. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 152,000.

While driving with the ac on you can smell exhaust fumes in the cabin and it's worse towards the rear carbin of the vehicle. I've gotten nauseated and sleepy from the fumes and have had several headaches in addition to the other symptoms. Ford needs to recall this issue. Also I have an active recall for the window pillars and the dealership says they still dont have the parts to fix it, and it's been over a year, what's the hold up Ford??!!

My 2015 Ford Explorer is subject to an open rearview camera safety recall (Ford recall 25SA9 / NHTSA recall 25V695), and the recalled rearview camera has now failed. The camera is no longer functioning properly, leaving me without the rearview camera image when backing up. Despite the failure of the recalled component, I have been unable to have the vehicle repaired because Ford has not made the recall remedy/part available for my 2015 Explorer. I have been waiting for the recall repair for an extended period of time. This is an active safety issue, not simply a notice for a component that might fail in the future. The recalled component in my vehicle has already failed, yet I am still being required to operate the vehicle without the safety feature because the manufacturer has not made the recall repair available. I am especially concerned about the risk when backing out of driveways and parking spaces where pedestrians or children may be behind the vehicle. I am requesting that NHTSA review Ford’s continued delay in providing a remedy for affected 2015 Explorer owners whose recalled cameras have already failed.

The analog rearview backup camera module failed. The physical component is still installed in the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. The driver is left completely blind to pedestrians, small children, and obstacles behind the vehicle when backing up. The driver is forced to repeatedly stop the vehicle in active traffic lanes to wait for the black screen to reset, creating an immediate risk of rear-end collisions. Yes. The failure was confirmed by a certified Ford dealership service department, which provided an estimate for a replacement camera module but failed to perform the physical repair. The vehicle was brought to a certified Ford dealership for inspection, but the service department turned the vehicle away, claiming the safety recall remedy was unavailable and refusing to log the inspection or create an official service record. There were no warning lamps or dashboard messages. The symptoms began in 2021/2022 with intermittent screen distortion and blue screens, which eventually degraded into a permanent, total black screen failure while shifted into reverse.

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.

Oil smell in vehicle cabin, most likely from ptu, based on the oil smell.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the wiring underneath the second-row seats had failed. The dealer spliced new pigtail connectors underneath the second-row seats and rerouted the harness underneath the seats, as per TSB Number: 16-0001. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 80,159.

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.

Failure of replaced toelinks to be properly torque or design flaw. The toelinks continue to slide out of alignment and kick bottomf of both tires out. Causes instability in car, issues with differential and unnecessary wear of rear tires.

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

Backup camera does not work properly. Sometimes it’s showing objects behind me backwards (safety concern) like it’s showing I’m on the opposite side of where I’m trying to park/back up and sometimes it doesn’t work at all (flickering screen/black/gives notification to contact dealer). I have taken it to our local dealer for an approved inspection that it does not work & was told there’s no fix for it yet. No warning sign that this was coming- I had to look up the recall myself.

Recall for faulty rearview camera. Still has no remedy. Mine is giving issues. Glitches, freezes, and displays error message to contact dealership. Has almost caused multiple accidents. Have spoken to dealership. With no remedy from ford they want to charge me a fortune to replace and reprogram the camera system.

I have reported this multiple times here and to Ford. The 2015 Ford explorer sport bucket seats in the back seat have defective seat belts. They do not release properly and in fact 1 of the 2 I had a child get STUCK in the seatbelt. I have been told by Ford dealer, and an outside service center, and I've looked it up as well online that over 200+ppl have complained of this issue. SEATBELTs that are LOCKED/DO NOT RELEASE is a huge safety issue!Yes this problem has been confirmed by Ford and an independent service center. No warnings occurred when this happened. This first appeared over 4 years ago and FORD has done NOTHING to address it!

This weekend the seatbelt on the Driver seat gave out and now I am unable to buckle my seatbelt at all. I called Larry H Miller Ford in Lakewood CO and they informed me that a diagnostic for the seat belt is 230$ which is out of my budget. The women I spoke with then stated that just the other day she had an Explorer (same make and model as my vehicle) came in with the same issues and the repair was about 1,200$ which is definitely not in my budget. Not only is it illegal to drive without a seat belt in Colorado, it is extremely dangerous and posses an immediate risk to my safety. Like I stated I can’t afford Fords diagnostic however if I need to take it to insurance or police for inspection I will do that. There was no warning signals or indication this would happen. I would like further investigation if this has already happened to at least 2 of us in the Denver area there has to be more and this is extremely dangerous and up to Ford to fix the problem.

ABS module has failed. Causing a number of other safety systems to be deactivated. Power steering, traction control, drive mode selection, and braking. All these lights are illuminated on dash. Independent auto repair shop verified this ABS module has failed and there is no replacement parts from Ford.

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

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rear driver's side door failed to latch as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the rear driver's side door failed to latch or unlatch while using the door switch. The contact stated that the failure was a safety hazard. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

Parking lights are illuminated and not head lamps for daytime running lights. Was sold by Ford Certified Dealership. Also has no interior lighting for security. BCM replaced, and still has same issue, along with the 3rd row seats not functioning, interior overhead lights not functioning, trailer socket not functioning.

We have a onefit. Our seat cover will not cover part of the head rest and he is able to pick and scratch at the Styrofoam. Even caught him trying to eat it. This has happened on several occasions. We have had to stop using the seat.

On 11/7/2025, your team completed the Rear Suspension Toe Link Fracture recall repair. However, on 11/13/2025, while driving, I discovered that the rear passenger-side wheel was extremely loose and nearly detached. This was due to the lug nuts not being properly tightened after your service—a severe safety hazard that could have resulted in a catastrophic accident. Because of this negligence, I incurred significant additional expenses and inconvenience: Emergency service from an independent mechanic over the course of a week (11/13–11/17) to secure the wheel and address damage caused by the incident. Replacement of rear knuckle assemblies, hubs, and front struts because the hubs were seized and could not be removed without replacing the knuckles. On 11/29, at a second shop where I replaced two tires, I learned that the vehicle could not be properly aligned because the toe link installed during your recall repair is not adjustable. The mechanic noted that proper alignment requires either camber bolts or an adjustable toe link. As a result, the vehicle remains severely unbalanced and unsafe to drive. Both invoices and mechanic notes confirm the dangerous condition caused by improperly secured lug nuts and the inability to align the vehicle due to the toe link issue.

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights became inoperable. The contact stated that the fuses were in good condition. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that a diagnostic test was needed; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 166,000.

Parking lights are illuminated and not head lamps for daytime running lights. Was sold by Ford Certified Dealership. Also has no interior lighting for security. BCM replaced, and still has same issue, along with the 3rd row seats not functioning, interior overhead lights not functioning, trailer socket not functioning.

2015 FORD EXPLORER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO SAFETY RECALL 19V-435. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED 12 DAYS AFTER HAVING A RECALL COMPLETED, IT WAS DISCOVERED THE REAR TOE LINKS AND JAM NUTS WERE VERY LOOSE. THE TIRES CUPPED FROM BEING SO LOOSE. *JS *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT FLASHED INTERMITTENTLY. THE TIRES WERE ADDED AIR BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL ODOR IN THE VEHICLE WHILE THE AIR CONDITION WAS IN OPERATION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HOWEVER, AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WOULD BE OFFERED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.

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.