2016 Ford Explorer Electrical Problems

Truck turns off

NHTSA ID

11753172

Incident

Jul 3, 2026

I have a 2016 ford explorer limited and it has 2 separate recalls on it one being the exterior a pillar applique trim clip attachments are not properly engaged due to improper assembly which borders the right and left side of the windshield, may be loose missing or become detached. also, the driver and front passenger door b-pillar trim appliques may become partially or fully detached. which I can hear wind noise and a rattling noise with also water pouring inside my truck when it rains, which has now caused damage to my wiring in the seats where the heat and cold does not work, nor does my sunroof/moonroof work anymore bc the water comes in from the top also

NHTSA ID

11745291

Incident

Jan 1, 2026

I was driving on the highway and the driver side trim piece on the window flew off onto ongoing traffic. This is the second piece that flew off. The passenger side also flew off but was fixed. But now since this piece flew off I can’t even open my trunk. I did some research and it does say that the piece that flew off is connected to the trunk and a wire might have snapped when the piece flew off and now won’t allow the trunk to open. I took it to ford and they told me they can’t do anything about it until I get the recall paper and they get the piece in stock. This has been a year now that I’ve been having to drive around like this and with trunk not opening. Please help!

NHTSA ID

11742477

Incident

Sep 10, 2025

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 FORD Explorer. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 93,000 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 184,847.

NHTSA ID

11739134

Incident

May 5, 2026

Mileage

184,847 mi

Vehicle equipped with red and blue emergency lights, excessive auxiliary lights prohibited by law, facilitates color of law violations, poses a risk to general public regarding harassment, impersonation of police officer, seller has actual knowledge, strictly liable upon a purchase agreement with buyer, and can be liable for crimes committed by others as a coconspirator.

NHTSA ID

11728832

Incident

Apr 2, 2026

Vehicle equipped with operational red and blue emergency lights prohibited by law, facilitates criminal activity such as impersonation of a police officer, civil regulatory laws regarding excess auxiliary lights, etc. Seller has actual knowledge and can be liable under color of law upon a purchase agreement with a buyer. Vehicle has open recalls and unresolved mechanical/electrical maintenance.

NHTSA ID

11728822

Incident

Apr 2, 2026

Driving down the NJ Turnpike the dashboard started displaying lane assist no longer available along with a check engine light. Once stopped the front of the car had been burned with parts of the bumper melted. No visible fire at that time. Had the vehicle towed to Holman Ford. They assessed the damage to the Explorer and it was determined that the front facing camera had shorted causing an electrical fire that damaged the camera and front bumper writing harness along with the engine wiring harnesses. The car has been deemed a total loss due to the fire. The vehicle on has 67000 miles on it to date.

NHTSA ID

11726751

Incident

Mar 4, 2026

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

NHTSA ID

11707233

Incident

Feb 2, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID

11686458

Incident

Sep 10, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11685256

Incident

Mar 5, 2024

Mileage

153,000 mi

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 150,831 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was previously documented as 161,000.

NHTSA ID

11672408

Incident

Jul 10, 2025

Mileage

161,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11671101

Incident

Jul 1, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID

11670318

Incident

May 23, 2025

Mileage

142,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11667565

Incident

Feb 17, 2025

Mileage

100,000 mi

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 over to the side of the road, turned off the engine, and put out the fire. The seat was damaged beyond repair, and the wires were exposed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired for the most recent failure. No Fire and Police reports were filed. There were no injuries sustained. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts are not available.

NHTSA ID

11666632

Incident

Dec 16, 2024

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID

11666379

Incident

May 12, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11665811

Incident

Jun 8, 2025

Mileage

104,000 mi

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to apply for a loan, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was approximately 93,000 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was approximately 244,000.

NHTSA ID

11661228

Incident

May 8, 2025

Mileage

244,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11649079

Incident

Mar 18, 2025

Mileage

104,000 mi

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

NHTSA ID

11638275

Incident

Nov 1, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID

11636708

Incident

Jan 15, 2025

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

NHTSA ID

11634063

Incident

Dec 19, 2024

Mileage

112,891 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11632449

Incident

Sep 1, 2024

Mileage

128,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11617773

Incident

Aug 15, 2024

Mileage

19,000 mi

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 of the motor position sensor signal resulting a shut down of the power steering assist.” According to Ford, this issue “may increase the risk of a accident.” In 2015, Ford recalled certain model year Ford Fusion, Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKS, Lincoln MKT, and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. According to Ford, these vehicles had “electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.” As a result, “[i]f the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash”. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11613985

Incident

Aug 26, 2024