2016 Ford Explorer Powertrain (other) Problems

The contact called on behalf of his wife, who owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently accelerated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact researched online and was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V164000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

NHTSA ID

11753015

Incident

Jul 26, 2026

Mileage

155,000 mi

My 2016 ford explorers torque converter has failed. It causes a extremely rough idle while in drive or reverse, the rpms vary and at a complete stop the car will continue to lunge forward. If I were to continue to drive the vehicle at any point without warning my transmission could completely lock up causing me to stall in the middle of the road. The dealership has confirmed it as well as ford and ford has an active recall for my specific car but my vin isn't covered under the recall and ford is refusing any sort of fault.

NHTSA ID

11750138

Incident

Jul 2, 2026

Vehicle: 2016 Ford Explorer 2WD V6-3.5L VIN: [XXX] rchase: January 20, 2026 Odometer at Purchase: 70,929 miles (fraudulent — true mileage approximately 123,779 miles) Dealer: Drive Time Car Sales Company LLC, DBA Drive Time, 8805 E Adamo Dr, Tampa, FL 33619-3525 Narrative — Copy and Paste Into NHTSA Online Form: On January 20, 2026, I purchased a 2016 Ford Explorer 2WD V6-3.5L (VIN: [XXX] ) fr [XXX] Sales Company LLC, located at 8805 E Adamo Dr, Tampa, Florida 33619-3525. At the time of sale, the vehicle had three open, unrepaired federal safety recalls: 1. NHTSA Recall 19V435 / Ford 19S17 — Rear Suspension Toe Link Replacement (initiated June 26, 2019, affecting 1,194,173 vehicles). The rear suspension toe links may fracture, causing sudden loss of vehicle handling and risk of crash. 2. NHTSA Recall 21V537 / Ford 21S32 — Rear Suspension Toe Link Cross-Axis Ball Joint (owner notifications mailed March 2022, affecting 644,055 vehicles). The cross-axis ball joint may corrode and seize, causing toe link fracture and loss of steering control. 3. NHTSA Recall 25V347 / Ford 25S53 — B-Pillar Door Trim Detachment (owner notifications mailed June 2025, affecting 492,145 vehicles). B-pillar trim may detach while driving, creating a road hazard for other motorists. None of these recalls were repaired prior to sale. The dealer had documented actual knowledge of all three open recalls. Drive Time provided me with copies of the recall notices as part of the purchase paperwork at the time of sale. Additionally, the recall documentation included a printout from the NHTSA recall lookup website for this specific VIN, timestamped January 19, 2026, at 5:28 PM — the day before the sale — proving that Drive Time actively investigated and confirmed the open recalls within hours of delivering the vehicle. Ford's own dealer notice for Recall 19V435/19S17 states: "Federal law requires dealers to complete this recall service before a new vehicle is INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11738362

Incident

Jan 20, 2026

When I am driving at a speed limit of 35-45 mph, there is a shutter in my transmission accompanied by a rattling noise. It only happens at that range of speed, below 35 and above 45 it seems to work just fine. If I have to drive a considerate amount of time at that speed, it does it constantly and I can't make it stop. It feels like the transmission will blow up. I have seen multiple articles and recalls for the torque converter in the 2016-2020 models, but apparently my VIN number isn't included, although the symptoms are exactly like the open recall symptoms of other Explorers. I have taken it to a transmission shop to get it test driven and diagnosed and they agreed that it did feel like the torque converter was slipping, but their advise was to rebuild the whole transmission since there wasn't any recalls specifically for my VIN number. It does not show any messages or have any warning lights about this issue on the car itself, I don't know if the computer recognizes these type of issues or not.

NHTSA ID

11738073

Incident

Apr 15, 2026

Transmission was rebuilt by Asheville Ford three years ago we’d only put 40,000 miles on it and now it needs a new transmission. We did bring it to another Ford and they had to reseal the casing saying the original sealant wasn’t done right

NHTSA ID

11729762

Incident

Feb 12, 2026

The transmission shifts with a harsh jerk for no apparent reason and is an intermittent not constant problem. Also when stopped at an intersection refuses to engage to power the vehicle forward for a short time 5+ second time period.

NHTSA ID

11714383

Incident

Jan 18, 2026

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle vibrated, and there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the transmission. In addition, the vehicle drove roughly while the transmission was downshifting, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with torque converter failure. The contact was informed that the torque converter needed to be replaced, or the transmission could be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to the Technical Service Bulletin: 20B27. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ID

11681450

Incident

Feb 18, 2025

Mileage

100,000 mi

Transmission slips in and out of gear while driving causing loss of power. Many complaints online about this same issue from others.

NHTSA ID

11668278

Incident

Sep 21, 2024

I experienced two failures associated with other model years. The first was the right side A-pillar trim. It pulled free on the highway. I noticed it fly off and was able to recover the majority of it. It smashed on impact and there is a large piece missing. The remaining piece is available for inspection upon request. The A-pillar exterior trim flew off on a one-lane section of divided highway, there would have been no place for anyone to go if it flew back and there was a car behind me. This problem is a known issue I found out about on this (NHTSA) website. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No, it flew off on the highway and has not been reported yet. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warning at all that this was going to break loose. I also have an issue with the PTU. I was driving home from the airport and at a a stoplight, I noticed a ticking noise when I stopped at the exit of the parking lot. I noticed it again closer to home, after a fifty mile drive. When I stopped on the off ramp from the highway, I noticed smoke coming from under/behind my explorer. It smelled like antifreeze, but when I arrived home, and checked under the vehicle, I found black residue on the PTU and what looked like leaks from the axle seals that were not there for the last five months I've owned the vehicle. The vehicle smoked heavily when I stopped on the exit ramp, and when I went to accelerate into the traffic round-about, the vehicle lagged before moving, with an audible clunk and a lurch when it finally moved. Any reasonably hard acceleration produces a noise and will usually lag before moving. It may make a ticking noise when at idle cold, but is more pronounced the hotter the drivetrain gets. I had an OBD II scan done with no codes produced.

NHTSA ID

11659710

Incident

May 5, 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle hesitated while responding. The contact stated that after several attempts to depress the accelerator pedal, the vehicle responded as intended. The contact stated that a dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V692000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The approximate failure mileage was 168,000.

NHTSA ID

11653751

Incident

Mar 30, 2025

Mileage

168,000 mi

Transfer case replacement. Open recall on 2016 4x2 ford explorera for faulty transfer case but not recalled on 4x4 models. This is BS as the transfer case used for both models are the exact same. Should be covered under already open recall for transfer case.

NHTSA ID

11653503

Incident

Oct 15, 2024

I have already filed a complaint about the transmission issues of my vehicle a few months ago. Ford will not take credit and help me so we had to keep driving it. Hard shifting, slipping, losing reverse, losing power and jerking into gear. Now not only has it nearly killed us twice when we went to pull into traffic, it has jerked into gear and locked up throwing the car into a guardrail and causing an accident while my fiancée was driving it. I reported it was unsafe and no one did anything, now I have a wreck vehicle, fighting with insurance about the safety of it and it’s sitting at a body shop. We are all afraid to drive it. It nearly killed my family and no one cared to help us. Plus we have no vehicle to drive now. Thank you FORD for nearly killing my family and making us feel unimportant in every way possible. Plus NHTSA did nothing when I filed my first complaint!

NHTSA ID

11651547

Incident

Mar 18, 2025

My vehicles wrench sign would turn on do a little jerk then I would lose power to my car. Showed malfunction to power train. Took it to mechanic said there was a Crack in the valve gasket and they fixed that and changed spark plugs. A month later car did the same thing. Has done it a total for 4 times very scary when on a high way and it does it and I have to pull over with traffic coming. Took it to another mechanic and he couldn't figure it out either because there are no codes but said he seem something similar and I needed to change all my coils. So I did that. Thousands of dollars later and no one can still figure out the problem. I don't know if it's some safety issue with the engine or transmission. But 3 certified mechanics can not figure out why my car continues to lose power.

NHTSA ID

11649640

Incident

Nov 19, 2024

The second time my water pump has gone out in this vehicle. Causing over heating of the car and unrepairable wiring. Ford needs to get it right for us 2016 Ford Explorer owners. They [XXX] when it came to this vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11647699

Incident

Mar 7, 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a loud sound coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the lower transmission and bolts had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 57,770.

NHTSA ID

11646572

Incident

Mar 5, 2025

Mileage

57,770 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine overheated with the temperature gauge indicating that the engine was hot(H). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the water pump was replaced. The contact stated that several months later while in reverse(R), the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for a diagnostic test and remained with the dealer for months. The contact was informed that the vehicle had failed to accelerate while in drive(D) or reverse(R). The dealer later diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it remained unrepaired. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

NHTSA ID

11646464

Incident

Oct 1, 2023

Mileage

102,000 mi

Ptu burnt out less than 53k miles. Molding on passenger side broke off while driving 60mph struck another vehicle causing to other vehicle to leave road. Thank God no one was injured. This thing could have killed a motorcycle driver. Checked online and there are thousands of reports of same molding breaking off while driving.ford tn# does not recognize and disconnects call.

NHTSA ID

11644808

Incident

Feb 25, 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the message to service the vehicle was displayed. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle, and waited for several minutes before restarting the vehicle and the message was no longer displayed. The contact stated that while depressing accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was inspected to see if there were any leaks coming from the transmission. The contact called the Bob Johnson Auto Group to schedule an appointment for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 108,000.

NHTSA ID

11643355

Incident

Jan 31, 2025

Mileage

108,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked while shifting into gear. The contact stated that upon shifting to drive(D) on several occasions, the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission was replaced. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle shuddered, overheated, and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence, where a mobile independent mechanic diagnosed that the head gasket was blown. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ID

11631843

Incident

Dec 20, 2024

Mileage

50,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact’s spouse stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not able to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the link shaft bracket had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V692000 (Power Train). The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 157,627.

NHTSA ID

11631060

Incident

Dec 16, 2024

Mileage

157,627 mi

There has been an ongoing issue with my vehicle since it was last taken to service for a recall. The transmission has premature failure. I have had the entire vehicle powertrain fluids changed and nothing has helped. My boyfriend has been driving the vehicle and will not let me drive it anymore because it is unsafe. The transmission has torque converter issues. It has got stuck in second gear and when we went to pull out into traffic it would not move and we nearly got T-Boned. That happened while I was with him and I'm afraid to use it. He has to drive it to work because I have his vehicle and he wants me and my daughter to be safe. He says its downshifting hard when slowing down. It will downshift hard and loose power when trying to speed up on the interstate or while trying to get on the interstate. It shifts hard into reverse and is delayed shifting. Its lost power due to the transmission slipping. There has never been any check engine lights come on. Ford will do absolutely nothing about it. The vehicle has around 62,000 miles on it now and its gotten worse and is going to cause an accident or kill someone. I have called ford several times and they don't seem to care. They want me to go have it fixed and pay for it. I don't have that kind of money and I should not have to pay for there problem. Its a known issue I found out by searching online, even lawsuits. They need to recall these transmissions and fix the issue with them before someone is killed. If there hasn't already been deaths. Its unsafe. It has put me and my daughter at risk. Other drivers at risk and now with him having to drive it, his life is at risk everyday! Ford does not care about people or their family. They know they put a bad transmission in these vehicles and it cause premature wear. The transmission fluid is black, smells burnt and even metal shavings in it. Its a ticking bomb and its unfair they want me to pay for their mistakes!

NHTSA ID

11630790

Incident

Aug 29, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that oil from the turbo booster had leaked onto the catalytic converter and both the turbo booster and catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact indicated that previously the power transfer off unit was faulty, causing the vehicle to suddenly lose accelerating power; and the front control arms and ball joints were replaced. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 85,000.

NHTSA ID

11621498

Incident

Apr 15, 2024

Mileage

85,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud grinding sound. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle seized, and the vehicle started rolling. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road and noticed that the gear box had blown out. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the gear box had fractured and damaged the transmission front assembly. 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 156,000.

NHTSA ID

11616637

Incident

Jun 26, 2024

Mileage

156,000 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

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing significantly rough idling while in drive(D) or while in reverse(R). Additionally, the contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle jolted and hesitated to respond. The contact also stated that the vehicle shuddered while driving at various speeds. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure was related to TSB Number: 20-2271. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the TSB was superseded and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

NHTSA ID

11611832

Incident

Aug 26, 2024

Mileage

102,000 mi