2018 Ford Explorer Problems

Exterior B-Pillar Applique / Door Trim Panel with keypad: The exterior B-pillar trim piece on the driver side front door frame has experienced catastrophic adhesive failure and clip breakage, detaching at the top portion while driving. This plastic trim is flapping at highway speeds and is at imminent risk of completely flying off the vehicle. I'm sure this will be issue with other 3 doors at some point soon. This creates an immediate road hazard for trailing vehicles, motorcyclists, and pedestrians who could be struck by flying debris. It also distracts the driver due to severe wind noise and vibration. This identical structural failure is currently under active safety recall for 2016–2017 Ford Explorers under NHTSA Campaign Number 25S53 / Ford Recall 25S53. My 2018 model utilizes the exact same door frame and exterior trim engineering design, and is suffering from the identical defect. The manufacturing window for this known defect needs to be expanded by Ford to encompass 2018 model years, as the original adhesive/retention clip specifications clearly fail under normal vehicle aging. Thank you in advance.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (Structure); however, the parts to perform the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that in April, the vehicle was taken to a dealer for the recall repair. Although the recall database stated that the parts were available, the dealer advised the contact that the parts were unavailable. The dealer instructed the contact to return at a later date for the permanent repair; however, the dealer marked the recall as completed in the system without performing the repair. The contact had secured the trim pillar to the body of the vehicle using electrical tape. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 140,852.

My 2018 Ford Explorer XLT 3.5L that we bought brand new from Bob Bell Ford/Glen Burnie Maryland had a water pump failure at only 72,344 miles, this was a safety concern when driving down the road that put us & others at risk. The only indication was dashboard warning that said (Engine coolant over temperature)This failure happened while taking daughter to college on 8/21/26 We had to get towed to independent service center 175 miles away & repaired at the cost of $2900.00.

This vehicle was inspected by a certified Ford dealership (Premier Ford, Service Advisor: Harry). Ford Motor Company’s Consumer Affairs Department subsequently reviewed the case under Complaint ID: XXX. In their official written response, Ford explicitly admitted the root cause, stating: "the vehicle experienced a failure to the harness for the alternator which melted due to heat from the exhaust." INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owned a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, a message displayed on several occasions instructing the driver to pull over and shut off the vehicle because the battery would shut off. Upon pulling over and turning off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart and required towing on several occasions. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where a wiring failure was determined. The dealer attempted to repair the vehicle, but the failure persisted. While driving approximately 25 MPH, the infotainment screen turned blank, and a large wrench warning light illuminated. The vehicle independently accelerated, became uncontrollable, and drifted out of the intended lane. The contact regained partial control as the vehicle continued accelerating toward an embankment. The front driver's side wheel was caught in the gutter of the embankment, causing the driver's side of the vehicle to crash into the embankment. The contact's head struck the driver's side window, which was fractured, allowing branches to enter the cabin. The driver's side curtain air bags deployed for the second and third rows but failed to deploy properly for the front driver's side, causing the contact to hit her head a second time on a sail that had deployed. The contact became pinned between the driver's seat and the driver's side window area, with her hair caught and pulled in the seat belt pretensioner, causing significant pain. EMT personnel cut the contact's hair to free the contact from the vehicle. The contact was assisted from the vehicle, fitted with a neck brace, placed on a stretcher, and transported to the hospital. The contact sustained head and neck injuries, as well as a concussion. Additionally, the contact suffered from pre-existing auto-immune lumbar stenosis L1–L5, osteoarthritis L5–S1 with bone-on-bone contact, and sacroiliac joint disease, and experienced increased pain after missing a scheduled appointment for sacroiliac joint injections due to the crash. A Police report was filed but

The driver side Keyless door entry pillar has come off on the highway and hit something. The keyless door entry panel came off in 2023 and Koons Ford of Annapolis charged me $ 523.00 to fix the panel. The panel has a small clip and double stick tape. Sorry, double stick tape is not going to hold up to weather variations throughout the year, wind speed and age. Terrible and dangerous design. You gave 2017 a Recall 25S53 for ford but NOT 2018

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle jerked. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed torque converter. The contact was informed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under Customer Satisfaction Program: 20N07. The failure mileage was approximately 107,300.

At 30 to 40 mph, there is a shuttering or stutter in the transmission during acceleration. This is a problem when trying to enter traffic on the expressway (Interstate or other lanes of traffic). I have taken this to the dealer and they indicate that the transmission needs to be replaced. They indicate that there is metal shavings in the trans fluid. This is in line with similar Ford SUV and transmission problems. At this point in time there is no recall, but this matter should be address as it is in line with similar Ford transmission failures.

The contact owned a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, a message displayed on several occasions instructing the driver to pull over and shut off the vehicle because the battery would shut off. Upon pulling over and turning off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart and required towing on several occasions. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where a wiring failure was determined. The dealer attempted to repair the vehicle, but the failure persisted. While driving approximately 25 MPH, the infotainment screen turned blank, and a large wrench warning light illuminated. The vehicle independently accelerated, became uncontrollable, and drifted out of the intended lane. The contact regained partial control as the vehicle continued accelerating toward an embankment. The front driver's side wheel was caught in the gutter of the embankment, causing the driver's side of the vehicle to crash into the embankment. The contact's head struck the driver's side window, which was fractured, allowing branches to enter the cabin. The driver's side curtain air bags deployed for the second and third rows but failed to deploy properly for the front driver's side, causing the contact to hit her head a second time on a sail that had deployed. The contact became pinned between the driver's seat and the driver's side window area, with her hair caught and pulled in the seat belt pretensioner, causing significant pain. EMT personnel cut the contact's hair to free the contact from the vehicle. The contact was assisted from the vehicle, fitted with a neck brace, placed on a stretcher, and transported to the hospital. The contact sustained head and neck injuries, as well as a concussion. Additionally, the contact suffered from pre-existing auto-immune lumbar stenosis L1–L5, osteoarthritis L5–S1 with bone-on-bone contact, and sacroiliac joint disease, and experienced increased pain after missing a scheduled appointment for sacroiliac joint injections due to the crash. A Police report was filed but

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V031000 (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 the A-pillar trim was beginning to detach from the windshield, allowing outside air to enter the vehicle. While in reverse, the back over prevention camera displayed a distorted image, or a solid blue screen without an image. The failure occurred several times while shifting into reverse. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not available yet available for the recall. The VIN was not under recall for the back-over prevention camera. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,896.

The windshield wiper motor failed, causing the windshield wipers to stop operating properly. At the same time, the windshield washer system is unable to spray washer fluid onto the windshield. This significantly reduces visibility during rain and when the windshield becomes dirty, creating a safety hazard. No warning lights were displayed

The windshield wipers do not work, the rear wiper do not work and the wiper fluid does not squirt out. It can be inspected. The safety of everyone is at risk because I can't clean my windshield to make the road visible. I have recently seen a recall involving Ford vehicles regarding the windshield wipers not working. And I think it needs to include more years because mine is affected also. It started glitching about a year ago and now doesn't work at all. No lights come on and there is fluid in the wiper tank.

I own a Ford Explorer 2018 bought as second hand in July 2020. For the last three years, the investment in it has been exponential. Finally working with a proper car mechanic, I understood that all the fixes I have made, have been known for a while. I have received several recalls and searching for more, I found one that **I did not receiveD*** and I'm having an issue with it. It can be seen in the attached document. Research shows that "the 2018 Ford Explorer has significant, well-documented complaints, primarily regarding catastrophic water pump failure, transmission issues, and multiple recalls. The 3.5L engine's internal water pump often fails around 125,000 miles, causing engine destruction. Other common issues include rear suspension toe link fractures, exhaust smells, and electrical problems." My water pump failed way before 125K miles, as the previous statement states.. Mine is 94K. I fixed it last year and now it's broken again. And by the say of the mechanic, it could be because of the issue of the catalyst, of a recall I didn't get and that probably got the previous owner. I have tried to reach Ford through letter and phone and no one answers. I finally spoke to someone on Tuesday from the warranty department and told me he will reach me in 3 hours. Two days have gone by. I also did a complaint on BBB and the refuse to fix and reimbursed the recall I didn't received.

Fuel system evap leak just like the Safety Recall 18S35

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle veered off the road toward the passenger’s side. The contact turned the steering wheel; however, the vehicle became uncontrollable, crossed into the opposite lane, and drove into a ditch. The vehicle was driven on a back road to the residence and was then towed to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with a rear toe link failure associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V101000 (Suspension). The VIN was included in the recall. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but denied reimbursement for towing expenses.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for service, the contact was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V101000 (Suspension). The contact agreed to have the recall repair performed. The contact stated that approximately one month later, the contact discovered that the tread on the rear tires was shredding along the inner sidewalls. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the tire failure was confirmed; however, the dealer stated that the work performed on the vehicle was not associated with the tire failure. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact paid out-of-pocket for two new tires and a rear wheel alignment. The contact stated that after the repair, the OBD2 scanner indicated that the rear wheel alignment was not properly performed. The contact stated that due to the failure, the tread on the new tires had started to shred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

While driving out of a turn or curve, the steering does not return to center. Which may cause veering into other lanes or off the road.

The horn on my vehicle activates (blows) when I turn the steering wheel to certain positions. I believe this to be a road hazard. Especially since I had to remove the horn relay to prevent the horn from blowing in traffic until I can get it repaired. Several other Ford vehicles have been recalled for this exact problem. Just to diagnose this problem at the Ford dealer is $170.00. Help!

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that due to sunlight exposure, the outer layer of the dashboard peeled off and continued to expand near the location of the air bags. The contact was concerned that the defect might cause an air bag deployment malfunction in the event of a crash. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the contact was informed that the entire dashboard needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 45,000.

The contact owns a 2018 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 the vehicle was parked, the A-pillar trims on the front passenger’s side and the front driver's side became loosened. 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 driving at 70 MPH, the hood unexpectedly opened. The contact stated that the hood was slightly ajar. The message "Hood Ajar" was displayed. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway and pushed the hood down. The contact continued driving. Most recently, while driving 70 MPH, the failure reoccurred with the message "Hood Ajar" displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the shoulder and pushed down and closed the hood. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired after the most recent failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owned a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, a message displayed on several occasions instructing the driver to pull over and shut off the vehicle because the battery would shut off. Upon pulling over and turning off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart and required towing on several occasions. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where a wiring failure was determined. The dealer attempted to repair the vehicle, but the failure persisted. While driving approximately 25 MPH, the infotainment screen turned blank, and a large wrench warning light illuminated. The vehicle independently accelerated, became uncontrollable, and drifted out of the intended lane. The contact regained partial control as the vehicle continued accelerating toward an embankment. The front driver's side wheel was caught in the gutter of the embankment, causing the driver's side of the vehicle to crash into the embankment. The contact's head struck the driver's side window, which was fractured, allowing branches to enter the cabin. The driver's side curtain air bags deployed for the second and third rows but failed to deploy properly for the front driver's side, causing the contact to hit her head a second time on a sail that had deployed. The contact became pinned between the driver's seat and the driver's side window area, with her hair caught and pulled in the seat belt pretensioner, causing significant pain. EMT personnel cut the contact's hair to free the contact from the vehicle. The contact was assisted from the vehicle, fitted with a neck brace, placed on a stretcher, and transported to the hospital. The contact sustained head and neck injuries, as well as a concussion. Additionally, the contact suffered from pre-existing auto-immune lumbar stenosis L1–L5, osteoarthritis L5–S1 with bone-on-bone contact, and sacroiliac joint disease, and experienced increased pain after missing a scheduled appointment for sacroiliac joint injections due to the crash. A Police report was filed but

The airbag light shown in the attached photo came on at an unknown period of time. We did not know when this came on that it was not a normal light. This is a safety issue as there are many causes for this light to come on, and with this light being on the airbag may not deploy properly or at all during a collision. We did take the vehicle to the Ford dealership for warranty work and they did not say anything about the light on the dash. Which adds to the reason why we did not know that the light meant there was a problem. There are other airbag lights that come on in the sinners console for the passenger side airbags that are orange as well.

July 12, 2026 I returned home and parked about 10 ft from my garage. I put my car in park, turned off the motor, and went to get out, when my husband started yelling at me that the car was moving. I pumped the brake, and heard a clicking sound. The car wouldn't stop, it ran into my house. Cracking my left headlight and denting my bumper. The car was in park, and I was unable to move the steering wheel. I had no control of the car. Thank goodness no one was standing in front of me. If it had happened just a short time before when I was at a splash pad full of children, it could have killed people. I contacted Ford Motor Company on Monday and the Customer Service representative did not offer any comfort, but simply stated that "she spoke for Ford Motor Co., and there was no financial compensation programs at this time." I never asked for money. I just want to know if my car is going to act possessed again, if there is a recall, if Ford would stand by their product (my 3-4th Ford car). She was rude, and not helpful at all. I took it to my dealership, and they said that they ran multiple tests on it, and it showed nothing. However, when my husband took it into the shop, he ran the black box, 2 days before and after, and it showed several erratic messages. None of which were mentioned today, when they announced that my car was available for pick up. Mind you, my headlight is cracked and bumper is dented. It looks like there might be a similar recall: NHTSA campaign number: 23V675. Ford’s own number for this recall is 23S55 - I don't know what to do about this. The dealership seemed interested in getting to the bottom of it, but may be dropping the ball. Is it possible that this recall would be on my car?? Please advise. I wanted Ford to take care of it, however it looks like I will need to file a report with my insurance company. I would say that there was a problem with the parking system, the brake system?

Right front caliber went out at 47,186 miles in 11/14/2025. No abs sensor went on alerting me to the problem. Had it fixed. Two months later, 1/05/2026, at 47,620 miles later, the control HCU and module ABS went out. Again, no sensor alerting me to a problem. I could hardly drive it. Had Ford look at it, assess the problem, and had to drive home due to another cost. Could have been on the highway when this occurred. Was in town, but was an awful experience! Brakes locked up on me!

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for service, the contact was made aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V101000 (Suspension). The contact agreed to have the recall repair performed. The contact stated that approximately one month later, the contact discovered that the tread on the rear tires was shredding along the inner sidewalls. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the tire failure was confirmed; however, the dealer stated that the work performed on the vehicle was not associated with the tire failure. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact paid out-of-pocket for two new tires and a rear wheel alignment. The contact stated that after the repair, the OBD2 scanner indicated that the rear wheel alignment was not properly performed. The contact stated that due to the failure, the tread on the new tires had started to shred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

All 4 Tires Size 255/50R20 Have Cracked, Split and separated around tread. Extremely unsafe. Vehicle has near 40,000 miles. Vehicle was purchased in May 2018 with these tires already installed. There needs to be a recall, as now we will need to purchase 4 new tires at one time when this should not have happened. We can not use our vehicle until we can replace all 4.

After replacing the newest recall for the rear toe link on my Explorer, I’ve noticed (along with a couple others on some forums) that the alignment does not stay set and will come undone. I finished driving 1000 miles after the swap and had sudden pressure loss in my rear tire. When I looked at it the entire outside of the tire on both driver and passenger side were completely eaten through and I’m not made of enough money to keep replacing tires and keep getting alignments done. I do have a video of my inside cam of when it happened if requested.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 70 mph on the highway, y a piece of Sop A-pillar trim came off on the passenger side. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the pillar trim to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at higher speeds, the front driver’s side seat belt might not prevent him from hitting the steering wheel in the event of a crash or while depressing the brake pedal to come to a sudden stop. The local dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the driver's side front seat belt failed to click securely into the buckle. The seat belt warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V093000 (Seat Belts); however, the VIN was not included. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

Vehicle is equipped with operational red and blue lights that are prohibited under the color of law, and facilitates criminal activity upon a purchase agreement. Seller has actual knowledge and can be liable under the color of law. Vehicle has open recalls.

Intermittent failures of both front turn signals and parking lamps due to wiring failure. The turn signals and parking lights on both sides of the front end of the vehicle sometimes failed to illuminate correctly. Upon investigation, failed wiring was found on the jumpers between the main engine bay harness and the lamp sockets. The wire insulation had become brittle and was flaking away, causing electrical shorts. The same failures were present on both sides. Only that short jumper segment experienced the issue, all other wiring in the engine bay was fine. The faulty wiring jumpers are available for inspection upon request. Safety was put at risk because the turn signals would not reliably signal driver intent. I am an independent mechanic, and discovered the issue while performing other work in May 2025. No one else has investigated the vehicle or component. There were no warnings or symptoms prior to the failure.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was black smoke coming from under the hood. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the battery was faulty. The battery was replaced. The contact stated that while driving, there was black smoke coming from under the hood, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The transmission was replaced. Later, while driving again, the black smoke was again present coming from the hood of the vehicle, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine and turbo were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle began to vibrate excessively. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.