Representative model. Photo: SsmIntrigue, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recalls & complaints · NHTSA data

2017 Ford Explorer recalls

Every recall campaign and owner complaint NHTSA has on file for the 2017 model year. Not every vehicle is affected by every campaign: check a specific car by VIN below.

Recall campaigns: 15
Park-it warnings: 0
Complaints: 1,710
Latest campaign: Jul 14, 2026

Recall summary by component15

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

Component	Campaigns	Latest	Campaign IDs
Structure	4	Jul 14, 2026	26V448000 25V347000 24V031000 21V316000
Suspension	4	Feb 20, 2026	26V101000 21V537000 20V675000 19V435000
Seats	3	Sep 11, 2019	19V651000 17V401000 17V332000
Equipment	1	Oct 10, 2025	25V685000
Wheels	1	Aug 28, 2017	17E048000
Steering	1	Aug 28, 2017	17V530000
Engine and engine cooling	1	Dec 22, 2016	16V925000

Safety recalls15

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

0Park-it warnings

0Fixable over the air

Jul 14, 2026Latest campaign


Jul 14, 202626V448000	Structure: body A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash. DetailsHide details for campaign 26V448000 What's wrong Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The roof rail covers may come loose and detach from the vehicle. Risk A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy Dealers will inspect the roof rail covers and as necessary, repair or replace the push-pins, rail clips, or roof rail covers, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 28, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S54. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 21V316. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 16, 2026. Filed under Explorer Campaign NHTSA 26V448000 · Jul 14, 2026
Feb 20, 202626V101000	Suspension: rear A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash. DetailsHide details for campaign 26V101000 What's wrong Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture. Risk A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy Dealers will replace the toe links, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2026. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S08. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall number 21V537. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning February 25, 2026. Filed under Explorer Campaign NHTSA 26V101000 · Feb 20, 2026
Oct 10, 202525V685000	Equipment: electrical engine block heater An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire. DetailsHide details for campaign 25V685000 What's wrong Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in. Risk An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire. Remedy Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 3, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025. Filed under Explorer Campaign NHTSA 25V685000 · Oct 10, 2025
May 23, 202525V347000	Structure: body Door trim that detaches while driving can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash. DetailsHide details for campaign 25V347000 What's wrong Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Explorer vehicles. The driver and front passenger B-Pillar door trim may detach while driving. Risk Door trim that detaches while driving can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy Dealers will repair the B-pillar trim, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 5, 2025. A second notice will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated November 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S53. Filed under Explorer Campaign NHTSA 25V347000 · May 23, 2025
Jan 19, 202424V031000	Structure: body roof and pillars A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash. DetailsHide details for campaign 24V031000 What's wrong Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Explorer vehicles. The A-pillar trim retention clips may not be properly engaged, allowing the trim to detach. Risk A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the A-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model years. Owner notification letters were mailed between July 18, 2024 and December 16, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S02. Filed under Explorer Campaign NHTSA 24V031000 · Jan 19, 2024
Jul 15, 202121V537000	Suspension: rear A rear toe-link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash. DetailsHide details for campaign 21V537000 What's wrong Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Exposure to road salt can cause the cross-axis ball joint to corrode and seize, resulting in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link. Risk A rear toe-link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle, and replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. This recall is an expansion of previous NHTSA recall numbers 16V-245, 19V-435, and 20V-675. Certain vehicles previously repaired will need to return for the new remedy. An interim notification letter notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on September 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2022. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S32. Filed under Explorer Campaign NHTSA 21V537000 · Jul 15, 2021

Merged from NHTSA model names: Explorer, Explorer Police Intercept. Not every vehicle of a model year is affected by every campaign.

To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or the Ford recall lookup. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer (federal law; see limits).

Owner complaints by component1,710

NHTSA Complaints API · cached ≤24 h

1,710Complaints filed

34Involving a crash

11Involving a fire

51Injuries reported

Component	Complaints	%	Crashes	Fires	Injuries
Structure	662	39	7	2	7
Unknown or other	378	22	4	2	15
Engine	241	14	7	3	12
Power train	123	7	4	0	1
Electrical system	94	5	3	6	0
Engine and engine cooling	77	5	0	0	2
Steering	76	4	1	0	0
Wheels	60	4	1	0	0
Suspension	58	3	4	0	4
Visibility/wiper	45	3	1	0	0
Fuel/propulsion system	44	3	0	0	6
Air bags	34	2	9	0	11
Visibility	32	2	0	0	0
Seat belts	23	1	2	0	2
Service brakes	22	1	6	0	1

15 more components with fewer complaints not shown. An owner can tag several components, so percentages add up to more than 100. Complaints are unverified owner reports, de-duplicated by NHTSA ODI number.

Latest reports

Electrical system
“B-Pillar trim on drivers side detached/broke in half and flew off in traffic. Since then, electrical panel on the driver door messed with the locks.”
Filed 10/14/2026 · ODI 11771073
Suspension
“The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the passenger-side rear tire was low on air pressure.”
Filed 10/14/2026 · ODI 11771071
Engine
“Both turbochargers on my 2017 Ford Explorer Platinum with the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 have failed. The first turbocharger failed and was replaced in 2025.”
Filed 10/11/2026 · ODI 11770400

Other Ford Explorer model years

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Other Ford models

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2017 Ford Explorer recall questions

How many recalls does the 2017 Ford Explorer have?

NHTSA lists 15 safety recall campaigns for the 2017 Ford Explorer. The most recent, 26V448000 (reported July 14, 2026), concerns structure. Not every vehicle is covered by every campaign; check a specific car by VIN.

What are the 2017 Ford Explorer recalls for?

The largest group is structure, with 4 campaigns. Others: suspension (4), seats (3), equipment (1). Each campaign below lists the defect, the risk and the free remedy.

What is the most common complaint about the 2017 Ford Explorer?

Structure is the most-reported component, named in 662 complaints out of 1,710 filed with NHTSA (39%). Across all complaints, owners reported 34 crashs and 11 fires. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

How do I check if a recall is open on my 2017 Ford Explorer?

Enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or the Ford recall lookup. That shows campaigns still unrepaired on that exact car. Safety recall repairs are free at a franchised Ford dealer.

Check a specific Ford by VIN

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