The Ford Explorer has been competing in the market since 1990 by starting out as a compact SUV and grew bigger over time into a midsize crossover in the latest design update. Even though the SUV got much better than before as a whole, the reliability department took a toll as can be seen from the records from NHTSA. Officially, the 2011 Explorer received nearly 900 complaints along with 7 recalls. The number of complaints might not seem much when compared to the SUV’s sales volume, but the recalls were issued to cover an extensive amount of units of the updated Ford Explorer. The SUV was recalled 7 times to fix issues with its steering system, suspension, wheel bearing issues, and seat locking mechanism faults. One of the highlighted issues with the 2011 Explorer that hasn’t seen any recalls yet, despite being a serious one, is the leakage of exhaust fumes inside the cabin. In its class, the Ford Explorer goes up against the Chevrolet Traverse, the Dodge Durango, and the Nissan Pathfinder.
Ford Explorer user complaints and problems
Engine problems
- Leakage of exhaust fumes inside the cabin: An extensive number of owners of the 2011 Ford Explorer faced this issue with their new vehicles. All the complaints mention that while accelerating and getting up to speeds of 60-65 mph, the cabin would fill up with harmful exhaust fumes. In a few cases, the drivers and the owners faced sulfur poisoning and other adverse effects due to the exhaust fumes.
Interior problems
- Water leakage inside the cabin: Some owners faced water leakage issues inside the cabins of their 2011 Ford Explorer SUVs. In most cases, the leakages were at the rear portion of the cabin and the water ran down the third-row seat belts. Moreover, during heavy rains, the floorboards of the vehicles would get filled with water.
Safety problems
- Brake caliper seizure: A few cases of brake seizures were reported against the 2011 Ford Explorer. Due to the seizures, the calipers would emit smoke and excessive heat while driving. The calipers were replaced by the dealerships at the expense of the owners.
Miscellaneous problems
- Power steering failure: The power steering failure has been a major issue with the 2011 Ford Explorer. In all the reported complaints, the vehicles faced sudden power steering failures while driving and while idle. During the failures, the vehicles became hard to control and posed the owners with significant safety risks as well. Ford did issue two recalls regarding this issue too but several models faced the problems much later than the recalls were in place.
2011 Ford Explorer recalls
|
S.No. |
Recall Date |
NHTSA Campaign ID |
Issues noticed |
Additional remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
February 2, 2011 |
11V063000 |
Center recliner mechanism |
In the event of a crash, the seat back may not provide the required strength, increasing the risk of injury. |
Ford will notify owners and dealers will repair the seats free of charge. The safety recall began on February 15, 2011. |
|
2 |
January 6, 2014 |
14E001000 |
Replacement Steering Gears may Lock Steering |
The inability to steer the vehicle increases the risk of a crash. |
Ford will notify the owners and dealers will replace the suspect steering gears with new steering gears, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2014. |
|
3 |
May 29, 2014 |
14V286000 |
Loss of Electric Power Steering Assist |
If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist it will require extra steering effort at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. |
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Power Steering Control Module software, free of charge. If a vehicle shows a history of a loss of motor position sensor signal when the vehicle is brought in for the recall remedy, its steering rack assembly will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on July 23, 2014. |
|
4 |
March 24, 2015 |
15V171000 |
Interior Door Handle Return Spring may Unseat |
If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury. |
Ford will notify the owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began on July 23, 2015. |
|
5 |
August 28, 2017 |
17E048000 |
Hub Unit Bearing may Allow Wheel Detachment |
A loss of the wheel or wheel end can increase the risk of a crash. |
Ford will notify the distributors of the hubs specifying that they are to only be used on drive axles. It is believed that none of the hubs were purchased from Ford dealers for the incorrect application. |
|
6 |
June 10, 2019 |
19V435000 |
Rear Suspension Toe Links May Fracture |
A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash. |
Ford will notify the owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, and inspect both rear toe link ball joints, replacing the rear wheel knuckle(s), if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 26, 2019. |
|
7 |
September 22, 2021 |
21V746000 |
Rear Suspension Toe Link Fracture |
A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash. |
The dealers will inspect for the presence of a CABJ. If a CABJ of any design is found, the dealer will inspect the tightness of the CABJ, and replace the CABJ, knuckle, and/or toe link as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters were mailed November 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 17, 2022. |
Should you buy a used Ford Explorer?
The Ford Explorer has been a trusted utility vehicle since its launch but it always had its own set of drawbacks such as high rollover risks. The early models of the Explorer even caused several deaths due to rollover accidents but Ford did aim at improving the safety aspect of the SUV with the current generation Explorer. Despite that, the redesigned Explorer is also a flawed vehicle, especially due to the power steering failures and exhaust fume leakage issues. Getting a used model of the Explorer would be a good idea if you opt for last year’s model. On the alternative side, you can take a look at the Nissan Pathfinder since it offers much better reliability and comfort than the Explorer.
