2016 Ford EXPLORER - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2016 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD has received an outstanding overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This SUV excels in various crash test categories, including front and side crashes, as well as side pole crashes. In addition, it is equipped with standard electronic stability control, an optional forward collision warning system, and an optional lane departure warning feature, enhancing the safety features of the vehicle.

Despite its impressive safety ratings and advanced safety technologies, the 2016 Ford Explorer has had a significant number of complaints, totaling 1733. Additionally, there have been 11 recalls issued for this model, which suggests that there may be some issues that need attention to ensure the ongoing safety and reliability of the vehicle. Overall, while the Ford Explorer demonstrates top-notch safety performance, prospective buyers should be aware of the reported complaints and recalls associated with this particular model.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

1,733

Recall Count

11

Investigation Count

2

Safety Rating

5/5

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Safety Features

2016 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2016 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

Optional
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

Optional

2016 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2016 Ford Explorer 4 DR SUV FWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2016 Score 2022 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated 5 Not Rated
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 4 4 Not Rated
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 Not Rated

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2016 Score 2022 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 5 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated 5 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated 5 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2016 Score 2022 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 4 4
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5

Complaints for the 2016 Ford EXPLORER

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"complete failure of steering rack, causing the car to be completely undriveable. poses a massive safety risk which could have resulted in injury or death had it occured at the wrong time or place."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2024-09-12

Complaint:
"grinding/knocking noise when driving and turning front wheel either right or left. was told need new steering gear. only 115k miles on car. numerous complaints online from other 2016 ford explorer owners with same issue. this is a safety issue as the car is not safe to drive, yet this is my only means of transportation. no warning lights. verified problem with ford dealership - but part is not available. now what?! this should be a recall from ford."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2024-01-01

Complaint:
"the electronic steering went out while driving making stearing very difficult and dangerous. i found out this is an issue that many ha e had and they have not recalled this dangerous part."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2025-02-11

Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2016 ford explorer. the contact stated while driving approximately 45 mph and turning to the right following a bend in the highway, the contact attempted to turn the steering wheel back to center and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. the contact stated no warning light was illuminated. the contact pulled over and turned off and restarted the vehicle and the steering functionality returned. the contact stated that the steering assist failed again, and the vehicle was parked at the residence. the contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. the vehicle was diagnosed but was not repaired. the manufacturer was informed of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 184,000."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2024-03-12

Complaint:
"2016 ford explorer at 81,000 miles the steering rack is considered bad. prior to getting this checked by the dealer there were major steering issues with the vehicle that suddenly would not work. my wife and daughter were in the car at the time of the incident and had to pull over to avoid major collison. the steering went to manual. no error codes or error message prior to this. just happened out of no where. the ford dealership determined it's was the steering rack that nees to be replaced. confirmed by dealer."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2023-01-12

Complaint:
"the steering rack failed while operating the vehicle at approximately 40 mph resulting in a near total loss of steering. it required extreme force to turn the steering wheel to avoid oncoming traffic on a bend in the road before finally moving out of the roadway. the warning message displayed at the time of the fault was "steering assist fault service required." the component had to be replaced when it was evaluated by the ford dealer"
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2024-07-10

Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2016 ford explorer. the contact stated that while the vehicle was pulled over on the side of the road, the steering wheel became firm. the power steering assist warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. the contact was informed that the electronic steering unit was faulty and needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the vehicle was not under warranty. the failure mileage 30,476."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2025-02-10

Complaint:
"the vehicle starting making a clunking noise while doing turns. while making a right hand turn, the steering wheel stuck and i had to yank it back (left) which caused a loud popping noise. took it straight to the auto shop and next day was notified it was the steering rack and pinion."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2023-05-10

Complaint:
"steering locks up at high way speeds, cannot turn wheel on any direction. i have had a close call to a head on collision on the road way because i could not turn my wheel. previous years of this model and have the reported issues, multiple online threads of this same model or newer with this issue also. i pay monthly for a car i can’t safely drive, it will get me or someone else killed. it’s a $3000+ repair and ford refused any financial assistance for something they know is a common issue! this car is going to kill someone!!!!"
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2025-02-06

Complaint:
"the steering began making a rubbing noise for a day and the next day the rack and pinion steering completely froze up, not able to turn steering wheel at all. the vehicle was in my driveway when the steering froze so there was no accident however this could have been fatal had this happened on a street or highway, there would have been no way to avoid another vehicle or object. my vehicle was towed to c&c auto who replaced the steering unit with an original ford part."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2024-02-08

Recalls for the 2016 Ford EXPLORER

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2011-2017 explorer vehicles. the rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension."
Consequence:
A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

Ford will notify 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 June 26, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S17.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2019-06-10

Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2021-07-15

Recall:
"ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in connecticut, delaware, the district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, and wisconsin that were previously repaired under a prior recall numbers 16v-245 or 19v-435. the outboard section of a rear suspension toe link may fracture."
Consequence:
A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle attached to the rear suspension toe link and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S62.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2020-10-30

FORD Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

FORD ranks 1 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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