2017 Ford Explorer problems
The 2017 Ford Explorer has 2,080 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (32%) concerns body & structure. Next are engine (15%) and drivetrain & axles (6%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 2,080 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Body & structure 32% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 56 and 16
- Injuries and deaths
- 69 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 46,000 miles 1,013 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 291 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 153 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 151 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 128 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 119 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 68 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 47 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 29 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 14 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 9 |
| 200k+ miles | 4 |
What the data shows
Of the 1,013 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 46,000 miles. For body & structure specifically, the median reported mileage is about 76,000 miles (313 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 56 complaints mention a crash; 16 complaints mention a fire; 69 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2017 ranks 11th most-complained-about out of 36 model years of the Ford Explorer with enough data (961 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 13 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
I rented a 2017 from enterprise. I was in a bad car accident on a street doing maybe 20MPH total loss front damage and the airbags never deployed I went inside another vehicle I never saw the airbag showing on while driving and I had on my seat belt. I now suffer with a spine problem cause of this accident. I cant believe after a hard impact that the air bags never deployed
We were involved in accident 9/22/17 driving our ford explorer when a person ran red light and "t boned" us on driver side resulting in all air bags exploding. Driver has some hearing loss due to side door bags and chest injuries due to steering wheel bags. I was in right side front seat and air bags ripped up my legs below the knees! Stitches, hematoma vain issues and still recovering after 4 months. I had a puncture wound from "screw" that held air bag below glove compartment?
Vehicle was involved in a 2 vehicle accident. Explorer was rear ended by a vehicle (dodge dakota pickup truck) traveling approximately 55 MPH while explorer was at a stop, waiting to make a left hand turn. The impact was slightly off center to the driver side. The driver seat back collapsed backwards causing driver and rear passenger to collide resulting in lacerations and head injuries to both.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the A-pillar trim on both sides of the windshield became very loose and started to detach. The contact also stated that the B-pillar trim on both sides of the front door was loosened and had started to detach. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure).
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. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact observed wires exposed on the inner tread of the tire. Additionally, the contact inspected the driver-side rear tire and observed exposed wires sticking out from the inner sidewall. The contact stated that NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension) was completed in October 2025.