NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
148 reports85,000 miles · Feb 19, 2013
Engine
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BOLTS THAT CONNECTED THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD TO THE ENGINE BECAME FRACTURED AT THE CONNECTION POINT. AS A RESULT, THE EXHAUST WAS CAUSING A LEAK ONTO THE WHEEL BASE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD NEEDED TO B…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BOLTS THAT CONNECTED THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD TO THE ENGINE BECAME FRACTURED AT THE CONNECTION POINT. AS A RESULT, THE EXHAUST WAS CAUSING A LEAK ONTO THE WHEEL BASE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD NEEDED TO BE RE-BOLTED BACK ONTO THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD RE-BOLTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.
NHTSA ODI #10499250
1,500 miles · Dec 13, 2012
Electrical System
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT MOVED BACKWARD INDEPENDENTLY AS THE INTERIOR DOME LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE KEY CYLINDER WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIR…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT MOVED BACKWARD INDEPENDENTLY AS THE INTERIOR DOME LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE KEY CYLINDER WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT DID NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000. UPDATED 3/1/13 *CN UPDATED 3/29/2013 *JS
NHTSA ODI #10488694
45,000 miles · Nov 26, 2012
Engine
MANIFOLD BOLT FAILURE, CAUSING EXHAUST GASES TO ESCAPE FROM THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. MANY OTHER OWNERS COMPLAIN OF THIS ON ONLINE FORUMS. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10486139
67,000 miles · Nov 22, 2012
Wheels
MARCH 18, 2012, 50 MPH, FRONT PASSENGER FELL OFF THE VEHICLE. ONLY ONE OUT OF FIVE STUDS STILL AT NORMAL LENGTH, THREE AT HALF THEIR NORMAL LENGTH AND THE FIFTH COMPLETELY MISSING. CAUSED BRAKES TO GO OUT, COASTED TO A CONTROLLED STOP HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT DAMAGE DONE TO THE VEHICLE HAD MINOR, ONL…
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MARCH 18, 2012, 50 MPH, FRONT PASSENGER FELL OFF THE VEHICLE. ONLY ONE OUT OF FIVE STUDS STILL AT NORMAL LENGTH, THREE AT HALF THEIR NORMAL LENGTH AND THE FIFTH COMPLETELY MISSING. CAUSED BRAKES TO GO OUT, COASTED TO A CONTROLLED STOP HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT DAMAGE DONE TO THE VEHICLE HAD MINOR, ONLY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE LUG NUTS AND STUDS. VERY LUCK THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT ROLL! IN JAN 2011, WE DISCOVERED WE WERE MISSING TWO OF THE FIVE STUDS ON THE BACK PASSENGER SIDE TIRE OF THIS SAME VEHICLE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10485781
76,000 miles · Oct 22, 2012
Suspension
BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO FRONT AXLE THAT NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10481484
78,000 miles · Oct 11, 2012
Engine
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, A CHIME SOUNDED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE RADIATOR WARNING INDICATOR BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THE COOLANT RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY. THE CONTACT DISPENSED WATER INTO THE RESE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, A CHIME SOUNDED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE RADIATOR WARNING INDICATOR BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THE COOLANT RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY. THE CONTACT DISPENSED WATER INTO THE RESERVOIR WHICH LEAKED ONTO THE GROUND CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THE THERMOSTAT HAD FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE COOLANT TO DRAIN FROM THE RADIATOR. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE ENGINE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000. UPDATED 11/28/12 *CN
NHTSA ODI #10479793
42,000 miles · Oct 4, 2012
Steering
NOISE COMING FROM STEERING, FELT IN STEERING WHEEL WHILE TURNING, IN THE FORM OF A SHUDDER ACCOMPANIED WITH A PULSATING GROANING TYPE NOISE. THIS OCCURRED MORE FREQUENTLY AS TIME HAS GONE BY, NOW IT HAPPENS MORE FREQUENTLY AND WITH AN ADDITIONAL SOUND OF FLUID BYPASSING IN THE STEERING RACK, LIKE WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH ANY VEHICL…
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NOISE COMING FROM STEERING, FELT IN STEERING WHEEL WHILE TURNING, IN THE FORM OF A SHUDDER ACCOMPANIED WITH A PULSATING GROANING TYPE NOISE. THIS OCCURRED MORE FREQUENTLY AS TIME HAS GONE BY, NOW IT HAPPENS MORE FREQUENTLY AND WITH AN ADDITIONAL SOUND OF FLUID BYPASSING IN THE STEERING RACK, LIKE WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH ANY VEHICLES STEERING SYSTEM WHEN THE WHEEL IS TURNED ALL THE WAY FULL RIGHT OR FULL LEFT. IT SOUNDS JUST LIKE THAT ONLY TURNING THE WHEEL NORMALLY, NOT TO ITS WHEEL STOPS. ALSO IT FEELS LIKE SOME POWER ASSIST IS LOST AND NOT THERE LIKE IT SHOULD BE, CAUSING INCREASED STEERING WHEEL EFFORT. I AM CONCERNED THAT TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING MAY HAPPEN AT SOME POINT IN TIME! HAD IT IN TO DEALER AND THEY IGNORED MY CONCERN THEY SAID THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG, STEERING PUMP PRESSURE TESTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN PERFORMED BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THEY DID THIS. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10478649
48,000 miles · Aug 10, 2012
Seats
DRIVING AT SPEED, IN TRAFFIC, ANOTHER CAR CUT ME OFF, WHEN HIT THE HORN AND STARTED BRAKE - THE DRIVER SEAT SUDDENLY MOVED BACKWARDS. THIS HAS HAPPEN AT LEAST 8 TIMES, THE DEALER SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE SERIOUSNESS OF DRIVING AND THE DRIVER SEAT MOVING BACKWARDS TO WHERE I CAN BARELY TOUCH THE PEDALS. I PURCHASED THE VEHI…
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DRIVING AT SPEED, IN TRAFFIC, ANOTHER CAR CUT ME OFF, WHEN HIT THE HORN AND STARTED BRAKE - THE DRIVER SEAT SUDDENLY MOVED BACKWARDS. THIS HAS HAPPEN AT LEAST 8 TIMES, THE DEALER SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE SERIOUSNESS OF DRIVING AND THE DRIVER SEAT MOVING BACKWARDS TO WHERE I CAN BARELY TOUCH THE PEDALS. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN MAY WITH APPROX 46K MILES. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10470108
62,250 miles · Jul 10, 2012
Suspension
MY PERSONAL VEHICLE IS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER THAT HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH MULTIPLE WHEEL BEARING FAILURE.I WORK FOR A FORD DEALERSHIP AND WE HAVE HAD MULTIPLE MODEL WHEEL BEARING FAILURE...MOSTLY ON SUV I.E. *TR EXPLORER,EDGE,MOUNTAINEER,MKX...HAVE WORKED HERE FOR 20 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS AMOUNT OF WHEEL BEARING FAILU…
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MY PERSONAL VEHICLE IS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER THAT HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH MULTIPLE WHEEL BEARING FAILURE.I WORK FOR A FORD DEALERSHIP AND WE HAVE HAD MULTIPLE MODEL WHEEL BEARING FAILURE...MOSTLY ON SUV I.E. *TR EXPLORER,EDGE,MOUNTAINEER,MKX...HAVE WORKED HERE FOR 20 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS AMOUNT OF WHEEL BEARING FAILURE, MOST OF THESE FAILURES ARE ON VEHICLE THAT ARE LESS THEN FIVE YEARS OLD AND NOT HIGH MILEAGE...WHEN LEFT GO AND NOT REPAIRED,THESE WHEEL BEARINGS WHICH START OUT AS BEING NOISEY, CAN QUICKLY LEAD TO FAILURE WHICH COULD RESULT IN WHEEL SEPERATION FROM AXLE......I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE ANY FATALITIES ARE INVOLVED....
NHTSA ODI #10465081
85,001 miles · Jun 12, 2012
Electrical SystemService BrakesSteering
VEHICLE CHECK CHARGING SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON, SHORTLY AFTER THE VEHICLE STALL WHILE IN MOTION DRIVING AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 25MPH AND EVENTUALLY LOSS POWER, STEERING CONTROL AND BRAKING CAPABILITIES. CURRENTLY AT THE MECHANIC, IT APPEARS IT MAY HAVE BEEN AN ALTERNATOR MALFUNCTION THAT CAUSED THE LOSS OF POWER. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10461380
NHTSA investigations
1PE08060 · Tire Valve Cracking
Opened Oct 14, 2008 · Closed Apr 9, 2009
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Tires:valve
ON OCTOBER 14, 2008, ODI OPENED PE08-060 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF CRACKED AND LEAKING SNAP-IN TIRE VALVES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY.THE VALVES WERE SUPPLIED TO FORD BY TOPSEAL AUTO-PARTS, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE SHANGHAI BAOLONG AUTOMOTIVE CORPORATION IN CHINA.VALVES MADE BY TOPSEAL FOR AFTERMARKET SALE WERE THE SUBJECT OF TWO RECENT SAFETY RECALLS BY TECH INTERNATIONAL (08T-018) AND DILL AIR CONTROLS (08T-028), THE LATTER OF WHICH WAS INVESTIGATED BY ODI IN PE08-036 AND EA08-022.THE DEFECT CONDITIONS ADDRESSED BY THE AFTERMARKET TIRE VALVE RECALLS BOTH INVOLVED INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING DUE TO ISSUES WITH THE SUPPLY OF ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS TO TOPSEAL FOR A PERIOD FROM JULY TO MID-NOVEMBER 2006.THE AFTERMARKET VALVES WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A BLEND OF EPDM AND NATURAL RUBBER, USING A RELATIVELY LOW PERCENTAGE OF EPDM (EPDM PROVIDES INHERENT RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING).HENCE, THE NEED FOR ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS AND THE PROBLEMS WITH CRACKING WHEN THOSE CHEMICALS WERE MISSING OR OUT OF SPECIFICATION IN SOME LOTS OF VALVES.BOTH RECALL CAMPAIGNS INVOLVED INSPECTION PROGRAMS TO IDENTIFY AND REPLACE VALVES WITH VISIBLE SURFACE CRACKING.ALTHOUGH THE TOPSEAL VALVES SUPPLIED TO FORD ALSO APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE ANTI-OZONANT SUPPLY ISSUES IN MID TO LATE-2006, FORD INDICATED THAT ITS VALVES WERE MADE AT A DIFFERENT TOPSEAL PRODUCTION LINE AND WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF EPDM RUBBER TO MEET MORE STRINGENT SPECIFICATIONS FROM FORD.ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA PROVIDED BY FORD SHOWED THAT PROBLEMS WITH CRACKED TIRE VALVES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER FOR MY 2007 VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007.FORD RESPONDED BY IMPLEMENTING CHANGES IN ITS MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SNAP-IN RUBBER TIRE VALVES AND ALSO INCREASING THE QUALITY AND ACCEPTANCE STANDARDS FOR VALVES IMPORTED FOR USE IN ITS VEHICLES.WHILE THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIM RATES ARE ELEVATED FOR SUBJECT VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007, THE RATES OF LEAKING VALVES ARE WELL BELOW ONE PERCENT OF PRODUCTION FOR EACH OF THE PEAK MONTHS FOR ALL OF THE AFFECTED MODELS.A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS (TPMS) WHICH WARN THE DRIVER WHEN ANY TIRE PRESSURES DROPS BELOW 25 PERCENT OF RECOMMENDED INFLATION PRESSURE. AS OUTLINED IN A LETTER TO ODI DATED APRIL 6, 2009, FORD HAS AGREED TO SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS OF CERTAIN MY 2007 AND 2008 FORD, LINCOLN AND MERCURY VEHICLES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRACKING CONCERN. LETTERS WILL BE SENT TO OWNERS OF VEHICLES BUILT FROM NOVEMBER 2006 THROUGH MAY 2007.OWNERS CAN OPT FOR A FREE DEALER INSPECTION.VALVES EXHIBITING SURFACE CRACKS OR AIR LEAKAGE RELATED TO OZONE ATTACK WILL BE REPLACED BY FORD UNDER ITS NORMAL WARRANTY TERMS.FORD EXPECTS TO SEND THE LETTER BY APPROXIMATELY MID-MAY 2009. BASED ON THE USE OF TPMS IN THE MAJORITY OF SUBJECT VEHICLES AND THE RELATIVELY LOW RATES OF REPAIRS ASSOCIATED WITH LEAKING VALVES AND RESULTANT TIRE DAMAGE, ODI BELIEVES THAT THE ACTIONS FORD HAS AGREED TO TAKE WILL PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND EXPEDITIOUS RESOLUTION FOR VEHICLES THAT WERE BUILT DURING THE PERIOD WHEN VALVES WITH INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING WERE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN USED IN VEHICLE PRODUCTION.FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS MATTER WOULD NOT BE AN EFFICIENT ALLOCATION OF AGENCY RESOURCES.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO