2012 Ford Explorer Structure
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE PILLAR BLEW OFF MY VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED ON I-75 (70 MPH). IT JUST MISSED A CAR THAT WAS FOLLOWING ME. THE PLATE THAT HOLDS THE PILLAR ON THE FRAME, SHOWS STRESS CRACKING AT EACH BOLT AND THE LOWER TWO TABS THAT CONNECT THE PILLAR ARE SHEARED. THE TABS AT THE TOP OF THE PILLAR PULLED OUT COMPLETELY. I HAD TAKEN THIS VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE NOISE THE WIND NOISE COMING FROM THE SIDES OF THE WINDSHIELD. THEY SAID THAT THEY COULDN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM AND ADVISED ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THE PILLAR ASSEMBLY REPLACED IF I WANTED TO GET RID OF THE NOISE. THEY DID NOT REMOVE THE PILLAR TO INSPECT ANYTHING, LIKELY KNOWING THEY WOULD DAMAGE IT.
THE HOOD HAS PAINT THAT IS BUBBLING UP AND COMING OFF. THE HOOD IS ALUMINUM SO IT ISN'T RUSTING, IT APPEARS THAT THAT THE METAL WAS NOT PREPPED PROPERLY AT THE FACTORY
I WAS DRIVING ON I30 EASTBOUND IN TEXAS ON OCTOBER OF 2015 WHEN WITHOUT WARNING MY PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD MOLDING CAME OFF AND HIT THE CAR BEHIND ME. AFTER STOPPING AND CHECKING BOTH VEHICLES NO INJURIES OR DAM AGE TO THE OTHER VEHICLE AND WE WENT ON OUR WAY. I CONTACTED MY FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT WARRANTED AND THE COST TO REPAIR WOULD BE AROUND $400. I EXPRESSED MY DISPLEASURE WITH THIS AND HAD IT REPAIRED.I CHALKED IT OFF TO A FLUKE, ON MAY 10 2016 WE WERE COMING BACK FROM AN EVENT DOING ABOUT 65MPH WHEN I HEARD SOMETHING "POP" AND REALIZED SOMETHING WAS WRONG. THE FREEWAY WAS BUSY AND IT WAS AT NIGHT SO THE DECISION WAS MADE TO KEEP DRIVING AS WE WERE ONLY A COUPLE OF MILES FROM HOME. UPON ARRIVING AT HOME OUR INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THIS TIME THE WINDSHIELD MOLDING ON THE DRIVERS SIDE HAD COME OFF. KNOWING THE COST OF REPAIR I DECIDED TO SEARCH THE INTERNET AND SEE IF I COULD BUY THE PARTS MYSELF AND REPAIR. WHILE DOING THE SEARCH I FOUND THAT THE WEB WAS LOADED WITH HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME RE-OCCURRING PROBLEMS. THE COST OF THESE PARTS ARE OVER $200 BUT MORE THAN THAT IS THE SAFETY ISSUE THAT IS INVOLVED. IF THIS DEFECTIVE PART HAD COME OFF AND HIT A MOTORCYCLE RIDER IT COULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY POSSIBLY EVEN THE DEATH OF THE RIDER. THIS IS AND ONGOING PROBLEM THAT IS COSTING CONSUMERS MONEY AND RISKING INJURY TO TO ANYONE WHO HAPPENS TO BE IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME. FORD MOTOR COMPANY KNOWS ABOUT THE DEFECT YET REFUSES TO ACT. I FEEL THAT THEY ARE INTENTIONALLY PUTTING MOTORISTS AT RISK BY THEIR COMPLACENCY ON THE PROBLEM.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT OBSERVED THAT THE PAINT ON THE FRONT HOOD OF THE VEHICLE HAD BUBBLES AND WAS CHIPPED. THE FAILURE RECURRED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 52,000.
THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY / SPRING CAME APART AND THE HANDLE REMAINED STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION AS A SMALL PIECE OF BLACK PLASTIC FROM BEHIND THE HANDLE MOLDING BECAME WEDGED BETWEEN THE DOOR INTERIOR AND THE HANDLE ITSELF (LEAVING IT PROPPED IN THE 'OPEN' POSITION)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE FRONT PASSENGER A PILLAR FRACTURED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE A PILLAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER A PILLAR PREVIOUSLY FRACTURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000.
THE VEHICLE HAS WATER LEAKS ON THE HATCHBACK,THE RIGHT REAR ROOF AREA AND OTHER PLACES YET TO BE DETERMINED WHEN IT RAINS THE WHEEL WELL HAS 3 INCHED OF WATER IN IT AND IT HAS CAUSED THE CARPET TO MOLD AND STINK UP THE WHOLE VEHICLE
THERE ARE WATER LEAKS ON THE HATCHBACK ON BOTH SIDES AND IT WAS DETERMINED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THERE IS A WATER LEAK IN THE RIGHT REAR BODY SEAM..OTHER LEAKS COULD BE POSSIBLE.WHEN IT RAINS THE WHEEL WELL HAS 3 INCHES OF WATER IN IT. WE HAD TO REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE AND THE MOLD IS MAKING ME SICK..IT'S A OVERWHELMING SMELL AND IT IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE WITH NO SPARE
THERE WEEKS AFTER THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED THE LH A-PILLAR FLEW OFF THE CAR WHILE MOVING ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WAS MOVING AT 65 MPH.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. WHEN IT RAINED, WATER ENTERED THE VEHICLE FROM THE THIRD ROW PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INTERIOR WALLS AND THE FLOOR OF THE VEHICLE BECAME WET. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. MA 09/25 UPDATED 11/27/2017*CN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V171000 (STRUCTURE) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. UPDATED 09/21/15*LJ *CN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V171000 (STRUCTURE) HOWEVER, THE PART NEEDED TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD EXCESSIVE RUST UNDER EACH OF THE FOUR DOORS AS WELL AS THE REAR HATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RUST OCCURRED IN AREAS THAT WERE PAINTED THINLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED UNTIL HOLES HAD FORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000. MA 10/22/2015 *CN
FORD RECENTLY DECLINED TO REPAIR THE BUBBLING PAINT ON THE HOOD OF MY 2012 FORD EXPLORER ON THE BASIS IT IS OUT-OF-WARRANTY DUE TO MILEAGE. BASED ON MY RESEARCH, FORD HAS HAD CORROSION ISSUES FOR SOME TIME BUT HAS FAILED TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. *TR
I BROUGHT MY CAR TO FORD FOR SERVICE. I NOTICED THAT THE PAINT ON THE HOOD WAS BUBBLING. I SHOWED IT TO THE SERVICE WRITER. HE REPORTED IT TO FORD. THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY WILL DO FOR IT. *TR
WE OWN A 2012 FORD EXPLORER XLT AND ARE VERY PLEASED WITH IT OVERALL. HOWEVER, WE HAVE RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT OUR INTERIOR DOOR PANEL ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES IS SPLITTING ON THE VINYL SEAM JUST BELOW THE ARM REST. OUR VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 55K ON IT FOR MILEAGE, SO ANY HOPE OF THIS BEING COVERED UNDER WARRANTY IS GONE. I HAVE CONTACTED AN UPHOLSTERY REPAIR SERVICE AND THEY STATED THAT IT CANNOT BE REPAIRED BECAUSE IT IS VINYL, BUT WILL INSTEAD NEED TO BE REPLACED. I RECENTLY GOT AN ESTIMATE AND FOR PARTS AND LABOR IT WOULD COST US ALMOST $600 TO REPAIR BOTH SIDES. BECAUSE IT IS HAPPENING IN THE EXACT SAME LOCATION ON BOTH INTERIOR DOORS, I FEEL THAT THIS IS FAULTY DESIGN AND SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO RECALL. *TR
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2012 Ford Explorer has 116 Structure complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.