2014 Ford Explorer: headlights failing or too dim

Filed Jan 17, 2025 · Lights · WA

This vehicle has gone through 5 headlight bulbs in the last year. 3 were on the driver side. 2 on the passenger side. Bulbs will last only 3 to 6 months. No damage seen to either headlight assembly and not electrical short can be found. Date listed is last replacement for driver side

Filed Jul 13, 2021 · Lights · MA

The headlights in my Ford Explorer 2014 are extremely dim. The road is poorly lit in front and cannot see anything on the sides. This has been a problem since I purchased the vehicle. I just missed hitting a pedestrian on the side of the road. I was in a residential area and only going 20 mph. It is extremely dangerous and a large safety concern.

Filed Sep 27, 2020 · MI

They should make a headlight retrofit kit as my 2014 explorer has the worst headlights I ever saw. Dangerous! Perhaps the movie-projector lens is the issue? The light seems to fucus much light to the tree tops instead of concentrating the light in front. I am not a coon hunter and di not to illuminate the trees when I drive. Also, I had a LED taillight fail and find it is not serviceable and it cannot be serviced. The whole tail light assembly must be replaced costing mega bucks. Ford needs to do something. I note, through the internet, others are listing the same safety problems.

Filed Jul 31, 2019 · Lights · MD

I have a 2014 ford explorer. The headlights are so poor in operation that it is unsafe to drive the car at night. Upon going on the internet, I found numerous complaints for the same exact problem of consumers not being to see safely when the lamps are on in the evening. The ford dealers say that the car meets ford specs and the ford co customer service dept confirms that they had numerous complaints and that ford has no fix. This is indeed a safety issue and a fix and recall is essential.

Filed Jan 4, 2019 · Lights · MI

The headlights on the 2014 ford explorer do not aluminate the road while driving at night. Even with the fog lights not, you can barely see over the hood of the vehicle. This has been concerning me for awhile, so I had the vehicle checked. Everything is in perfect condition. Its the car / design. I have also see other customers with this complaint online as well. This vehicle is not safe to drive in the dark.

Filed Jul 2, 2018 · Engine · 60,000 miles · WA

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 ford explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle emitted an abnormal odor without warning. The vehicle was taken to ray schultens ford (2400 w 6th st, the dalles, or) where it was diagnosed that the failure was due to cracks in the headlamp assemblies. The dealer stated that the vehicle needed adhesive added to the opening of the headlamp assemblies. The vehicle was repaired. The contact's husband sustained high hemoglobin levels and required medical attention. One year prior to the failure, the contact's husband was hospitalized because his blood hemoglobin levels were high due to carbon monoxide poisoning. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. The VIN was not provided.

Filed Apr 1, 2017 · Lights · PA

Had to replace the driver side head light pig tail as it melted to the bulb

Filed Jan 12, 2017 · Lights · 69,000 miles · VT

The headlights on this vehicle are terrible. They barely illuminate the road in front of me. I find it unsafe to drive at night. On city streets at night the problem isn't as apparent, but when I'm traveling on the interstate or any other road without street lighting, if I'm approached by an oncoming vehicle it's as if I don't even have my headlights on. Side lighting is also an issue when turning at night as its nearly blind. It's a vehicle I really enjoy, but I'm considering selling because I find it completely unsafe for night driving.

Filed Dec 22, 2015 · Lights · VA

I am not complaining about my own vehicle but others. In the last year, it seems that 99% of cars I see with no headlights on are newer model fords, all products. It used to be something seen once a week or so but now I see this several times a day. I am filing a complaint now because I just saw a 2014 ford explorer police car with no headlights on. This is an issue that is so prevalent that it points to something more serious and consistent than driver ignorance and more to poor design of headlight switch or headlight programming issues.

Filed Nov 14, 2015 · Lights · 420 miles · OH

The headlights on the 2014 ford explorer do not illuminate the road when turning, esp to the right. The driver turns into darkness. Therefore if you are turning right at night, the driver can not determine if a pedestrian is in a crosswalk or if the lane he/she is turning into is obstructed or compromised in any way. This has been a problem with this vehicle since I got it but I was able to limit my night time driving until recently. Now I have come to realize how dangerous the inability to see into the turns you are making is. In october 2015, I was turning right on to a busy state highway at night. Because the headlights do not illuminate the road through the turn, I could not see where my lane was, overestimated the distance and then realized as I straightened the vehicle that I was in the lane of oncoming traffic traveling at 60 MPH from a distance of about 1/4 mile! If I had not quickly moved into the correct lane, many people could have been injured or killed. This incident prompted me to realize how dangerous these headlights are and to formally report the problem here and to the ford co. After this incident,I took my explorer to my ford dealer who checked the headlights and told me that there was an "engineering/design flaw" that the service department could not fix. I then filed a safety complaint with the ford co. A representative called me within 48 hrs. She explained that she had talked to my ford service department who told her that there was a headlight illumination problem. She also stated that as of this time, ford considers the headlights to be working within acceptable level. She stated that I needed to file a complaint here and that ford would not consider this a problem until enough people file complaints through your agency and the ford co.. I am fearful that I will injure or kill someone before this is remedied.

Filed Jul 29, 2015 · Lights, Visibility · 15 miles · VA

The first time I took my new vehicle out at night I struggled seeing the road even with the fog lights on. When you look out over the hood there is a black line at hood height and the light appears above the black line. So there is not much light hitting the road. When making a turn the headlights do not follow the road on the turn as they appear off in the distance and not down on the road. You virtually cannot see in rural areas when making a turn. Even high beams do not illuminate the road very well. This is a serious problem that needs to be addressed before someone has an accident and kills themselves.

Filed May 1, 2015 · Lights · MD

Cpsc:i1540378a. 2014 ford explorer. Consumer stated the head lights on the vehicle are unsafe to operate at night.