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2015 Ford Explorer: grinding or squealing brakes

23 of the 1,820 complaints about the 2015 Ford Explorer describe grinding or squealing brakes.

owner complaints
23
of this car's complaints
1%
typical mileage
55,000
recalls
1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 2 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below

Grinding or squealing brakes by model year

What owners say

Filed Dec 4, 2024 · Suspension · CA

Front halfshaft bracket replacement Campaign/the federal safety agency# 20S63/20V692 Issue Date 2020-11-10 Description: On your vehicle, the support bracket for your front drive axle halfshaft may fail. This may result in a vibration, grinding, banging or clicking noise from the driveline while moving. Safety Risk: The support bracket may fail without warning and could result in a loss of movement. In some instances, there may be a loss of park function that could result in unintended vehicle movement, increasing the risk of an accident. Remedy: Ford Motor Company has authorized your dealer to replace the support bracket free of charge (parts and labor).

Filed May 1, 2024 · Steering · 78,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while accelerating from a parking lot and starting to make a turn, the contact heard a loud grinding sound coming from the steering wheel while completing the turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with rack and pinion gear failure. The contact was informed that the rack and gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to call the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

Filed Mar 11, 2024 · Seat belts, Seats · 126,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there was an abnormal grinding noise detected while making a turn. There was a crunching noise detected while entering the driveway. The contact stated that the passenger's front seat was not moving. The driver’s side rear inflator seat belt failed to latch. The rear seat belt warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who informed the contact the seat belt buckle needed to be replaced. The track on the seat needed to be replaced. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the steering failure. The vehicle was not repaired. While driving at unknown speeds, the steering wheel seized. While making a turn, the driver had to pull the steering wheel to correct the steering. The steering power assist fault message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the seat failure was due to the motor. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 126,000.

Filed Nov 9, 2023 · Steering · CA

Clients steering locked up driving down the road. Had to stop and get a tow. Looking at the issue, found the electronic steering rack and pinion was locked, able to break it free but grinds bad. See other recalls for earlier and later years but not the 2014, seems to be the same issue, client could have been killed or killed others on the highway with no warning for a faulty part.

Filed Nov 2, 2023 · Steering · 107,657 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH down the driveway, the steering wheel was turned to the right and the contact heard an abnormal grinding sound. The contact stated that the steering wheel failed to return to center after completing the turn. The contact had to manually turn the steering wheel to center and heard the grinding sound again. The contact also felt a vibration in the steering column. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 107,657.

Filed Apr 28, 2023 · Suspension · 127,644 miles · MN · crash

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that he previously received a recall notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V537000 (Suspension) however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. They stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the contact heard a squealing sound when the rear driver’s side wheel started to wobble. As a result, the vehicle steered to the left then swerved and crashed into a guardrail. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. No police report was filed. The contact stated that he was able to drive the vehicle at approximately 5 MPH to the nearest dealer where it was diagnosed that the toe link had fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact opened a case however, the case was dismissed and no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 127,644. UPDATE 06/05/2023: Consumer contacted the federal safety agency to inquire whether a federal agency had precedence over sate statutes. Consumer was told that the federal safety agency doesn't offer legal advice, but may be interested in the file information. Notes to flash drive content and flash drive included.

Filed Feb 7, 2023 · Transmission · 80,000 miles · VA

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal noise was heard coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that the noise occurred for several days however while driving 55 MPH, there was an abnormal clunking sound heard as the vehicle jolted forward. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was depressed, and a grinding noise was heard as the vehicle was parked. The grinding noise stopped after the vehicle was placed in the park. The contact inspected the vehicle and found no objects. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the failure as a rear axle bolt fracture. The contact was informed that the driveshaft and bolt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The independent mechanic advised the contact to call the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V255000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The contact called a Ford dealer and was awaiting an appointment for a diagnostic test. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

Filed Nov 28, 2022 · Steering · 160,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the steering became very difficult to turn. The contact was able to steer the vehicle; however, extra effort was needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was driven back to his residence and the vehicle regained power steering functionality after turning off and then restarting the vehicle. The contact stated that he recently started hearing a grinding noise coming from the transfer case. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the PTU transfer case needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 14V286000 (Steering). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Filed Oct 6, 2021 · Steering · MI

The rack and pinion is bad and grinds when turning. Yes vehicle is available for inspection if needed. no warning lamped have shown up to date other than major grinding when turning.

Filed Apr 4, 2021 · Steering · CA

7 months ago started hearing a grinding sound whenever I turn the car and reported it to the service department of the ford dealer when I had my oil change. They reported that they found nothing wrong. However the issue continues and is occurring more frequently. Yesterday I brought to the dealer for an oil change and reported the the same problem. This time they said that my rack and pinion steering needs to be changed a the cost of $2500. This is unexpected as I've never owned a car that had a this problem. Although I have 100k miles in it, all of it is from freeway driving. Now when I researched this issue and it is a common problem with this vehicle. The dealer that I go to must know this iand reassured me that there was nothing wrong with my vehicle when I first let them know a few months ago, I thinks they were negligent in letting me know and at the very least warned me of what could happen. Now I hesitate to drive this vehicle for safety reasons. Good thing I have not had any steering issues while on the road. But for some unknowing driver, a frozen steering wheel could spell disaster.

Filed Mar 21, 2021 · Transmission · 155,000 miles · MO

Down the road from my house the power takeoff unit had a catastrophic failure while driving forward (on private drive) grinding sound could be heard coming from the unit in drive but not reverse or neutral. My complaint with this is that this is a known issue with ford and they have not issued a recall, the jerking that this failure caused had I been on a public road/highway going a higher speed could of caused a major accident therfore I believe this to be a major safety issue.

Filed Nov 30, 2020 · Steering · 77,000 miles · NC

Vehicle started make grinding and knocking noise in slow speed turns. 77,000 miles on vehicle. Took to dealership, and was advised steering rack needed replacement. Cost would be over $2,000, and not covered by warranty or recall. After seeing all the posts on this site, and others, it is obvious a recall should have been issued. Not only has this been ongoing in explorers, but is also a major safety issue.

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

Parking brakeReported July 24, 2015 · 7,165 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, and Lincoln MKS vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015, Lincoln MKT vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 21, 2015, and 2015-2016 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to May 23, 2015. The affected vehicles have a parking brake that may not fully engage when applied. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Risk
If the parking brake does not fully engage and the transmission is left in a gear other than 'Park' while on a slope, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will test the operation of the parking brake system, and if necessary, replace the parking brake control assembly, free of charge. The recall began on September 4, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C07.

Recall number 15V464000 · Recall details

Questions about the 2015 Ford Explorer grinding brakes

Is grinding or squealing brakes a common problem on the 2015 Ford Explorer?

23 of 1,820 owner complaints about the 2015 Ford Explorer (1%) mention grinding or squealing brakes. The model year with the most reports is 2002.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2015 Ford Explorer?

There is 1 recall and 2 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2015 Ford Explorer

Fuel smell 228Backup camera 131Power steering loss 129Airbag light 68Loss of power 59Steering lock-up 46Engine failure 38Steering noise 36Check engine light 31Screen failure 27Stalling 23ABS 20Harsh shifting 19Overheating 19Ball joint 15Seat belt 15Jerking 14Water leak 14Headlights 13Knocking 10Door locks 9Fire or smoke 9Wipers 7No deployment 6Brake failure 6Shudder 6Hesitation 5

All model years of the Ford Explorer

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