The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud grinding sound. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle seized, and the vehicle started rolling. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road and noticed that the gear box had blown out. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the gear box had fractured and damaged the transmission front assembly. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 156,000.
2016 Ford Explorer: grinding or squealing brakes
78 of the 2,467 complaints about the 2016 Ford Explorer describe grinding or squealing brakes.
- owner complaints
- 78
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,300
- typical mileage
- 60,025
- 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
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel made abnormal grinding sounds. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,400.
July 17, 2024 A little over a week ago steering system on my 2016 Ford Explore started making grinding noises when turning steering wheel. Steering started to feel " tighter " or stiffer when turning. There were no warning lamps or messages or other symptoms prior to the failure. Took it to the dealership where vehicle was purchased. Service advisor came out and verified there " seems " to be a problem but can't get the vehicle in until August 5. I am concerned about the danger of the steering system locking up while driving and asked him about it and advisor only said " just have it towed in " . In my opinion this is an extremely dangerous defect !!! If the steering locks up it certainly could cause the vehicle to veer into on coming traffic resulting injury or death. Who then is responsible for this defect and it IS a defect in the rack and pinion. I have been doing research about this problem and have found not just a few but many, many, customers with the same problems with repair costs ranging from $2,500.00 - $5,000.00 and apparently a huge shortage of parts 2016 Explorers.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering failed to function as intended. The contact heard a squeaking sound while steering the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel seized, and the vehicle became undrivable. The contact stated that the failure had occurred twice. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with power steering assist assembly failure. The contact was informed that the power steering assist assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts were on back order. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.
Steering started grinding in the winter months around 110,900 and locked up while driving. Took to Ford Service and the Rack and Pinion is faulty. The tech said it was not due to any driving damage, but a faulty part. Vehicle currently has 120,000 miles on it and locks up driving down the road. The potential for a dangerous accident is high. This is a known issue for Ford Explorers in various years and Ford should recall this.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, and making a turn, the steering wheel seized, and the contact struggled to regain control of the steering wheel. In addition, the contact noticed a grinding sound while making a turn. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed rack and pinion. The contact was informed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was advised to report the failure to the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.
Rack and pinion binds. This suddenly started around 70,000 miles. It makes a grinding noise that seems to be in the steering column. While driving it catches and takes effort to move steering wheel past the catch.
The contact’s wife owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving out of the driveway, she noticed a loud clanking and grinding noise coming from the steering wheel. The contact’s wife stated that the steering wheel became difficult to operate while driving the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 123,684.
Unknown Overall something within while driving my truck i had starting hearing a grinding sound while turning and then the steering started to lock up, very unsafe and while my children were going to school had me in panic mode in which i never experience out of all the vehicle ive had and paid off.
The contacted owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, there was an abnormal grinding sound detected. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the failure was due to the rack and pinion. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
Our 2016 Ford Explorer suddenly the steering started making a loud grinding noise while rotating the steering wheel. The noise is anytime you move the steering wheel left or right parked or moving. The steering wheel locks up without warning while driving making it momentarily impossible to move and dangerous while driving. The explorer was diagnosed as a faulty steering rack and pinion assembly with is electronic assisted. No warning lights are illuminated on the dash.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the steering wheel was making an abnormal grinding sound. The ABS, air bags, and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the parts were not available to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 14,000.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Parking brake
- 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 2016 Ford Explorer grinding brakes
Is grinding or squealing brakes a common problem on the 2016 Ford Explorer?
78 of 2,467 owner complaints about the 2016 Ford Explorer (3%) mention grinding or squealing brakes. The model year with the most reports is 2002.
How much does it cost to fix grinding or squealing brakes on the 2016 Ford Explorer?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,300 (median of 19 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2016 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 2016 Ford Explorer
Fuel smell 163Power steering loss 132Check engine light 115Loss of power 112Airbag light 90Steering lock-up 78Engine failure 70Overheating 63Stalling 60Jerking 59Steering noise 55Fire or smoke 37Harsh shifting 36Transmission failure 30Won't shift 24Hesitation 23Knocking 22Shudder 21Water leak 21Seat belt 16Backup camera 15Ball joint 15Misfire 15Slipping 13ABS 10Door locks 8Lane assist 8Tire blowout 8Warning lights 8Adaptive cruise 7No deployment 6Pulling 6Won't start 6Battery drain 5Fuel leak 5Screen failure 5Key fob 5
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