2016 Ford Explorer: engine overheating

Filed Apr 27, 2026 · Engine · NC

Coolant leak in the cylinder head grooves that builds up on the seal and leaking into cylinders. Causing coolant loss, white smoke and engine overheating. This issue has left me stranded on the interstate and in danger with potential engine fires. These incidents have exposed myself and the general public to unnecesary safety hazards.

Filed Jul 2, 2025 · Engine · 116,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the engine overheated, and the temperature gauge had increased to high with the check engine warning light remaining illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the water pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 116,000.

Filed Apr 18, 2025 · Engine · 120,000 miles · MI

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his sister was driving 55-60 MPH, the engine started to overheat, and there was fluid leaking from the vehicle. The contact stated that there was oil in the coolant overflow tank. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Filed Mar 21, 2025 · Body, Engine · 120,000 miles · UT

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at a car wash, the driver's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and replaced the A-pillar trim. The contact stated that after leaving the dealer after the repair, the driver's side A-pillar became loosened. The A-pillar trim was replaced. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed coolant leaking from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the head gasket. The contact was informed that the water pump and timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired for the most recent failure due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Filed Mar 20, 2025 · Engine · 125,000 miles · LA

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the temperature gauge started to indicate that the engine was overheating, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The engine overheated warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the water pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 125,000.

Filed Mar 5, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · 102,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine overheated with the temperature gauge indicating that the engine was hot(H). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the water pump was replaced. The contact stated that several months later while in reverse(R), the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for a diagnostic test and remained with the dealer for months. The contact was informed that the vehicle had failed to accelerate while in drive(D) or reverse(R). The dealer later diagnosed the vehicle with transmission failure and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it remained unrepaired. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

Filed Dec 20, 2024 · Engine, Transmission · 50,000 miles · MD

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked while shifting into gear. The contact stated that upon shifting to drive(D) on several occasions, the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission was replaced. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle shuddered, overheated, and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the residence, where a mobile independent mechanic diagnosed that the head gasket was blown. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Filed Dec 6, 2024 · Engine · 54,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated. In addition, the check engine warning light illuminated after the failure had occurred. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that when the vehicle was parked, the engine seized. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed there was water from the water pump on the ground underneath the vehicle. The contact drove the vehicle to a nearby auto parts store. The contact was informed that the failure might be due to the coolant pump failure. The technician refilled the coolant reservoir with water. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Filed Oct 24, 2024 · Engine · CO

A engine getting hot light came on in our Explorer and we checked the coolant levels and most of the coolant had leaked out. We filled the coolant but the check engine light was still on.A mechanic did a thorough assessment and found 3 codes were being thrown. He discovered that the coolant was leaking into the combustion chamber. After much research online, we found that there was a class action lawsuit on other ecoboost Ford engines that had the same issue. Out particular Model was not included, but it was the same safety issue. The engine could become overheated and start on fire or the engine could fail and seize up while driving. We personally experienced a few times where the engine would hesitate and almost not go forward but we thought it was a spark plug issue. It was a little scary while driving in traffic and could have caused a rear end situation. We called Ford and they offered no solution. Case #CXH-02862684-P9D9B2

Filed Sep 27, 2024 · TN

*Premature water pump failure that is housed in the timing chain chamber and driven by the timing chain. Component is not available for inspection as of this complaint because vehicle is being repaired. *Possible sudden catastrophic engine failure due to water pump failure, which will put safety of driver, passengers, and others at risk. *I am not aware if problem has been reproduced or confirmed by dealer or other independent services. Several dealers that I contacted did expressed that it was a "bad design". *I am not aware if component has been inspected by the manufacturer or others. *The only warning sign of premature pump failure was a small puddle of coolant under the vehicle. This happened at around 70K miles and the dealer was informed, but according to the Ford technician, upon inspection, no sign of coolant leak was found. At approximately 82K, the dealer was informed about a sudden coolant leak, and again, the Ford technician did not find the leak. It wasn't until I personally took a video of the coolant leaking and showed it to them, that they "diagnosed the problem correctly".

Filed Sep 18, 2024 · Engine · 114,000 miles · VA

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge started indicating that the engine was overheating, and the vehicle then lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. The engine overheating warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the water pump, resulting in engine damages. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 114,000.

Filed Aug 11, 2024 · Engine · MO

Water pump failure, like many others. Caused engine to overheat, lose AC. Issue caught before complete engine failure. Internal water pump can go out at highway speeds causing the engine to suddenly lose power and shut down suddenly causing the power brakes and power steering to fail all at once and lead to loss of vehicle control which in traffic could cause a fatal accident while the driver struggles to maintain control while attempting to move to the roadside or emergency lane . While ford has known of this flaw in the engine design for years and did nothing to resolve this issue.