This complaint concerns a failed federal safety recall repair that has resulted in structural damage and rendered my vehicle unsafe to drive. I am the original owner of this vehicle (since XXX). On XXX, Riverside Ford ([XXX]) performed a federal safety recall repair on my vehicle's A-pillars. On January 28, 2026, the vehicle began leaking water. On that day the dealership find the leak due to cracked A-pillar from the clip not holding.In May 2026 I had 4 inches of standing water on the passenger side while in Florida on vacation, and smeared excessive, unprofessional adhesive on the exterior trim. Took it to the dealership the Monday after returned from vacation to have them figure out why it was leaking again. They charged me $218 to have a diagnostic check even though it was part of the recall. Couldn't find any leaks. Took the headliner down. Said that they cleaned out the sunroof tubes but didn't verify if anything ever came out of them. Went back again because of the adhesive that was seeping and dried onto it and you look it's very sloppy. Contacted Ford corporate office opened a case. On XXX, during a another attempt, the dealership replaced the A-pillars again. Upon pickup, the interior sunroof headliner was completely sagging and unseated from its rails. There are massive structural gaps on all sides where I can stick my hand through to the sunroof rails. The dealership service manager, Connie Tell, denied responsibility and refused to let me view the shop video. The vehicle is no longer weather-tight, poses an interior electrical/mildew hazard, and cannot be driven in the rain due to the dealership's faulty execution of a federal safety recall. They also chipped paint off of my vehicle again taking the pillars off to replace them. Connie, when I had mentioned it said you already have paint chips on your car. What difference would it make that's not the point at all. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Ford Explorer water leak problems
175 of the 34,661 owner complaints about the Ford Explorer describe water leaks into the cabin, most of them for the 2013 model year.
- owner complaints
- 175
- worst model year
- 2013
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,200
- typical mileage
- 72,000
By model year
Often reported together
Engine failure 7Backup camera 5Overheating 4Headlights 4Fuel smell 4Grinding brakes 4Jerking 3Check engine light 3
What owners say
Hello, I am contacting Ford regarding a serious concern with my newly purchased 2026 Ford Explorer ST. Within days of purchase, we discovered water leaking from the moonroof area into the interior of the vehicle, including water coming through the seatbelt pillar area , wetting the roof as well, during rain and vehicle washes. In addition to the leak, there is noticeable wind and air noise coming from the moonroof area even when the roof is fully closed, (we notified them the day we got the vehicle about this) which raises concerns that the seal is not properly seating or sealing against the vehicle. After noticing these issues, we inspected several similar vehicles on the dealership lot and observed that multiple vehicles appeared to have uneven or improperly fitted moonroof seals as well. This has increased our concern that this may be a manufacturing or assembly defect rather than normal wear or an isolated issue. Because this vehicle is brand new and the issue was reported almost immediately after purchase, we are requesting that Ford review this matter seriously and assist in ensuring the vehicle is properly repaired or otherwise resolved. We are concerned about long-term damage to the interior, electronics, airbags, mold or mildew risks, and the overall value and reliability of the vehicle. We have documented the leak and seal concerns with photos/videos and are currently working with the dealership for inspection. Thank you for your time and assistance.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Explorer. The contact received notice of the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that while driving in the rain on several occasions, he observed water leaking from the left and top of the middle of the windshield. The contact stated that overtime water had leaked and puddling around the sunroof molder and rusted and shorted the sunroof motor. The contact stated that the sunroof did not work due to the shorted motor. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed about the two active recalls and that the rear view camera was inverted and it was diagnosed that the exterior a pillar clip attachments and sunroof and shade motor needed the replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the dealer not honoring the sunroof repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
Whenever it rains or I go through a car wash, water leaks in around the back lift gate hatch. And it goes in into the spare tire wheel well and there ands up being several inches of water in there. It’s also covering whatever electrical component or plug that is the bottom of the wheel well. PLEASE HELP!
1 waterpump failed and leaked water into my oil and blew my engine. There was no warning. My car had no power and I could not drive. I was on the side of the road. The waterpump is not a recall but there are alot of people with the same issue on the same model . The engine was replaced at my expense. 2. Pillar/trim recall is not fixed and water is getting into the inside of my car and shorting out my plugs and wires and stahling my car when it rains. No warning signs or lights for either problem. The car has been inspected for the recal . I was just told ford has not provided a repair solution for the problem. This recal is from 1/19/2024
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign number: 25V347000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the rain, water leaked inside the vehicle. There was water accumulating on the floor on the driver’s and the passenger’s side of the vehicle. The contact was unsure of where the water was entering the vehicle. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving 60 MPH, the driver's side A-pillar trim and the passenger's side A-pillar trim had detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was unsure if the water was entering from the A-pillar trim. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (STRUCTURE) and 25V347000 (STRUCTURE). However, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the passenger's side A-pillar trim detached from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, water entered the interior of the vehicle through the passenger's side A-pillar trim, and water accumulated on the carpet. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired after the most recent failure. The contact stated that the driver's side A-pillar trim was loose. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
During a storm, our SUV had water leaking in through the top, middle of the windshield. The water soaked the dashboard controls and our heating/air system was stuck on high heat and would not turn off. It was 70° and it was extremely hot in the SUV and the windows kept fogging up making it hard to see. Our temperature controls no longer work properly.
Leaking water pump that if isn’t repaired will cause catastrophic engine failure. Very expensive repair, $2800 because of internal placement of the pump. Since the water pump is in line with the crankshaft and located over the main body of the engine, it allows coolant to leak from the water pump into the oil pan. Mixed coolant and oil will lead to engine failure.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while entering the vehicle, the A-pillar trim on both sides of the windshield was not functioning as designed. The contact also noticed water leaking from the windshield during inclement weather. The contact received notifications of the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 24V031000 (Structure) and 25V347000 (Structure); however, the parts for the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and a dealer representative visited the residence to inspect the vehicle. The dealer determined that the A-pillar trim had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired, and the dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
Related recalls
Structure: body
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The roof rail covers may come loose and detach from the vehicle.
- Risk
- A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the roof rail covers and as necessary, repair or replace the push-pins, rail clips, or roof rail covers, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 28, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S54. This recall expands previous the federal safety agency recall number 21V316. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on July 16, 2026.
Recall number 26V448000 · Recall details
Structure: body
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Explorer vehicles. The driver and front passenger B-Pillar door trim may detach while driving.
- Risk
- Door trim that detaches while driving can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will repair the B-pillar trim, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 5, 2025. A second notice will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated November 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S53.
Recall number 25V347000 · Recall details
Structure: frame and members
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Explorer and Aviator vehicles. A mounting bolt for the front subframe may have been tightened improperly.
- Risk
- A loose subframe bolt may reduce the vehicle's performance in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and tighten the subframe bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Owner notification letters were mailed May 21, 2025. Ford's number for this recall is 25S43.
Recall number 25V316000 · Recall details
Structure: frame and members
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The transmission may be improperly secured due to loose cross member bolts.
- Risk
- An improperly secured transmission can result in a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission cross member bolts as necessary, free of charge. If the cross member bolts are missing, dealers will replace the cross member and install new bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 29, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S03.
Recall number 25V020000 · Recall details
Structure: body: roof and pillars
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2019 Explorer vehicles. The A-pillar trim retention clips may not be properly engaged, allowing the trim to detach.
- Risk
- A detached trim piece can fall off the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the A-pillar trim as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model years. Owner notification letters were mailed between July 18, 2024 and December 16, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S02.
Recall number 24V031000 · Recall details
Structure: body
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The retention pins could loosen and allow the roof rail covers to detach from the vehicle.
- Risk
- A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install push-pins and replace any damaged rail clips and roof rail covers, as necessary, free of charge. The interim owner notification letter was mailed on June 22, 2021. Owner notification letters (remedy available) were mailed on October 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S22.
Recall number 21V316000 · Recall details
Structure: body: door
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Explorer vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after actuation.
- Risk
- If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began on July 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S11.
Recall number 15V171000 · Recall details
Structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: hinge and attachments
- What is wrong
- On certain sport utility vehicles, the liftgate glass strut may become disengaged or the hinge may fracture allowing the glass to fall and possibly break.
- Risk
- If the hinge should fracture, there is a potential for the glass to fall and ultimately break and personal injuries could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will have the liftgate glass strut brackets and glass hinges replaced. For the vehicles built from august 1, 2000 through march 3, 2002, the dealers will replace the hinges and liftgate strut bracket. On vehicles built from march 3, 2002 through june 23, 2003, the dealers will only replace the hinges. The recall began on september 30, 2004. A postcard was sent to owners on december 27, 2004, advising them that parts are now available. Owners should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 04V442000 · Recall details
Structure
- What is wrong
- Certain pickup truck, van, and mini van conversions equipped with southern comfort built running boards that contain certain courtesy lights manufactured by american technology components, inc. These units contain a courtesy light or lights that might overheat when the wire harness is exposed to excessive moisture and road salt.
- Risk
- This overheating condition can cause the running board to melt or cause a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the wiring harness on these running boards. Owner notification began march 7, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact southern comfort at 1‑800‑745‑6096.
Recall number 03V094000 · Recall details
Structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: support device/strut
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: on certain sport utility vehicles, the hydraulic lift cylinder bracket welds could fracture.
- Risk
- With a broken bracket weld, there is a potential for the liftgate bracket to gradually bend inward allowing the lift cylinder ball stud to disengage, unexpectedly allowing the liftgate to fall from an open position.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install liftgate reinforcement brackets. Depending upon the condition of the liftgate sheet metal in the area of the bracket, dealers may also install a larger reinforcement.
Recall number 99V310001 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Explorer water leak
Which Ford Explorer years have water leaks into the cabin problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2013 (34 complaints), 2016 (21 complaints) and 2012 (18 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix water leaks into the cabin on the Ford Explorer?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,200 (median of 11 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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