2016 Ford Explorer engine problems
380 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2016 Ford Explorer — 16% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Vehicle: 2016 Ford Explorer 2WD V6-3.5L VIN: [XXX] rchase: January 20, 2026 Odometer at Purchase: 70,929 miles (fraudulent — true mileage approximately 123,779 miles) Dealer: Drive Time Car Sales Company LLC, DBA Drive Time, 8805 E Adamo Dr, Tampa, FL 33619-3525 Narrative — Copy and Paste Into…”
filed May 17, 2026
“When acceleration hot air blows through dashboard fogging front driver windows. Weather strips in doors are coming apart.”
filed Apr 29, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- Affected vehicles are equipped with 2.3L GTDI engines and engine block heatersCampaign 16V183000 · Mar 31, 2016
Related service bulletins
Certain 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco, 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco Sport, 2020-2022 Model Year Corsair and Escape, 2016-2024 Model Year Explorer, 2019-2020 Model Year Fusion, 2016-2018 Model Year Focus RS, 2022-2024 Model…
25B51 · Other · issued May 9, 2026For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an engine oil leak, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00 for oil leak inspection and testing methods. Ford has…
SSM 52335 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 6, 2024
Engine problems in other Explorer years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 5 | 23% |
| 2025 Explorer | 7 | 8% |
| 2024 Explorer | 1 | 5% |
| 2023 Explorer | 10 | 10% |
| 2022 Explorer | 26 | 10% |
| 2021 Explorer | 44 | 11% |
| 2020 Explorer | 112 | 9% |
| 2019 Explorer | 18 | 6% |
| 2018 Explorer | 94 | 13% |
| 2017 Explorer | 235 | 14% |
| 2015 Explorer | 226 | 13% |
| 2014 Explorer | 196 | 12% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2016 Ford Explorer
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.