2016 Ford Explorer — Should You Buy One?
Typical asking price: $12,000–$19,000. There are 4 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.
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Kestrel Take
A facelift that fixed the styling and none of the mechanical concerns. The PTU still cooks, the internal water pump still fails silently, and the carbon monoxide question still follows this generation. Buy front-wheel drive, or buy proof the PTU has been serviced.
What we checked
Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-11
NHTSA holds 2,446 owner complaints for the 2016 Ford Explorer, across 15 recall campaigns.
A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. The largest single group is the body and structure at 24%. That is notable without being overwhelming — worth checking, not worth panicking about.
15 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.
Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.
Known Issues for the 2016 Ford Explorer
Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents.
Undersized, unvented, and heat-soaked next to the exhaust. Whining is stage one; seizure is stage two.
Repair cost (estimate): $1,500-$3,500
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (495), the transmission and drivetrain (214).
Chain-driven water pump inside the timing cover. Its seal fails inward, contaminating the oil. Catastrophic and invisible until it is too late.
Repair cost (estimate): $1,500-$2,500 preventive, $6,000+ reactive
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (495).
NHTSA investigated exhaust entering the cabin on this generation. Ford offered a free repair program. Confirm it was performed.
Repair cost (estimate): $0 under program
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the body and structure (583), the engine (495).
The four-cylinder EcoBoost adds turbo heat management concerns on top of everything else.
Repair cost (estimate): $1,200-$3,000
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (495).
SYNC 3 was a large improvement, but APIM module failures still occur.
Repair cost (estimate): $400-$900
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under electrics and electronics (125).
Owners report the steering suddenly goes heavy, nearly impossible to turn at low speed, accompanied by a Steering Assist Fault or Service Advance Trac message, traced to failure of the power steering control module or the rack and pinion. Ford issued recalls for related steering problems on earlier Explorer model years but not this one, even though owners describe it as common. Watch for these warning messages during a test drive, especially turning at parking-lot speed.
Repair cost (estimate): $1,500–$2,300
Source: NHTSA complaints filed under steering (529).
Walk-Away Red Flags
- ✗Front-end whine that rises with road speed
- ✗Exhaust odor in the cabin
- ✗Coolant level dropping with no visible leak
- ✗Police interceptor variant
Good Signs
- ✓Documented PTU fluid services
- ✓Water pump replaced preventively
- ✓Ford CO-intrusion repair completed at a dealer
Found a specific Ford Explorer?
This page covers what goes wrong on the 2016 Ford Explorer in general. The Kestrel report covers this specific car— the asking price vs. market, the photos, the seller's description, and a BUY / NEGOTIATE / WALK AWAY verdict with a negotiation script.
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Not ready to pay for one? The free read is instant and needs no card — it checks the asking price against the market and names the top issues for this year. It stops short of the verdict, because that needs the photos.
Known issues on this page are based on documented owner reports, NHTSA complaints, class-action records, and manufacturer technical service bulletins. Individual vehicles vary. A pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic is always worth doing.
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