There are 50 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2012 Ford Explorerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
while driving the vehicle goes into what I have found is called sleep mode.. The check engine lite comes on and the left info panel shows that the all wheel drive is not working. The dealer tried to see what codes were set and found none. My solution is to pull off the road, put the vehicle in park and turn off the ignition. After about 30 seconds I can restart the vehicle and drive again. The restart lasts from 15 seconds to a month. I found a TSB ( 16-0139) that covered this problem. However it did not offer any cure. I am concerned that someone will hit me when this happens.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, upon further inspection, the contact became aware of a water leak. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the water pump had leaked along the leaking hole near the engine block. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.
Engine mounds wearing out and Ford says they are in backorder for almost a year now. If there's such a demand. Then why isn't there recall that so many people are requesting them but Ford can't supply them.
Water Pump on the vehicle (That is inside the engine) start leaking without driver notice it. If you're driving in a busy Highway the engine can lose presure and stop in the middle of the highway puting driver and passengers in a risky position. This is a design mistake from FORD that they should address.
Water coolant leaking out, engine over heating. Having to constantly add coolant and limiting driving of the vehicle.
the car unexpectedly loses power while driving on the highway causing several near crashed having to move to the brake down lane .The wrench symbol shows up on dash and the car is trying to stall at idle. I have to shut it off and restart to drive it. Check engine light does NOT go on. Car has 96k miles .It has happened 4x's in the last month. My research says its the Throttle body. I am trying to bring it to Ford to confirm.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TURBO BOOST FAILED TO OPERATE AS INTENDED. THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE ONCE THE TURBO WAS ACTIVATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HIXSON AUTO-PLEX (2506 S MACARTHUR DR, ALEXANDRIA, LA 71301) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TURBO BOOSTER WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 150,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND THE LOW OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT FLASHED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BOTH A DEFECTIVE O2 SENSOR AND LOW OIL PRESSURE SENSOR. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED HER THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON HER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AND WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 143,000.
VEHICLE OVERHEATED WITHOUT WARNING LEAVING ME STRANDED ON A DESERTED HIGHWAY. AFTER SPEAKING WITH A MECHANIC AND HAVING THEM COME TO THE VEHICLES LOCATION AND PERFORMING A VISUAL INSPECTION HE STATED ANTIFREEZE WAS LEAKING FROM THE WATER PUMP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL FORD DEALER AND UPON COMPLETING A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK THEY CONFIRMED THE 'INTERNAL' WATER PUMP HAD FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. I WAS CONTACTED 5 TIMES BY THE DEALERSHIP AND EACH TIME THE NEWS GOT WORSE. THEN FINAL CALL THE ADVISOR TOLD ME TO FIX IT AND NOTHING WAS GOING TO BE GUARANTEED TO LAST IT WAS GOING TO COST APPROXIMATELY $4,000 BEFORE TAXES. THEY'D ALSO HAVE TO CHANGE THE OIL TWICE ALONG WITH THE SPARK PLUGS. THE VEHICLE HAD JUST BEEN AT A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP FOR MAINTENANCE AND TO FIX OUTSTANDING RECALLS AND AFTER CHECKING THE SERVICE MANUAL NOTHING IS 'SUGGESTED' 'RECOMMENDED' OR 'REQUIRED' TO SERVICE THE INTERNAL WATER PUMP.
I HAVE COOLANT LEAKING, I TOOK IT TO A SHOP TO BE DIAGNOSED AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST OVER $2,000 SINCE THE WATER PUMP IS IN THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE, THERE IS ONLY 132,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND I SHOULDN'T BE HAVING THIS ISSUE!!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT NOTICED AN ABNORMAL EXHAUST ODOR COMING FROM THE VENTILATION SYSTEM WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE ODOR WAS ONLY PRESENT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IDLING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HASTINGS FORD INC (3013 E 10TH ST, GREENVILLE, NC 27858, (252) 758-0114) WHERE IT WAS TEST DRIVEN AND DETERMINED THAT THE EXHAUST WAS LEAKING AT THE MANIFOLD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 25071531. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 111,000.
I BOUGHT MY EXPLORER IN JUNE 2019. AFTER PURCHASING I NOTICED THE SMELL OF THE EXHAUST INSIDE THE VEHICLE .THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER MONTHS I DROVE WITH THE WINDOWS DOWN DUE TO THE A.C. NOT WORKING PROPERLY . I CONTINUED SMELLING THE EXHAUST BUT FINANCIALLY UNABLE TO SEEK REPAIRS. WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES THE WINDOWS NOW CLOSED THE SMELL OF THE EXHAUST WAS MORE APPARENT AND I BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE SEVERE HEADACHES, FREQUENT NAUSEA, FATIGUE AND SOME DIZZINESS AND CONFUSION. I WAS TOLD OF REPORTS OF CARBON MONOXIDE ISSUES WITH THIS MAKE OF VEHICLE AND SPOKE TO FORD ABOUT REPAIRS AS WELL AS OTHER RECALLS NEEDED FOR MY EXPLORER. I TOOK MY CAR FOR THE REPAIRS TODAY AND AM STILL EXPERIENCING THE CARBON MONOXIDE ISSUE STILL. I WILL BE CONTACTING THE FORD DEALERSHIP TOMORROW AS THIS WASN'T REPAIRED. I'M CONCERNED FOR MY HEALTH AND HAVING THIS ISSUE NOT FIXED .
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT EXHAUST FUMES WERE PRESENT INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT'S SIX YEAR OLD DAUGHTER CONSTANTLY COMPLAINED OF SEVERE HEADACHES WITHIN FIFTEEN MINUTES OF BEING IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JOHN NORTH FORD (3002 US-50, EMPORIA, KS 66801) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WOULD BE A CHARGE FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,467.
I HAVE AN EXHAUST SMELL COMING FROM MY VENTS. THIS ODOR IS PRESENT IN THE FRONT AND BACK SEATS OF THE CAR. IT IS PRESENT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, AS WELL AS WHEN IT IS STATIONARY. IT HAPPENS AT RANDOM TIMES AND CAN HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING AT A SLOWER RATE, AND WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THE SMELL.
WHEN TRYING TO MAKE AN UNPROTECTED LEFT TURN AT A STOP SIGN, I PRESSED THE GAS AND MY CAR DIDN'T MOVE FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS ONCE IT DOD MOVE IT TOOK A FEW MORE SECONDS FOR IT TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY TO SAFELY MAKE MY TURN. THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC IN THE LANE I WAS CROSSING OVER FOR THE TURN HAD TO BRAKE SUDDENLY BECAUSE MY CAR DIDN'T MAKE IT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION FAST ENOUGH. I WAS TOLD THAT MY TURBO BOOST WAS BAD. I HAVE A 2012 ECO BOOST MODEL AND IT WAS CLASSIFIED AS 'UNDER BOOST' WHICH WASN'T ALLOWING MY CAR TO ACCELERATE PROPERLY AND WOULD EVENTUALLY GIVE OUT COMPLETELY NOT ALLOWING ME TO ACCELERATE AT ALL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE THE CONTACT'S WIFE WAS DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF COMPLETELY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT CALLED RIVERSIDE FORD LINCOLN (2089 RIVERSIDE DR, MACON, GA 31204, (478) 464-2900) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY WERE UNAWARE OF A POSSIBLE DEFECT AND SUGGESTED THE CONTACT BRING IN THE VEHICLE TO BE SERVICED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO NHTSA. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, LOST POWER AND SPEED DROPPED. IT WAS LIKE ENGINE STOPPED WORKING PROPERLY. HAD TO PULL OFF ROAD, IT WAS SO SCARY ON HIGHWAY TO LOOSE POWER NOT TO MENTION DANGEROUS!!! CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER TAKING TO FORD DEALERSHIP, FOUND OUT THAT ECOBOOST TURBO HAD BLOWN AND SEIZED UP.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS AN ODOR BEING EMITTED FROM THE EXHAUST THAT CAUSED THE CONTACT TO FEEL NAUSEOUS AND DIZZY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BARBER FORD (640 E 8TH ST. HOLLAND, MICHIGAN 49423) ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS TO HAVE THE VOLUNTARY FORD EXHAUST CAMPAIGN COMPLETED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE HE WAS EXPERIENCING WAS NOT PART OF THE VOLUNTARY FORD EXHAUST CAMPAIGN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE NOT PROVIDED.
OIL IS COLLECTING AT MY AIR INTAKE. I HAVE REPLACE THE PCV VALVE BUT IT IS STILL LEAKING OIL ONTO MY AIR FILTER. THIS IS ALSO CAUSING FUMES IN THE VEHICLE.
AN EXHAUST ODOR REPEATEDLY OCCURRED IN THE CABIN WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS ACCELERATING.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026