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Home›Ford›2017 Ford Explorer› engine problems
Owner complaints · Engine

2017 Ford Explorer engine problems

315 of the 1,703 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2017 Ford Explorer name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 65 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.

315 complaints 18% of this model year’s 7 reports a crash 3 a fire typically at 54k miles

What owners filed about the engine

Source: NHTSA complaint database
315complaints name the engine

7 of the 315 reports a crash · 3 a fire · 14 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.

Filed per year: 2016: 1 · 2017: 40 · 2018: 34 · 2019: 23 · 2020: 9 · 2021: 15 · 2022: 20 · 2023: 59 · 2024: 49 · 2025: 46 · 2026: 19

54kmiles, typically

Half of the 176 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 15,000 and 94,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.

18%of this model year’s complaints

1,703 complaints in all about the 2017 Ford Explorer, 19 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →

Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.

Across model years: Ford Explorer engine problems, every year on file →

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In owners’ own words

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.

We purchased this vehicle march 2017. We have noticed that each time the vehicle requires rapid acceleration, for example passing another car on a two-lane road, you will smell exhaust fumes in the cabin of the vehicle.
Engine at 10,000 miles Jul 29, 2017 NHTSA owner report
Strong exhaust smell in passenger compartment when accelerating and/or merging into freeway traffic. I had to open all windows as my eyes were watering
Engine at 4,200 miles Jul 29, 2017 NHTSA owner report
Explorer with 2.3l ecoboost produces an exhaust smell during moderate to wot throttle runs. Generally seems to occur after lifting off the throttle and returning to cruising throttle position. Vehicle must be vented to prevent illness to passengers, has happened multiple times.
Engine at 22,000 miles Jul 29, 2017 NHTSA owner report
Strong exhaust odor in the cab of the vehicle. This usually occurs during acceleration and when the AC is on. The odor is so strong, we usually have to put the windows down for relief
Engine at 1,000 miles Jul 28, 2017 NHTSA owner report
I was driving on the new jersey turnpike at 4:00 PM . I was traveling in the second travel lane at approx 68 MPH surrounded by lots of traffic and many large semi trailer trucks.
Engine at 18,600 miles Jul 20, 2017 NHTSA owner report

What is on file about the engine

Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

Recall filed under this heading

65 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading

The 1 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.

Trouble codes named on this system

P013A P013C P0300 P0301 P0302 P0303 P0731

Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2017 Ford Explorer names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.

Other systems with a record on the 2017 Ford Explorer

Source: the same files
From here
Every 2027 model on file, by price Compare two vehicles, trim vs trim See what a VIN was priced at See what owners reported

Common questions

Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communications

Are engine problems common on the 2017 Ford Explorer?

They are documented: NHTSA holds 315 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (18% of everything owners filed about it), and 65 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.

Is there a recall for the engine on the 2017 Ford Explorer?

Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 16V925000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

When do engine problems show up on the 2017 Ford Explorer?

Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 54,186 miles; half of them between 15,000 and 94,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.

What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?

The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.