2018 Ford Explorer — Known Issues & Recalls

Your 2018 Ford Explorer's front passenger-side A-pillar trim (the vertical piece of interior trim near the door) detached while your wife was driving at highway speeds. Ford issued a recall (Campaign 24V031000) to fix this problem, but the replacement parts weren't available when you took it to the dealer. Since the repair parts remain unavailable and Ford hasn't completed the recall in a timely manner, the trim piece is still loose and needs to be reattached. The repair will involve replacing the defective A-pillar trim panel with the correct part once it becomes available through Ford.

Your 2018 Ford Explorer's front passenger-side A-pillar trim (the vertical trim piece near the front door) detached while you were driving at highway speed. Ford issued a recall for this issue, but the replacement parts weren't available yet when you tried to get it fixed at dealers. You're concerned that Ford has taken too long to provide the parts needed to complete the recall repair.

While driving over a bridge, the trim piece on your A-pillar (the vertical support between your front and rear windows) detached and fell off the vehicle, causing another driver to swerve and hit a third car. Shortly after, your front windshield began leaking, which you believe is related to the missing A-pillar trim. Your vehicle is covered under a recall for this issue, though the dealer determined the windshield leak wasn't directly caused by the trim loss. The fix will likely involve reattaching or replacing the A-pillar trim and inspecting/resealing your windshield.

You're hearing an abnormal buzzing sound coming from your windshield while driving, and you've noticed a strange smell inside the vehicle. This appears to be a recurring issue reported by other owners. A technician will need to inspect the windshield assembly and ventilation system to identify the source of both the noise and odor.

Your 2018 Ford Explorer has a recall (Campaign 24V031000) for loose A-pillar trim panels on both the driver's and passenger's sides. You've contacted dealers to schedule the repair, but they've told you the replacement parts aren't currently available. You feel the manufacturer has taken too long to make parts available for this recall.

The trim on your 2018 Ford Explorer is coming loose and detaching from the vehicle. While this hasn't caused an accident, you're concerned that if trim pieces fall off onto the road, they could create a hazard for other drivers. The trim clips that hold these pieces in place appear to be faulty and need replacement.

While driving at 35 MPH over a bump on a snowy road, you heard a popping sound from the rear suspension and lost control of your vehicle. You regained control at 5 MPH and pulled over safely. A mechanic found that your rear driver's side suspension toe link was fractured and replaced it, but afterward the rear suspension made an abnormal squeaking sound that wasn't fixed. This suspension issue may be related to a known recall affecting your vehicle.

Your Explorer received a safety recall for the rear suspension toe link, and Ford's replacement part fixes the breakage problem but cannot be adjusted. This causes alignment to drift within 6 months, leading to premature rear tire wear and control issues. Many owners are turning to aftermarket toe links instead, which provide better stability. The fix will involve replacing the rear suspension toe link with an adjustable alternative part.

Your 2018 Ford Explorer is subject to a suspension recall (NHTSA Campaign 26V101000), but Ford hasn't made the repair parts available yet. You've checked with multiple dealers and they've all confirmed the parts are on back order. You're concerned that Ford has taken too long to make these parts available for the recall repair, and you've notified the manufacturer about the delay. The repair will likely involve replacing or servicing a suspension component once the parts become available.

Your 2018 Ford Explorer is subject to two active recalls affecting the structure and suspension, but the parts needed to fix them aren't available yet. You've been waiting longer than seems reasonable for the repairs to be completed. The dealer confirmed that the necessary parts haven't arrived, so the recalls haven't been performed yet.

Your 2018 Ford Explorer has been recalled for structural and suspension issues, but the repair parts aren't available yet. While driving at 40 mph, the trim panel on the passenger side of the A-pillar (the vertical support between your windshield and door) detached from the vehicle, and the driver's side A-pillar trim has also become loose. You should contact your dealer to order the recalled parts once they become available.

Your backup camera isn't working properly, making it hard to see when backing up, especially at night. Ford has issued a recall for this same problem on 2020 and newer Explorer models, but your 2018 isn't covered even though it has the same malfunction. The fix will likely involve replacing or reprogramming the backup camera system.

Your 2018 Ford Explorer's dashboard leather trim is peeling and rolling away, exposing white padding underneath that creates a distracting glare in your line of sight while driving. This appears to be a widespread issue affecting 2018-2020 Ford Explorers and Expeditions. The Ford dealership told you the only fixes are an expensive upholstery shop visit or full dashboard replacement. Repairing this will likely require either professional upholstery re-gluing or replacement of the dashboard leather trim panel.

Your 2018 Ford Explorer stopped accelerating normally when you pressed the gas pedal, and the transmission became stuck at around 92,000 miles. Your car wouldn't move forward or backward, and no warning light appeared on the dashboard. The vehicle was towed home but hasn't been diagnosed or repaired. Fixing this will likely require a transmission inspection and possible rebuild or replacement.

After having the rear toe link recall service performed on your Explorer, the wheel alignment isn't holding and keeps shifting out of specification. Within 1000 miles of the repair, you experienced sudden tire pressure loss and found the outer edges of both rear tires severely worn through, suggesting ongoing alignment problems are causing premature tire damage. This pattern indicates the alignment work may not be properly calibrated or there may be an issue with how the recall repair was completed. You'll likely need both wheel alignment verification and new tires, possibly followed by an investigation into whether the repair was done correctly.

Your horn has stopped working and your airbag warning light won't turn off. You took your vehicle to a Ford dealership, but they couldn't find an active recall for your specific VIN number, even though you've seen similar recalls listed for this model. The dealer will likely need to diagnose the electrical connection between the horn and airbag systems, which may require replacing wiring, a horn switch, or the airbag control module.

Your 2018 Ford Explorer has a structural issue where the A-pillar trim (the vertical piece around the windshield) is detaching and letting outside air leak into the cabin. Additionally, when you shift into reverse, your backup camera sometimes shows a distorted or completely blue screen instead of the camera feed. Ford issued a recall for the structural issue, but the necessary repair part hasn't been available yet, and your vehicle's VIN isn't covered under the backup camera recall.

Your engine is experiencing a rough idle and check engine light when you start it. A mechanic confirmed the cylinder head is thinning and leaking fluid into the first cylinder, which can eventually cause engine failure. Ford has not issued a recall for this known issue despite complaints from other owners with the same problem.

Your entertainment system is draining your battery and causing the display to freeze, locking you into the reverse camera view without access to other controls. This issue appears to affect multiple Ford vehicles using the Sync 3 system. The display may remain locked for extended periods, preventing you from adjusting settings or switching functions. A dealer may need to update or repair the Sync 3 system software or hardware to restore normal operation.

Your vehicle's fuel system evap (evaporative emissions) component has a leak, similar to the issue covered under Ford Safety Recall 18S35. This is a fuel system problem that should be inspected and repaired to prevent fuel vapor leaks.