2017 Ford Explorer electrical system problems
93 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 2017 Ford Explorer — 6% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The vehicle ACM shorted and caused a fire while driving. My safety was put as risk because the car quickly filled with smoke and unbearable fumes causing me to swerve and attempt to find a safe place to pull over.”
filed Jul 29, 2026
“Begin with cliff, I was not wanting to lock or locked or start the vehicle as I was driving. I stopped at the light vehicle started shaking, and as I drove through the light to pull over power steering assist failure, terrain, failure, and control failure.”
filed Jul 27, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to: Display…
TSB 25-2570 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 26, 2025Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in…
SSM 54366 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 12, 2025
Electrical System problems in other Explorer years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 6 | 27% |
| 2025 Explorer | 18 | 20% |
| 2024 Explorer | 2 | 11% |
| 2023 Explorer | 13 | 13% |
| 2022 Explorer | 36 | 14% |
| 2021 Explorer | 40 | 10% |
| 2020 Explorer | 182 | 15% |
| 2019 Explorer | 19 | 7% |
| 2018 Explorer | 57 | 8% |
| 2016 Explorer | 126 | 5% |
| 2015 Explorer | 89 | 5% |
| 2014 Explorer | 100 | 6% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2017 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.