The most serious complaints center on rear suspension toe link fractures that cause abrupt, violent loss of vehicle control. Owners describe the vehicle lurching uncontrollably left and right, fishtailing on wet roads or bumps, and becoming completely unresponsive to steering input—sometimes at highway speeds (70–75 mph). Several owners report crashes or near-crashes directly tied to toe link failure, and multiple recalls (19V435, 20V675, 21V537) have been issued for this defect since 2016.
Problems multiply after recall repairs. One owner's replacement toe link failed at the weld just 1.5 months and 2,500 miles after repair. Others discovered dealers performed incomplete wheel alignments during recall service, leading to premature tire wear and blowouts. Some owners received conflicting recall letters—first notified their VIN was included, then told in error it wasn't—leaving them unaware of safety issues. One owner deployed overseas didn't receive any recall notification despite Ford having his military address on file, only discovering the issue after an accident.
Beyond toe links, owners report steering degradation (rack and pinion failure costing $2,300+ to repair), ball joint and strut failures with abnormal clunking and grinding noises, and loose lower control arms detaching during operation. One owner reports rear subframe corrosion and fracture with no warning. Vibration and shaking during braking, combined with stability issues after recall service, suggest alignment or suspension geometry problems persist even after dealer attempts at correction.
Failure modes owners describe
Rear Toe Link Fracture/Failure
The rear suspension toe link snaps, breaks, or fractures during normal driving or after recall repair attempts. This causes loss of vehicle control, violent lurching, swerving, fishtailing, and inability to steer. In some cases, the fracture occurs at the weld of a replacement part installed during a recall repair.
When: Failure occurs at various mileages ranging from 40,000 to 248,000 miles. Some failures occur during normal highway driving (70 MPH, 75 MPH); others at lower speeds. One documented failure occurred approximately 1.5 months and 2,500 miles after recall repair.
Symptoms owners cite: Complete loss of steering control; Violent vehicle lurching side to side; Fishtailing or rear-end sliding on wet roads or bumps; Wheel detachment or knuckle shift; Vehicle unable to respond to driver input; Rear end shaking and vibration; Abnormal loud noise from rear during reversal
Codes mentioned: NHTSA 19V435 (19S17), NHTSA 20V675 (20S62), NHTSA 21V537, NHTSA 16V245 (16S18)
Repairs/costs cited: Replacement of rear suspension toe link(s). Owner reports: $1,600 repair cost cited in one complaint. Owners report repeated failures even after factory recall repairs, including weld failures of replacement parts. Some dealers claim parts unavailable for extended periods. Alignment issues often overlooked during recall repairs, leading to premature tire wear.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Multiple Ford recalls issued (19V435, 20V675, 21V537, 16V245). However, owners report recalls sent in error to some VINs, confusion about which model years are covered, and dealer difficulty obtaining parts. Some owners received multiple conflicting letters—first included in recall, then notified recall was sent in error and VIN not covered. One owner reports recall 19V435 repair performed August 2020, but subsequent October 2020 recall letter (20V675) arrived with no notification to owner, leading to accident before owner learned of issue.
Steering System Degradation (Rack and Pinion/Control Arm)
Steering becomes progressively harder to turn, loses responsiveness, exhibits lag in control input, and develops grinding noises. In some cases, lower control arm detaches from vehicle during operation. Owners report steering wheel looseness while driving.
When: Occurs at 40,000 to 198,000 miles. Symptoms worsen over time and can develop into complete control loss.
Symptoms owners cite: Steering wheel becomes hard to turn; Loss of steering responsiveness and lag in control; Grinding noise when turning steering wheel; Steering wheel looseness while driving; Lower control arm detachment; Reduced ability to maneuver vehicle safely
Repairs/costs cited: Rack and pinion replacement reported at $1,700 parts cost plus $600 labor and wheel alignment. Some owners report lower control arm replacement needed. One owner reports vehicle not repaired after control arm detachment diagnosed.
Suspension Noise and Clunking (Ball Joints, Struts, Sway Bar Links)
Abnormal popping, clanking, clunking, grinding, squealing, whining, and thumping noises originating from front and rear suspension. Noises occur during turns, acceleration, bumps, and when steering wheel is moved at near-maximum turning radius. Some noises accompanied by bouncing, swaying, and vibration.
When: Reported at 5 to 163,000 miles. Some owners report issue present shortly after purchase (used vehicle).
Symptoms owners cite: Popping sound when turning or hitting bumps; Clanging noise from front during turns at low speed near max turning radius; Clunking noise when turning (passenger side); Grinding (metal to metal) noise from undercarriage; Squealing/whining from undercarriage or rear end; Thumping sounds when accelerating after stopping; Ball joint knocking audible during turns; Bouncing and swaying when hitting bumps or taking curves; Cracking noises from front and rear when turning or on bumps
Repairs/costs cited: Owners cite strut replacement (replacement parts failed within 6 weeks of installation and damaged CV axle), ball joint replacement, sway bar link replacement (cost not specified but one owner notes issue present during warranty period but not covered). One owner reports throttle body replacement performed by dealer, but issue persisted.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: One owner reports dealer stated suspension problems are common for 2013 Ford Explorer but charged diagnostic fee. One owner received multiple conflicting recall letters for ball joint suspension but VIN not covered under recall system.
Tire Wear and Alignment Issues Post-Recall
Premature wear of inner edge of rear tires and overall abnormal tire wear. Issues develop or worsen after toe link recall repair, suggesting incomplete or incorrect alignment procedure during recall service.
When: Occurs 1.5 months after recall repair (248,995 mileage) and during routine winter driving in wet conditions.
Symptoms owners cite: Premature wear on inner side edge of rear tires; Blowout of rear tire at 55 MPH following recall repair; Vehicle swerving and drifting into other lane after tire blowout; Abnormal tire wear
Repairs/costs cited: Tire replacement (emergency roadside spare used initially). One dealer (Landmark Ford) informed owner that previous dealership failed to complete wheel alignment during recall repair, causing premature wear. Owner reports having to pay $600 for recall repair and subsequent independent shop alignment.
Vehicle Instability and Control Loss During Acceleration
Vehicle exhibits loss of directional control, violent lurching, difficulty maneuvering, and unresponsiveness to steering input during acceleration and normal driving. Vehicle may swerve into other lanes or crash into barriers.
When: Occurs at 55-75 MPH on highways and at various speeds on local roads. One occurrence at 30 MPH with passenger-side rear wheel detachment.
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden complete loss of directional control; Vehicle lurching violently left and right; Vehicle unresponsive to steering input; Inability to steer despite driver effort; Sudden difficult maneuverability; Passenger-side crash into highway shoulder lane wall; Passenger-side rear wheel detachment
Codes mentioned: NHTSA 20V675000
Repairs/costs cited: One case reports front axle cracked and engine mounts needed replacement; failure persisted after repair. One case reports front axle separated from transfer case, shaft rotated, upper control arm damaged.
Abnormal Suspension Vibration and Shaking
Vehicle vibrates or shakes during braking, acceleration, and at various speeds. Shaking may occur when applying brakes at any speed and persist after alignment work.
When: Reported at 111,000 to 163,000 miles. Some cases post-recall repair.
Symptoms owners cite: Severe shaking when braking regardless of speed; Vibration at various driving speeds; Rear-end stability issues and fishtailing post-recall; Vehicle jerking when slowing to a stop; Terrifying shake when accelerating (one case after strut replacement)
Codes mentioned: NHTSA 21V746000
Repairs/costs cited: One owner paid for alignment after dealer refused to complete it during recall. Owner reports shaking persisted despite alignment. One owner reports rear-end stability issues post-recall repair; cause not determined.
Rear Subframe Corrosion and Fracture
Rear subframe exhibits rust and corrosion at the point where the recalled toe link attaches. Subframe fractures during normal driving.
When: Occurs during normal driving; no prior symptoms reported.
Symptoms owners cite: Rear subframe fracture; Violent jerking of rear to the right; Near-crash situation (driver states would have caused spin-out on highway)
Repairs/costs cited: Owner attempted to obtain fractured part from dealership for inspection but part was already disposed of. Owner has photographs of rusted frame.
Exhaust Odor in Cabin
Strong exhaust smell inside vehicle cabin, particularly when vehicle is warming up or idling. Not definitively diagnosed as suspension issue but reported in conjunction with other suspension and drivetrain complaints.
When: Reported at 35,000 miles (one case with recurrence one month after initial repair).
Symptoms owners cite: Strong exhaust smell inside cabin during warm-up; Need to roll windows down to clear fumes; Smell occurs every time vehicle sits and warms up
Repairs/costs cited: One case: Independent mechanic diagnosed brakes, wheel bearing, and fuel sending unit needed replacement. Vehicle repaired but failure recurred one month later. One dealer visit: no diagnosis or repair performed.
Strut Mount Failure
Strut mount becomes loose or fails, producing clanging noise particularly during low-speed turning at near-maximum steering angle.
When: Reported at various mileages.
Symptoms owners cite: Clanging sound from right front strut mount during turning; Noise occurs at low speeds near maximum turning radius; Loose strut mount
Synthesized from 55 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.