The 2017 Ford Explorer comes from the factory equipped with Hankook Ventus S1 Noble 2 tires (size 255/50R20 105H), and owners are reporting widespread failure that starts early and accelerates quickly.
Premature wear is the most common complaint. Tires rated for 50,000 miles are showing critical tread wear—down to 4/32 inch or less—by 12,000 to 25,000 miles, with some completely bald by 30,000–33,000 miles. Owners maintain proper inflation, rotate on schedule, and verify alignment, yet the wear is even across all four tires. Blowouts and hydroplaning hazards follow.
Tread peeling and delamination occur much earlier. Chunks of rubber—sometimes 10 mm or larger—tear away from the tread surface starting at 5,000 miles. Owners describe tread that peels off in their hands and cracks that spider across the surface. The rubber compound appears to fail at the vulcanization stage, resembling the Firestone debacle.
Tire pressure loss correlates with the cracking: slow leaks requiring re-inflation every few days, and at least one catastrophic sidewall failure at highway speed that caused violent fishtailing.
Ford acknowledges the problem in Service Message SSM 46905 (2015–2018 Explorers with Hankook tires showing "chipping, cutting, and/or unusual or accelerated tread wear"). Hankook offers a pro-rata replacement at 50% off; Ford may cover 30% of new-tire cost. Neither has issued a full recall, leaving owners responsible for hundreds in out-of-pocket expense on tires that failed inside warranty mileage.
Failure modes owners describe
Premature tread wear and accelerated wear
Factory-installed Hankook Ventus S1 Noble 2 tires (255/50R20 105H) wearing to unsafe levels well before rated mileage. Owners report tires becoming bald or near-bald between 12,000–33,000 miles despite proper inflation, regular rotation, and good alignment. The 50,000-mile warranty is meaningless when tread reaches critical levels by 20,000–30,000 miles on vehicles driven normally.
When: 12,000–33,000 miles; typically noticed between 15,000–25,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Tread worn down to 1/32–4/32 inch at 12,000–25,000 miles; Uneven wear despite rotation and proper alignment; Tire completely bald or showing wear indicator band early; Scalloping or cupping along tire edges
Repairs/costs cited: Complete tire replacement required. Owners report Ford offering 30% cost assistance and Hankook offering 50% pro-rata discount; customers pay remainder out of pocket ($1,000 or more for four tires). Dealers sometimes credit $196–500 per tire.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Ford acknowledges issue via Service Message (SSM 46905 and SSM 47195) for 2015–2018 Explorers with Hankook tires. Hankook directs dealers to contact Hankook Technical Services. Hankook offers pro-rata (not full) replacement; Ford declines full warranty coverage claiming tires are outside 12/12 warranty period. No full recall issued.
Tread peeling, cracking, chipping, and delamination
Chunks and flakes of rubber tread separating from tire surface—pieces up to 10 mm or larger—along interior and exterior edges and migrating toward tire center. Owners report tread tearing away in their hands; visible cracks and chips throughout tread compound. Occurs at very low mileage (5,000–16,000 miles), suggesting manufacturing defect in rubber vulcanization or compound.
When: 5,000–27,000 miles; many notices at 8,000–16,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Tread peeling off in chunks and flakes; Hairline cracks visible across tread surface; Large chunks separating from substrate (10+ mm pieces); Damage migrating toward tire center; Rubber pieces removable by hand; Flaking along tire edges and sidewalls
Repairs/costs cited: Tire replacement. Owners describe condition as unprecedented in their driving history and comparable to Firestone/Ford debacle. Labor, tax, and partial tire cost borne by owner.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Hankook acknowledges defect and offers pro-rata replacement program. Ford issues Service Message SSM 46905 acknowledging issue with chipping, cutting, and accelerated wear on 2015–2018 Explorers with 255/50R20 Hankook Ventus S1 Noble 2. No full recall; owners directed to contact Hankook Technical Services.
Tire pressure loss and slow leaks
Tires failing to hold air pressure, requiring re-inflation every 2–3 days. Hairline cracks and sidewall damage cause slow leaks. Owners report proper inflation per TPMS but loss persists. At least one owner reported fast deflation during highway driving.
When: Onset at 12,000–20,000 miles; slow leaks ongoing
Symptoms owners cite: Tire pressure drops below safe range within 2–3 days; TPMS alerts recurring despite initial proper inflation; Hairline cracks on tire sidewalls; Slow air loss correlated with crack/chip damage
Repairs/costs cited: Tire replacement. Owner in Canada reported inability to reach Hankook customer service for warranty claim.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: None documented in complaints for this specific failure mode.
Catastrophic sidewall failure and blowouts
Sudden tire failure on highway or city streets leading to rapid deflation or explosive blowout. One sidewall failure at 25 mph caused tire to go flat in under one minute; another blowout on 405 freeway at highway speed. Sidewall failure on inside of tire in at least one case (mirroring earlier Hankook recall). Tires fail despite proper inflation and no prior damage.
When: As early as 3,000 miles (sidewall blowout); others at 20,000–21,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden tire deflation (minutes or seconds); Loud noise preceding failure; 2-inch slice or catastrophic tear in sidewall; Inside sidewall failure noted in at least one case; No prior puncture or external damage
Repairs/costs cited: Emergency tire replacement. One owner reported hydriplaning hazard when tread worn prematurely; another experienced near-collision due to blowout at highway speed.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Hankook issued earlier recall (Jan 2016) for sidewall failures on this tire model. No recall for 2017 Explorer models despite recurring reports.
Loose/swollen lug nuts preventing wheel removal
Lug nuts on all four wheels swollen and stuck, preventing owner from changing tires. Reported at high mileage (176,825 miles) but represents a secondary wheel assembly issue.
When: 176,825 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Lug nuts swollen on all four wheels; Unable to remove lug nuts for tire change
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle not diagnosed or repaired; issue referred to NHTSA Hotline.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: None documented.
Rear wheel misalignment and loose wheel attachment
One report of rear left wheel loosely connected to drivetrain and severely out of alignment (~30% misalignment) causing violent fishtailing at highway speed. While not strictly a tire defect, this suspension/wheel-assembly issue manifested alongside tire complaints in the cluster.
When: High-mileage event (70 mph freeway)
Symptoms owners cite: Clunking noise from rear; Violent fishtailing across highway lanes at 70 mph; Rear left wheel loose and ~30% out of alignment; Vehicle whipsawed with tires screeching and smoking
Repairs/costs cited: Emergency pull-over required; owner narrowly avoided multi-car collision.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: None documented.
Synthesized from 46 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.