09/05/2026
🔧 **2016 Ford Explorer AWD – Major PTU Failure Diagnosis**
Today’s job started with a customer being told the vehicle had a “bad front differential.”
The actual issue was more serious.
The Explorer had developed:
* Noise from underneath
* Heavy gear-oil leakage
* Burning smell
* Enough of a driveline concern that the vehicle had to be towed
We started with a full-system scan and underbody inspection. No AWD or drivetrain fault codes were present, so the diagnosis had to come from physically inspecting the vehicle.
At first, the leak appeared to be coming from the passenger-side PTU/axle area.
Once the vehicle was raised and inspected more closely, we found the actual failure:
**The Power Transfer Unit (PTU) housing is completely fractured around the driveshaft/output section.**
A borescope inspection confirmed the housing is split badly enough that the output section has physically separated. The support bracket and driveshaft components appear to have survived, but the PTU itself is beyond repair.
# # # Repair Path
The vehicle will need:
✅ Complete PTU replacement
✅ New PTU seals and fluid
✅ Exhaust removal for access
✅ New exhaust hardware/gaskets as needed
✅ Inspection of the driveshaft and transmission mounting surfaces during removal
✅ Replacement of any one-time-use hardware required by Ford
✅ Final drivetrain inspection and road test after repair
Because this repair involves significant labor, we are recommending a **new replacement PTU with a strong warranty rather than a used unit**.
There are cheaper replacement units available, but when a repair requires this much teardown, saving a few hundred dollars on a questionable part can become very expensive if the repair has to be done twice.
This is exactly why proper diagnosis matters.
Sometimes it’s a seal.
Sometimes the housing is literally split in half.😁
**Carma Repair Mobile Mechanic**
Diagnostics • Mechanical Repair • Mobile Service
Toms River / Ocean County, NJ 🔧
