Recall of 1.9 Million Ford Explorers: Loose Hazardous Trim

In a recent turn of events, Ford Motor Co. has announced the recall of almost 1.9 million Explorer vehicles. The reason behind this massive recall is a piece of trim that could potentially detach from the vehicle, causing a risk to other drivers on the road.

The problematic trim is found outside the vehicle, situated between the front windows and the windshield. It appears that some clips meant to secure the trim are failing due to improper assembly or repair work. Consequently, the trim — also known as A-pillar trim — may come loose or even detach completely.

The Explorers affected by this issue are specifically those ranging from model years 2011 to 2019. This recall comes on the heels of another from Ford, where almost 113,000 F-150 trucks were recalled due to the risk of these vehicles rolling away while parked.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a detached trim could become a “road hazard,” increasing the risk of a crash. Although Ford is not currently aware of any accidents or injuries resulting from this issue, it is taking proactive measures to address the problem.

Interestingly, Ford became aware of this trim issue as early as 2018. At the time, the company did not consider it to pose an unreasonable safety risk, based primarily on the specifics of the part’s “low mass/geometry.” However, the issue became the subject of a preliminary investigation by the NHTSA in February of the following year.

Since the investigation, Ford has been bombarded with over 14,000 warranty reports pertaining to missing or detached A-pillar trim parts. The company’s spokesperson, Maria Buczkowski, indicated that the recall is expected to affect “only 5% of the vehicle population.” Buczkowski encourages owners to reach out to their local dealership once replacement parts are available.

All inspections and potential replacements required will be carried out at no cost to vehicle owners. Ford plans to send out initial letters to owners in March. Meanwhile, customers can also reach out to Ford’s customer service directly at 1-866-436-7332 for any queries or assistance.

Recalls seem to have become a recurring theme for Ford recently. In addition to the current Explorer recall and the Ford F-150 recall earlier this month, the Michigan-based automaker recalled an additional 220,000 F-150s last year due to problems with windshield wiper arms.