This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
I was driving on the interstate highway- I-20 in Alabama going eastbound at approx. 70 mph. Suddenly, the driver's side windshield trim moulding blew off without any warning. Mileage was 51,278. The safety issue is that this trim moulding is approx. 18 inches long - 4 inches wide which may have hit another vehicle as it departed my vehicle at highway speeds. I further read that approx. 170 Ford Explorer owners have also reported the identical issue, so I wanted the goverment to be aware that this occurred and hopefully there is a full recall. The dealer wants $650 to replace this moulding.
Traveling at Highway speed (70mph) on level road without unusual road conditions is clear daytime weather, the drivers side windshield pillar trim separated from the vehicle, and the drivers side mid pillar trim loosened, but did not separate. No other vehicle damage occurred. The vehicle had been purchased from a Dealer in Bowie Tx, 15 minutes before the incident. The dealer has agreed to repair the damage.
At highway speed the Windshield-Outer Trim Molding Pillar Driver Left Side departed the vehicle. I saw something flicker by but did not know what it was until I stopped and saw the missing trim piece.
While driving on the interstate the second day that we had the car, bought it used the right side window A pillar trim came off the car and landed on the interstate and broke in pieces. Several cars behind us had to swerve to keep from hitting the parts. Could have caused a very bad accident as there was a lot of cars on the road. I see that this a major issue with the Explorers and should be recalled due to safety.
- Covington , GA, USA
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"A" pillar window trim fails to remain affixed to the vehicle. After just a year of new vehicle ownership, on at least 15 different occasions, my passenger side "A" window trim or driver's side window trim would fly off while in travel. This usually occurs on the highway at any speeds exceeding 40 mph. I feel that this creates a safety issue and a financial burden as the piece and sometimes the mounting bracket have to be purchased at each incident. The safety issues are a somewhat large part of the vehicle separates and goes flying into any following traffic. The separation from the vehicle is usually a noisy and distracting affair for the operator/driver. Further, following traffic has to avoid the now airborne part. An additional safety concern is the missing part exposes the edges of the windshield, possibly affecting the integrity of the windshield, not to mention little protection from rain, water or snow. Lastly, the missing part creates a very unsightly vehicle. Attached are pictures of my vehicle without the part and my 2023-2022 eBay purchases. The document shows 6 replacements/purchases in just over a one year period. I have purchased both very expensive OEM parts and after market parts, with the same unfortunate results. I am not an engineer, but it appears that poor design allows 45+ mph wind to get under the trim, forcing it away and off the windshield pillar. Please, consult with any 2011-2019 Ford Explorer owner and I'm sure they have a similar story. I make a habit of looking at other Ford Explorers on the road and at least half the affected years vehicles are missing the windshield trim. I'm not one that complains frequently, but this is ridiculous and potentially dangerous.
piller moldings between the front and rear windows became loose and one came off. this creates a hazard to other vehicles on the road. we had them replaced by Earnhardt ford in Chandler AZ on 2/10 2023..
Wind pulled the -??A-?? pillar trim off the vehicle, breaking g the plastic trim and rubber gasket. This is a know problem that FORD has not issued a recall on, but should.
Traveling west on I90 out of Boston a piece of the bodywork (plastic trim sealing the windshield) on the passenger side of the car tore away and flew into the path of vehicles behind. The car has been inspected and repaired by a Ford dealer to the expense of $250 parts and labor. I have filed a complaint with Ford. They simply said that they would not pay for the damage. Nevertheless, this should not be happening. The bodywork should not failing while driving. No police or insurance representatives have been involved. And there was no indication this would happen prior to the incident on Thursday, January 26, 2023.
While driving, the driver side windshield trim flew off almost hitting a car behind me. While inspecting the vehicle, the other side is also starting to coming off, and the panel near the code to enter the drive side door is also starting to come off. The auto body shop has confirmed that this was a recognized problem by Ford and they have seen many Explorers come in with this issue and the body problem was tweaked in upgrades on 2020 explorers and later. Luckily the car behind me was not damaged and it didn't cause an accident but this is not safe & when calling the auto body shop, it would be over $1000 to repair both side windshield trim; not including the door panel that is also starting to dislodge. For this to be a known problem, this should be covered by Ford.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that she discovered that the side panel trim for the front passenger-??s side window was missing from her vehicle upon exiting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they diagnosed that the adhesive had deteriorated causing the panel to detach from the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that she had read an article regarding the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
I bought the 2017 Ford Explorer on 8/29/2020. The next month I drove to Nags Head, N.C. from Nashville, Tn. Sometime within an hour of arrival, the a piece of trim on the passenger side panel between the doors fell off while going over the bridges. We never saw it and did not know where it landed. I ordered a replacement from Ford Parts to replace it.
Front drivers side trim piece for windshield flew off going 75mph on interstate. Had it replace and did it again a few months later. Passenger side is loose but has not come off yet.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the driver's side front window trim detached. The contact pulled over but was unable to locate the window trim. The dealer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the driver's side front window trim needed to be replaced; however, the replacement part was on backorder. The contact was able to purchase the replacement part online; however, he had to glue it to the front driver's side window due to fractured clips used to secure the window trim in place. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.
Left windshield trim suddenly detached while driving on freeway, which presents the risk of flying debris striking other cars; since I was in the left lane during the incident in the middle of Nebraska and it landed in the median, no others were known to be struck. Since the problem was a known issue within a Ford Explorer owner's group on Facebook, I simply ordered a replacement part soon after it happened and did not notify anybody. However, keep in mind that since I had a windshield crack and it was replaced with a new trim panel in December 2022, the replacement part is not available anymore as well.
Driving from Lubbock Texas home to Carlsbad New Mexico on January 18. Very windy out. At approximately 6:00 pm my wife and I heard a noise like something light hit our windshield. It was dark when we got home and we went to bed. Got up to go to the office in the am and same the drivers side A pillar windshield trim piece missing. Saw that there was a recall for this issued in Dec 2022. Went to the Ford Dealer and they said this vehicle was not in the recall list. Why?
At the end of December 2022, my entire right side of my windshield trim piece flew off on the highway. In addition, my right side passenger applique has come off twice on the highway since summer of 2021. The second one was a replacement and it only lasted less than a year before flying off while on the highway again in the fall of 2022. Pictures attached show the windshield piece completely cracked and flew off taking the seal with it.
Windshield trim panel flew off my car while traveling at highway speeds. I was traveling on the highway when suddenly the trim and seal under the trim flew off my car and got caught on my side mirror. I was in the middle of a trip nowhere near a ford dealer and had to tape up my car so that it was protected from the elements. I had to pay hundreds of dollars to fix this problem on my own.
The right side trim piece on the windshield came off while driving and was dangerous for me and my passenger. The whole side is exposed and will most likely leak. The rubber gasket tore after the trim piece came off and was hitting the side window.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Pearland , TX, USA