Body problems of the 2017 Ford Explorer - part 1

First my roof rack trim flew away on the freeway, now my mirror cover flew away on the freeway as well hitting a car begin me . . . .

The pillers where in inspected by the dealership and determined that they need to be replaced and one of the recalls have been for over 2 years and the other is for over 8 months. I called Ford and they just told me the parts are still not availabe as the dealer walker Ford in clearwater also claims.

The safety problem is a known recall that remains unfixed since 2024 and should have higher priority for Ford then they currently do. Since owning the vehicle there have been numerous occasions where when on highway speeds the trim flies off. First two times there was nobody behind us but the third time a piece flew off of the trim causing the car behind us dramatically. Luckily no accident was caused but potential for flying debris should be a higher priority for you and Ford as well. Debris should be a major concern specially in highway with speed up to 75mph debris can be deadly. Honestly this debris is a ticking time bomb for anyone driving with these trims that have not popped off yet. We dont need to wait for someone to be seriously hurt or killed in order to move up this repair in priority. I believe Ford and maybe even you guys consider this a low priority becaue it is "cosmetic" but flying debris can be deadly specially when we know its an issue last 2 years.

According to the recall of the a-pilar which can lead to the safety of the road and people on the road. There as yet to be a solution to fix this issue on the Ford Explorer which leave an open recall. Ford is highly responsible for not finding a remedy to fix this is for the safety of the owner of vehicle and other drivers on the road.

There is currently a safety recall 25s53 for b pillar trim that is out but Ford says my SUV is not covered under it. The b pillar trim is in fact beginning to fall off now.

The lift gate glass shattered / exploded while sitting at a red light.

I went to open my hatch and the bolts have completely rusted through to the point of detaching the rear hatch/trunk on the left side due to rust corrosion. Car is in a shop but I am told this might be a Ford defect. I have had multiple people tell me of huge rust issues from the rack into the rear trunk/hatch door.

Woke up one morning and noticed the b pillar almost completely detached. Called Ford dealership in musk*** mi. They told me I could pay out of pocket for labor and parts since no approved remedy is available. I’m a single mother of twins, and I cannot afford this. I need this fixed. The Ford dealership told me to duck tape it. This is dangerous and could kill someone with spring coming around the corner and motorcycles (think of all the other states that are warm enough all year round)- mi allows you to have no helmet by choice thank god nobody has brought out a bike yet and had one hit them in the face. Sounds like a lawsuit to me. It is really selfish to hold off on a remedy for greedy purposes if that is what this is just to save a buck at the cost of someone’s life. I’d hate to see someone I know get hurt. And yes I’m ticked off I have to duck tape my freaking car as well.

I was driving down the road and my roof driver's side roof rail flew off. The previous owner had the recall addressed in 2023. The previous dealership who fixed the vehicle glued down the rails instead of installing new screws. There is dried glue now exposed where the roof rack use to be. When contacting Ford they claim there is no resolution but for me to fix my own roof rack though it was recalled for this issue. Thankfully no one was behind me when it flew off but it could have hit someone else or damaged my window that it hit when it flew off. The passenger side is also loose and showing the dried glue as well. Ford states that since the warranty period has expired there is nothing they can do. I cannot find the roof rail on the road to put it back and have been told it is $400+ just for the part. This is a safety hazard that was supposed to be fixed and there is no telling when the next one will come off as that is loosening as well.

Roof rail brackets (snap pieces) broke off of both left and right side and roof rails fell off of car while driving.

I am filing a complaint regarding Ford recall 24502 / NHTSA recall 24v031 for my 2017 Ford police interceptor utility (explorer-based). My vehicle’s a-pillar interior trim was identified as defective under this safety recall. For nearly two years, the repair has not been completed because the dealer claims the required parts are still on backorder. In that time, the a-pillar trim on my vehicle has become loose and is now detaching while driving, which creates a dangerous condition. The loose trim vibrates, moves, and could detach completely at highway speeds, posing a safety hazard to me and other drivers. Ford and the dealership have confirmed the recall but have not provided a repair, a temporary safety fix, or a loaner vehicle. I have repeatedly contacted the dealer, and they continue to tell me that Ford has not supplied the part. Because this is a federally mandated safety recall and the defect is actively creating a crash risk, I am requesting that NHTSA investigate Ford’s failure to provide parts or a remedy within a reasonable timeframe. This is an unresolved safety hazard, and Ford has not provided a solution.

We were driving and heard a loud noise but didn’t see anything hit the car. We stopped and the trim around the windshield on the passenger side had completely detached and flew off while driving.

So for starters the visibility wipers should have a auto wiper function as in when it detects rain they will automatically come on. Well they do but they also come on at random intervals even when it’s not raining. Secondly the glove box design is horribly engineered and it falls apart by its self. My glove box flew open while driving down the road and caused me to run off the roadway with my kids in the car. Luckily my kids and I are safe and no one was hurt but something should be done about this. The tension cord that hooks to the glove box just snapped from the looks of it.

The a-pillar trim on the vehicle flew off after being notified that there was a recall for that part. We have contacted the dealership several times about fixing it and have gotten the same response of "there are no parts available yet. " the last time getting the vehicle serviced the dealership informed us that there were no open recalls on the vehicle. We checked on this website and found that there are no recalls that hove not been fixed. The vehicle has never been fixed for this and is currently missing the trim that was recalled.

B-pillar trim has an open recall on it. Both pieces have broken and are now coming off of the car. The drive side b-pillar broke in half and and is being held on by the power cord for the keyless entry and duct tape. The top half of the b-pillar flew off the car while going 70 mph down the highway. I am lucky we caught the other one coming off before it flew off and hit another vehicle. Ford refuses to fix until they have a remedy for it. This has been an open recall since may and Ford still does not have a remedy. Tried to make an appointment with a dealer and the appointment was cancelled by the dealer because they do not have a fix. The pieces are now duct taped to the car and not sure how long that will hold with the heat in texas. The interior is also exposed by several holes that we have attempted to cover with tape. . I am also unable to roll down both windows due to the way the part has to be duct taped to the car. The adhesive has been a known problem with previous recalls issued for the same problem. Called Ford customer care and was told until there is a fix, they do not have to fix the broken parts.

I received an “important safety recall” regarding exterior applique trim pieces, possibly becoming loose and detaching from the car. This notice was received February 2024, indicating “when parts become available” I would be notified to schedule service. Parts were anticipated to be available toward the latter half of 2024. I still have not received notice of parts being available and have in fact had applique trim pieces loosen, putting myself and others at risk. Please advise me on what to do from here, as it is over one year past the initial notification.

The adhesive on the keyless entry door trim failed and the trim detached from the door while driving. This could have caused an accident and is a safety issue. There was no warning of any kind prior to the incident. This also caused a mechanical problem where we were unable to open the rear hatch manually or remotely. We took the SUV to be repaired at a dealer. There is currently an open recall for b-pillar trim due to adhesive failure. I contacted Ford as this is the same issue with adhesive failure on trim. They stated it was not yet a recall but they have had reports of this issue. I requested some type of compensation and told them it is a safety issue. They opted to do nothing even though they have known adhesive problems with the trim. We were fortunate that it did not cause an accident for us but needs to be addressed. I was not at all satisfied with Ford’s lack of action.

On may 31st I noticed the front passenger side trim panel that runs alongside the window was detaching. After showing a friend, he told me to put double sided 3m tape, that's used on vehicles, under it. I already had some so did it that day. It still sticks out a little though. Then a few days later, I got an email from NHTSA informing me of a recall on that part. When I checked, it wasn't for my exact vehicle. When I went out to take a picture of it for this complaint, I found the front driver side trim panel also starting to detach. I will need to better adhere both panels this week, myself. I will be driving 1500 miles next week, mostly at interstate speed. I don't want to chance losing those panels.

My 2017 Ford Explorer is leaking water through faulty welds in the rear hatch area. A review of many complaints online reporting the same thing shows this is a very common and repeated issue with many Ford Explorer years and has never been addressed by Ford. The complaints are all the same as water leaks in from the faulty welds and causes water to pool in the interior, especially in the spare tire well after leaking down the interior. All the complaints show a chronic weld issue and needs addressed. Notices issue last year but thought it was sunroof drains plugged. Noticed it is actually faulty cracked welds this year.

Driver's side a pillar trim, a recalled component, detached from vehicle while driving on the highway. Killeen, TX Ford service center noted in an earlier service appointment that the recalled component was serviced, but it appears it was not done properly. They are now refusing to service the broken trim, stating that it does not fall under the recall.

Passenger a pillar trim detached on the freeway after for dealer refused to fix recall 24v031 due to part shortage. Parts have been on order for 18 months. Someone could have been hurt or another car could have been damaged.

Driving down the highway and my a pillar trim detached from my driver side frame. Also ripped off my leather stripping to my windshield ( I was told in November they would try and get this fixed before this happened it is now the end of March. ) this recall was in January 24 of 2024.

There is no date given when the repair will be done the pillar has already flown off onto the road. I have one haning on by 1 clip. Ford is not going to fix anything, and the car is falling apart.

Ford motor company and my car dealership have failed to perform the necessary repairs to my vehicle related to a safety recall for the a-pillar trim pieces. I have tried several times to have this fixed and each time the dealership stops communication and says they are unable to get the necessary parts from Ford.

Side trim with door unlock pad on it detached and blew of into the wind and almost flew into a vehicle behind me when I was traveling down the interstate at about 70 mph, the posted speed limit. Luckily it did not strike the driver behind me but it was to close for comfort. They are put on the same way practically as the a trim that there already is a recall on.

A-pillar trim pieces falling off. Recall 24v031. Have been calling weekly since Dec 2024. Local Ford dealer continues to insist parts are not available.

Ford has not had a remedy for manufacturer recall number 24s02 NHTSA recall number 24v031 recall status recall incomplete, remedy not yet available. Says it suppose to be in the later half of 2024 and now its 2025. The exterior windshield pillar has flown off the windshield.

Reference NHTSA safety recall 24v031. I was notified in February 2024 about the recall and was told the parts would be in at the end of the year. I contacted two dealers and neither has the parts available so they put me on their list to call when they get the parts in. The problem is that the exterior a-pillar trim clip attachments came loose last year on the bottom left side of my windshield. The trim was still attached at the top, but today the whole a-pillar appliqué trim flew off my vehicle while my daughter was driving on the interstate. She said she heard a noise and then saw the trim fly off. She wasn’t sure at first what happened, but she did provide me a picture of my car with the trim missing (see attached). I am concerned about further damage to my vehicle from snowy wet conditions.

Trim on the drivers door comes off creating a traffic hazard.

Rubber seal around windshield is coming detached.

Front window trim/ a pillar detached while driving on October 18,2024. Contacted dealership for replacement at the end of October 2024, and each month following, they brought vehicle in for inspection but have never replaced the trim piece. It has now been 9 months, I have called the dealer every month to follow up and have been told every time they still do not have the part to fix it. I am concerned that the trim on the other side of the car could fly off and cause damage to my vehicle or others.

Received letter on February 2024 regarding recall notice 24s02/NHTSA recall 24v031. The exterior pillar trim which borders the right side of the windshield flew off while driving on the interstate and could have caused a major accident. We went to our local Ford dealership several times to inquire if they could assist with getting the needed parts in also. I called the vehicle safety hotline and reported this incident (case # 11629172). We were told that someone would be in touch with us and no one has responded to this urgent and very dangerous incident!! we are afraid to now drive the vehicle because of the danger of the left exterior pillar trim flying off and causing a major crash critically injuring or killing someone. We do expect a response to this critical issue ASAP!!.

I was driving in the columbia gorge on highway and the drivers keyless entry trim blew off, and broke in half, the top half hit the car behind me dented his hood and put a nick in his window. I'm very thankful the piece that broke did not cause an accident or kill anyone. The lower half (with the keypad) was flapping in the wind being held on by electrical wires. The keypad blew a fuse, sending me signals that the lift gate was open and I had 4 dogs in the back. Luckily the lift gate did not open, tossing my dogs or belongings on the highway, causing more road hazards.

Front windshield cowl is made or substandard materials and is cracking. You do a google search or youtube search and you will see that many are having this exact issue. It is a safety hazard. If the cowl breaks it can surprise or cover the windshield of the driver that can result in injury or death.

In addition to the details involving NHTSA safety recall 24v031, any trim at the top of the windshield has either deteriorated or fallen completely off, while the material below the windshield is rotting away. This all makes me worry that the windshield could potentially shatter or come off on the road. I am not sure when the problem occurred or started to occur and I just became aware of it.