Wiper problems of the 2018 Ford Explorer

During a storm, our SUV had water leaking in through the top, middle of the windshield. The water soaked the dashboard controls and our heating/air system was stuck on high heat and would not turn off. It was 70° and it was extremely hot in the SUV and the windows kept fogging up making it hard to see. Our temperature controls no longer work properly.

The vinyl on the top part of the dash has completely seperated which is causing a major white reflection on my window and rendering the car unsafe to drive. Ford refuses to address the issue. I also suspect if my air bags deployed this could impact how they deploy or cause additional vinyl shrapnel hitting an occupant in the face in the event of a crash.

The cover on my dashboard has lifted/rolled up and revealed a white material underneath, and as such, this has caused a glare onto the windshield in my field of vision, making it harder for me to see while driving. I feel that this is a safety concern. I have taken it to a Ford dealership to have it looked at, and they claim that there is nothing that can be done except for the entire dashboard to be replaced which would be thousands of dollars. I have researched this issue and it seems to be a common issue among my make and model year of the vehicle.

The dash cover came unglued and is rolling up exposing a white cloth that reflects on the windshield makingit hard to see.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 24v031000 (structure); however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufactured had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Intermittent wipers would not turn off. Took car to dealership and they charged $629. 38 to fix a Ford quality issue. Wipers scratch the windshield and cause unnecessary distraction during dry conditions as they would not turn off. This issue (wipers not turning off) occurred after the a-pillar flew off my vehicle and hit another car. The other driver did not stop. Ford needs to cover the cost of the wiper switch and also compensate owners for lack of part availability to fix the a-pillar issue for a year now. No alerts, warning messages provided.

The dash on my 2018 Ford Explorer platinum is rolling up from the front of the dash. It is made out of some sort of leather or vinyl. But with it rolling up towards the driver, it causes a glare onto the windshield which causes visibility issues. I know I'm not the only one experiencing these problems with the platinum trim on the 2018 Ford Explorer. But this really needs to be looked into and recalled. You can also look up the Explorer platinum on a vehicle search website and visibly see that every platinum edition Explorer has this issue. It's unsafe and should be addressed immediately.

I am filing a safety complaint regarding unresolved recalls on my 2018 Ford Explorer (VIN: [xxx] ). First recall: over two years ago, I was notified to repair the exterior a-pillar trim/window shields. The dealer in yakima, wa, placed me on a waiting list and said the part was unavailable. I have been waiting over two years with no resolution. Recently, while driving on the highway, this part fell off and struck the windshield of another vehicle behind me, creating a dangerous situation and potential for serious injury. The dealer refused to repair it for free, stating I must either wait longer or purchase the part myself, despite this being a manufacturer safety recall. This long delay and refusal put my safety and the safety of others at risk. It also caused stress, confrontation, and concern for my financial obligations, as I continue paying for a vehicle with unresolved safety defects. Second recall: the high-speed cooling fan motor relay recall was not properly addressed. The dealer only started the vehicle, stated the fan worked, and performed no inspection or repair, leaving a potential hazard unresolved. Ford response: I reported these incidents to Ford customer service, but they said the situation did not qualify for opening a case. I strongly disagree, as these are confirmed safety recalls and one part already failed during driving. Additional concerns: I am still making monthly payments for this vehicle while unresolved recalls continue to appear. The ongoing failure to repair these defects, despite multiple reports, creates financial and safety burdens. I request NHTSA to investigate these matters, require Ford to complete all recall repairs properly, and hold the dealer accountable for their refusal to provide free safety repairs in a timely manner. Thank you. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Both right and left side exterior a-pillar trim parts detached while driving. 2018 Ford Explorer.

The NHTSA has opened an investigation into 2011-2019 models experiencing an issue with the windshield trim panel. The trim panels are cracked and disintegrating and pieces are missing posing a hazard while the vehicle is being operated at highway speeds.

Windshield noise above 35mph. Seals are rotting. Couldn't upload photos.

Windshield trim detached during highway travel. It flapped hitting the windshield and flew off almost causing collision.

Our 2018 Ford Explorer windshield trim panel is partially detached. The detachment is on the passenger side lower corner of the windshield and continues up for 9 inches. No crash has occurred as of this time. I reported the detachment to our local Ford dealer and they were unconcerned. We first noticed a litter detachment late fall of 2022. The detachment had since extended up the windshield.

Front sound screen windshield seems very soft and weak. Slightest strike from road debris causes chip or crack. Debris strikes regardless of amount of impact has caused chipping, cracks, and visible scrapes of material. Windshield is sound screen and seems made of extremely soft materials making vulnerable to easy damage which is safety risk to driver and occupants while driving regardless of on highway or city street.

Purchased my Explorer on may 28, 2018, vehicle currently has less than 6,000 miles on it and this morning, my daughter used the remote to unlock the doors as it sat parked on our driveway, climbed in and closed the front passenger door and the back window shattered. Glass was inside, outside and then pieces continued to fall. The bottom of the window has small chunks out of it on the edges as well.

The integrated blind spot mirror on both the driver side and passenger side is mounted at the wrong angle. It does not show the blind spot of the car. You can not see any portion of low profile cars in the blind spot mirror and you can not see the headlights of most vehicles at night. It does show the very top of taller cars (suvs/trucks/vans). I have photos taken while driving of cars that are in the blind spot. As you can see in the photos, you can see only the very top of the van and almost none of the standard car. At night, the roof of the car is not as helpful to see as the headlights. I checked another 2018 Explorer at the dealership and it had the same view in the blind spot mirror. The Ford service technician agreed that the view on the 2018 Explorer was different from the view on his personal 2016 Ford fusion. However, since all of the 2018 Explorers had the same view, it could not be fixed. Older models appear to have blind spot mirrors that are correctly positioned. 2014 Ford Explorer, 2015 Ford transit, and 2016 Ford fusion all had correctly positioned blind spot mirrors. I came very close to side swiping a car at night on the highway on the day I purchased the Explorer. As I was relying on the blind spot mirrors and no portion of the car could be seen. Thankfully, a horn saved us both.