Warning problems of the 2026 Ford Explorer

I am reporting a potential safety defect involving the upper steering column shroud and the driver-facing driver status monitor camera on my 2026 Ford Explorer equipped with bluecruise. The upper steering column shroud became extremely loose and will not remain securely attached. The driver-facing camera is mounted in this area. Ford states that bluecruise uses the driver-facing camera to monitor the driver’s eyes and head position during hands-free operation. I personally observed the shroud and camera assembly loose while bluecruise remained active. I cannot determine whether monitoring accuracy was affected, but I am concerned that a driver-monitoring camera used during hands-free level 2 driving can physically move or become unsecured without bluecruise immediately becoming unavailable. The loose assembly could also detach or distract the driver while the vehicle is moving. Before the repair was completed, the original authorized Ford dealer advised me to temporarily tape the loose shroud assembly back together while waiting for parts. I am reporting that recommendation because the affected area contains the driver-monitoring camera used by bluecruise. The dealer later documented “swap steering column shroud with stock unit” and returned the vehicle to me as repaired. The same loose condition remained. The next day, a second authorized Ford dealer inspected the vehicle and documented loose steering-column-shroud fitment, stated the upper and lower halves appeared mismatched in size or tolerance, and recommended replacement of both pieces. The vehicle has now been returned to the original Ford dealer for another repair attempt. Ford motor company also has an open customer case. I am asking NHTSA to evaluate whether this physical mounting or retention condition could affect the bluecruise driver-monitoring function and whether similar conditions exist in other bluecruise-equipped Explorers.