The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V316000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
2018 Ford Explorer body complaints
Page 9 of 11: complaints 221 to 250 of 288, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I was driving on the highway at about 70 mph when the passenger side window trim flew off of the vehicle, causing a loud noise that startled me as I drove. I do not believe the trim piece hit another vehicle as it was nighttime and the road was not crowded, but it easily could have in other circumstances.
The cover to the hitch flew off (never taken off) while going up the interstate
Windshield panel pillar and moldings are missing and flying off vehicle.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the liftgate failed to open. A message indicating a liftgate failure was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a used car dealer, where the liftgate fuse was replaced twice in one year; however, the failure persisted. The Ford dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
The passenger side windshield panel flew off while driving 70 mph on the highway. There is now a rattling sound when I drive over 30 mph. There were no warning signs, only a loud crack. This could have been very dangerous if someone had been next to or behind the vehicle.
Windshield allows wind noise to come through. components loose scare it might fly off
A Piller trim came flying off on the highway.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side windshield trim detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the windshield trim needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but did not provide any assistance. The contact was advised to contact the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 72,000. The VIN was not available.
Paint bubbling on hood near grill
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the passenger’s side dashboard. Over time, the sound spread to the middle and driver’s side of the dashboard. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the weather stripping on the dashboard had started to detach from the panel, and that the cowl panel needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
While driving on the highway the right windshield trim piece on the pillar completely ripped off.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the leather on the dashboard was peeling, and the contact was concerned that the passenger's side air bag might deploy. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
While driving 75 mph on I-80 in Nebraska, the passenger side windshield trim flew off my 2018 Ford Explorer with no warning. This is the second time it has happened, although we heard something hitting the car before it flew off the first time. This was in 2020.
I was driving on the interstate, traveling about 70 MPH, when my windshield trim piece of my car just detached and flew off the car. There was no initial impact or causing factor when this occurred. I was confused and looked back when it happened not knowing that a piece of my car had flown off in the moment. I do not know if it struck another car or caused any damage to other vehicles. The car behind me was still behind me and did not crash at least. There was no warning lights or prior accidents or damage to the car when this occurred. The vehicle other than this is still in good shape and has not had any other problems. I called my dealership about getting the piece to be replaced and the dealership said that this was a very common occurrence on Ford Explorers.
The windshield trim is dethatching from the vehicle. The detached item can cause damage to other vehicles or injury to other motorist. The problem has been confirmed by a service center but not inspected. There is no warning lamp, discovered after hearing a noise while driving.
The contact’s wife owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the dashboard had started to peel. The contact also noticed that bubbles had started to form on the passenger’s side dashboard to the driver’s side dashboard above the air bag housing. The contact also stated that he noticed that the leather had started to peel. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he was concerned that the failure could cause the air bag to deploy erroneously. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the dashboard needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage approximately 50,000.
The windshield trim flew off of my car as we were driving down the highway and behind us into traffic. The whole chunk is missing.
The trim around my windshield on my driver's side blew off of the car. It is totally missing. Upon research, this appears to be a pretty common problem and it is very dangerous. Parts coming loose while driving could injure other drivers. No warning that the piece was loose. I am not sure who to report the problem to, I am going to call the dealership tomorrow and my warranty company. My concern is that the replacement piece may not stay on the car.
Passenger side A Pillar outside trim became loose starting at the top. Clips failed to hold it secure. Broke off in rain storm while driving on expressway.
While traveling at highway speed, the driver's side windshield pillar trim detached itself from the vehicle and flew into the roadway resulting in the following vehicle needing to take evasive maneuvers to avoid collision. In June of 2021 the passenger side piece also detached at highway speed and collided with the following vehicle. Ford does not offer a more robust replacement part, so there is no way for drivers to remedy this hazard.
Driving on interstate and driver's side panel trim of windshield come off over the weekend. There were no known symptoms or problems prior to the failure. The passenger side looks like it's loose. Have been by the dealer but they have no recall information.
Windshield trim piece came off while driving on the interstate
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V316000 (Structurer) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Driving on the highway and drivers side windshield trim blew off at highway speeds almost hitting vehicles behind me. I'm not sure if it hit anyone. I pulled over as soon as I could and no one else pulled over. It could have caused serious accidents.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 70 MPH, the exterior rubber molding from the front passenger’s side windshield trim detached from the vehicle and struck a second vehicle. The contact stated that 3 of the 4 windshield trim panels had become loosened and were not properly secured to the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The contact referenced the federal safety agency Investigation: PE23001 and stated that the vehicle had experience the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.
On a trip from South Carolina to New York, both A-pillar trims blew off on the highway. I am attributing this to both the fluctuations in temperature in the prior 12 hours (over 30 degrees) and a known issue with this vehicle. It was also very windy out.
roof rail cover flew off on interstate
The passenger side front windshield A pillar outer trim flew off the car when we were driving on CA freeway 15 on Saturday, February 25, 2023. The entire molding flew off and we don’t know if it hit any cars behind us since we were going at least 70 mph.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the driver’s side roof rail suddenly detached from the roof of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V316000 (Structure). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 81,000.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2018 Ford Explorer?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history