Yet another recall from the Blue Oval
According to a new report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration dated May 27, 2025, Detroit-based automaker Ford is issuing a recall affecting nearly half a million older iterations of its popular Explorer family SUV due to a potentially hazardous defect involving the vehicle and those around it on the road.
The massive recall covers 492,145 Ford Explorers produced between June 11, 2015, and April 19, 2017, in the 2016 and 2017 model years. The NHTSA said in its report that the “driver and front passenger door B-pillar trim appliques” (the little pieces of black plastic above the front driver and passenger side door handles) might detach from the vehicle while driving, which can be a hazard for other road users and increase the risk of a crash.
Jeremy Korzeniewski
According to the NHTSA, drivers of affected vehicles may recognize the problem if they see the B-pillar trim separating from the rest of the front doors when they enter and exit the vehicle, or notice any rattling or wind noise from the B-pillar areas when they drive.
What caused this issue?
The NHTSA says that the root of the cause may have resulted from a combination of factors, including a design change that added a foam donut to the adhesive side of the B-pillar panel which increased outward reaction force on the part, as well as, “inconsistent usage of hand rollers used to ensure complete adhesion of the part to door sheet metal during installation at the vehicle assembly plant.”
The Federal agency’s report reveals that the Ford Motor Co. first recognized the problem as far back as July 4, 2019, when it published a technical service bulletin to direct dealers on how to repair loose driver side B-pillar trim appliques on Explorers due to potential lack of adhesive, which at the time, it did not consider it an “unreasonable risk to safety.” This insight emerged from an in-depth investigation in which engineers scrutinized doors sourced from local scrap yards at Ford’s Central Labs. They also delved into a collection of photographs depicting parts that were reported to have detached, focusing on the specifics of each claim.
By March 2025, the NHTSA had received 38 vehicle owner reports detailing the problem, which led Ford to further investigate it. As of April 7, 2025, Ford had recorded 1,482 warranty claims linked to the troubling occurrence, affecting vehicles sold in the U.S. market between December 4, 2015, and February 10, 2025. The company said that there have been no reported accidents or injuries associated with this particular defect. Ford dealers have already been notified of the issue, and owners can expect to receive a letter in the mail starting June 9.
Ford
Final thoughts
This recall comes on the same day another recall was announced due to loose or dislodged passenger airbag indicators affecting 63,898 units of the 2025 Ford Maverick. In another recall published this week, Ford announced that 1.1 million vehicles could be affected by a software glitch that could render the rearview cameras inoperable. It seems like Ford just can’t escape the recall bug.