Here we are once again, and this time around it is bigger and probably worse than before. Ford is in trouble, and this does not look good. Almost half a million recalls. What does it say now about the brand, and how does it look? Imagine this now: you are on your way to work, school, or a family trip, and suddenly your car door just flies off, out into the air, and drops down on the road. How would you feel? What would happen? You will panic and most probably lose control of the car because that would be something you are not expecting. That is why Ford is recalling 500,000 vehicles.
Recalls are common, but this one by Ford is very sensitive and needs urgent attention
Car recalls are not a new thing, and no car brand is being penalised as such because most of the time it is a supplier problem, and also, it could happen that minor mistakes would have taken place when engineers put the car together. What makes this one for Ford a little worrisome is that, number 1, these are cars produced before 2020, and there are a lot of them; therefore, Ford has a lot of work to do on this one.
Mind you, even if we are saying Ford is sort of in trouble, there was a time General Motors (GM) got a lawsuit recall for 600,000 vehicles. Most common recalls are when the car has an engine problem, brakes, or needs a rewiring; however, this one, whereby the door could fall off, is really bad. What if there is a minor in the car, and the next thing it causes fatal accidents? Hence, this recall has gotten a lot of attention.
Ford recalls almost 500,000 Explorer cars due to the B-pillar door trim detaching
The recall involves Ford Explorer models produced between 2016 to 2017. 492,145 of these were built with B-pillar door trim parts that have the risk of coming loose while driving. But what really happened is that in 2019, a technical service dealer had provided instructions on how to fix the loose drive-side appliques, but at that point, Ford had not realized the risk until later. This is why the recall is only happening now.
Let me give you a highlighted context to understand further. When I am talking of B-pillar interior trim pieces, these are the panels between the front and rear side windows, right where the seatbelt attaches. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had to take action earlier this year after receiving some complaints and questionnaires about this issue.
These are the affected models and vehicles
- Explorers from the 2016-2017 model years, produced between June 11, 2015, and April 19, 2017.
- Most of the affected models were sold in the northern parts of America.
- About 500,000 vehicles are affected in the United States alone.
Autoevolution stated that,
“Through April 7, 2025, the manufacturer received no fewer than 1,481 warranty claims of B-pillar appliques coming off 2016 and 2017 Ford Explorer sport utility vehicles.”
More information about this recall, what to do, and Ford’s plan to solve it
As of now, it seems like Ford does not have a solution or remedy; however, Ford owners of these affected vehicles should expect some form of communication between June 9, 2025 and June 13, 2025. In the meantime, you can check the VIN of the vehicle on Ford’s website. Do not worry about fees; all recalls and repairs are free of charge, and this can be either Ford or Lincoln dealerships. Elite car brands do go through these kinds of issues. Last time, Ford recalled 300,000 cars, too.
For more information about this recall, you can check the 25V347 recall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
