Ford is recalling 288,000 Ford Explorers from the 2016-2019 model years because roof-rail trim caps can detach while the SUV is being driven. The recall covers vehicles that may lose the trim piece covering the roof rails, turning a body panel problem into a road hazard.
The timing matters because owners will start hearing from Ford in late August, with a second letter set to go out starting September 21 once the remedy is ready. Ford said the repair should be ready by late September, giving owners a narrow window between the first warning and the actual fix.
This is not the first time the same Explorer years have been pulled back for the same basic problem. Ford first recalled more than 615,000 Explorers from the same model years in 2021 after saying the covers could become detached while driving. In that earlier action, Ford said the molded clips could lack enough retention strength because of improper interaction, and that excessive heat from the sun could worsen the problem. The company also said the issue applied only to painted covers in black or silver, while higher-spec trims with plated racks were not considered part of the defect because those racks had more retention strength and were less prone to heating up.
The new recall shows that the earlier repair did not close the book on the issue. Ford learned that some of the vehicles originally recalled were fixed with a two-part epoxy, and Ford now says that adhesive can come loose over time. That means a repair meant to secure the part may not have held long enough, leaving some owners back where they started.
Ford will check recalled vehicles to see whether they have push-pin fasteners. If they do not, Ford or Lincoln dealers will replace broken original clips and damaged covers, then fasten the repaired parts with new push pins. The underlying question is how many of the 288,000 recalled Explorers are being pulled back a second time after a prior repair, but Ford has not given that number. For owners, the immediate issue is simpler: a trim cap that should stay put may not, and the next notice is already on its way.
