This archive report was first published on 10 May 2021.
Published on May 10, 2021, Ford Motor is recalling 661,000 Explorer sport utility vehicles in North America at the request of U.S. regulators.
The recall, which affects vehicles from 2016 to 2019 model years, is due to a potential safety issue with roof rail covers that could detach from the vehicle.
According to Ford, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration first inquired about the issue in early 2020 after receiving 11 reports of roof rail cover detachment.
Initially, Ford argued that the low likelihood of a roof rail detaching, its small weight, and the fact drivers would likely detect a loose roof rail cover made a recall unnecessary.
However, in November 2020, Ford agreed to extend its warranty to cover the issue for 10 years or 150,000 miles, and on April 30, 2021, the company agreed to the recall.
A Ford spokeswoman stated that the automaker is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this condition.
The vehicles covered by the recall have roof rail covers that are painted silver, black, or absolute black, and customer notifications will begin the week of June 28.
The recall includes 620,483 vehicles in the United States, 36,419 in Canada, and 4,260 in Mexico.
