WASHINGTON (AP) — Ford is recalling nearly half a million older Explorer models because part of the door trim can detach while driving and cause a dangerous road hazard, U.S. auto safety regulators said Wednesday.
A notice posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the recall covers 492,145 Ford Explorers, model years 2016-2017. The vehicles were produced between June 11, 2015 and April 19, 2017.
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Ford Motor Co. first recognized the problem as far back as 2019, but did not consider it an “unreasonable risk to safety,” the NHTSA report said. In March of this year, the NHTSA shared with Ford dozens of vehicle owner reports of the problem, leading Ford to further investigate it, eventually leading to the recall.
Ford concluded that lack of proper adhesion was causing the trim to loosen, adding that it is unaware of accidents or injuries related to the defect.
The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker expects to start sending notification letters to owners on June 9.
When a remedy to fix the faulty part has been determined, owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicles into a Ford or Lincoln dealership to have the trim fixed at no cost.
The NHTSA recall number is 25V347. The manufacturer’s recall number is 25S53.