NHTSA Complaint #11399341 — 2017 FORD EXPLORER

DEALER SERVICED MY ROOF RACK 12 DIFFERENT TIME BECAUSE THE COVER WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET LONG HAS BECOME LOOSE 12 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE MOST RECENT ISSUE WAS THE COMPLETE COVER BLEW OFF THE TOP OF THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. THE VEHICLES TRAILING ME TOOK EVASIVE MANEUVERS TO AVOID BEING STRUCK BY THE ROOF RACK COVER. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY ORDERED NEW PARTS AGAIN WHICH ARE UNDER RECALL BY FORD. THE ISSUE NOW IS I'M DRIVING THE VEHICLE THAT CURRENTLY HAS A LOUD WHISTLING NOISE THAT STARTS AT 50 MPH AND BECOME SO LOUD IT IS A DISTRACTION ABOVE 60MPH. I CANNOT SAFELY DRIVE THE VEHICLE ON THE INTERSTATE BECAUSE OF THE MISSING ROOF RACK COVER. THE DEALER SAID THEY ARE STILL WEEKS AWAY FROM RECEIVING THE BACK ORDERED PARTS. WHILE AT THE DEALER I OBSERVED FOUR OTHER FORD EXPLORERS IN THE SERVICE BAY, ALL FOR ROOF RACK SERVICE. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THEY AVERAGE 8 SERVICE CALLS A DAY FOR THIS ISSUE WITH SEVERAL A WEEK MISSING THE ROOF RACK COVER FROM BEING BLOWN OFF THE VEHICLE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. FORD IS OFFERING ME A BUY BACK ON MY VEHICLE, HOWEVER THEY HAVE NOT PROVIDED THE OFFER IN THE TIME FRAME THEY COMMITTED TO. NOTE, I AM FOND OF FORDS, I OWN THREE OF THEM HOWEVER THIS IS AN EXTREME SAFETY ISSUE. I'M RETIRED FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT AND WAS A CERTIFIED CRASH RECONSTRUCTIONIST. I FORESEE VEHICLE CRASHES OCCURRING AS A RESULT OF THIS ISSUE WITH PARTS FALLING OFF THIS YEAR AND MAKE OF FORD VEHICLE (2017 EXPLORER)*DT*DT*JB*JB*DT*DT*DT*JB*DT CONSUMER STATED PASSENGER SIDE CAME OFF.*JB*JB