2013 FORD EXPLORER Structurebody Problems

Both pilars flew off, right and left. There is a recall and i went to Ford in San Bruno and Fullerton, both were giving me the run around and supposedly in late 2024 parts were available and its now 2026 and i am still waiting for both to be replaced. I need this case to be expedited from Ford. Thank you

My 2013 White Four door Ford Explorer incidents occurred twice on the highway. The end pieces of the front windshield came off while driving on Hwy. 70 in Durham/Raleigh NC and on hwy somewhere in Raleigh! There was a Sherriff behind me the first time. My concern is the wind noise in my vehicle while driving and safety of the windshield for safety inspection. Crossroads Ford in Wake Forest NC service told me that it can take up to 30-60 days to get the parts for my 2013 Ford. I am disabled and I need my vehicle to be safe for doctor visits. Can the new parts be expedited or no?

I am writing to express concern about the ongoing delay in receiving the remedy for Ford recall 24V031 / 24S02 involving the 2011–2019 Ford Explorer (“Exterior A-Pillar Trim May Detach”). My vehicle, 2013 Ford Explorer (VIN: [XXX] ), was inspected by my local Ford dealer, who confirmed that the part is needed but still unavailable. I have been waiting for some time without any clear timeline or communication from Ford about when the repair can be completed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Pillar molding driver side

The A-Pillar trim pieces on both sides of the windshield began coming apart while driving on the highway, luckily, a piece did not impact other vehicles behind me. I went to the dealer and they removed both trim pieces several months ago and they have not followed up to install the new parts. They say they are not available. The first notification I received from Ford by mail is dated February 2024 (more than 1.5 years ago). The vehicle looks like crap and Ford is not fulfilling their obligation. Perhaps NHTSA can exert enough pressure to force them to accomplish the repairs. Are they waiting for someone to get hurt or die from flying trim debris before they act? Ford can and has to make the parts and make them available to address their flawed product. Thank you.

A-pillar trim part detached while I was driving. My dealer replaced the following parts at my expense BB5Z7803145AA BB5Z7803137BA. To date I have not been fully reimbursed for the repair by the dealership, Al Cioni Ford, Granville, Illinois.

Why is it taking Ford years to fix body molding for a recall. It would appear they are not going to comply with the recall and hope they wait long enough they can age out the vehicles and there won’t be any left. I don’t understand why N.H.T.S.A is night having FORD comply with the recall.

Manufacturer Recall Number24S02 NHTSA Recall Number24V031 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available Recall is over 15 months old and manufacture still hasn't developed a resolution.

The Ford company put a recall out over a year ago on parts that were defective for windshield paneling and weather proofing. They have no ETA on recall parts to fix the issue - it’s been over 12 months and there are weather issues associated with the vehicle because of the missing parts. This is unacceptable.

The passenger side door trim that goes alongside the window broke off while driving down the highway. This is a safety hazard for other drivers. The A Pillar trim did the same thing a few months ago which is under recall. Not sure why this trim would not also be under recall.

The exterior A-pillar trim part detached and hit another vehicle on the freeway. The dealership replaced the part and I paid for it. I received a recall notice January 2024 stating that Ford would replace the defect and or reimburse me for the previous replacement. In February 2025 the driver side A-pillar trim part detached while driving on the freeway. When I contacted my dealership at Kearny Pearson Ford they told me that they STILL did not have the parts as described in the Safety recall notice 24S02 / NHTSA recall 24V031. I am driving around with an open side along the windshield/body of my car and it does not feel safe.

BOUGHT THE CAR 07/03/23 FROM PRIVATE PARTY AND ITS BEEN LEAKING WATER SINCE. FOUND THE CRACKS 02/28/25. BODY IS CRACKING ON TOP REAR ROOF OF VEHICLE CLOSE TO THE REAR HATCH HINGES ON DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE WHICH CAUSES WATER TO COME INSIDE THE REAR INTERIOR PART OF THE VEHICLE. 3RD ROW SEATBELTS ARE SOAKING WET WHEN IT RAINS. WATER ALSO LEAKS IN THE TRUNK AND SPARE TIRE SPACE. ORIGINALLY, THOUGHT IT WAS FROM CLOGGED SUNROOF DRAINS, BUT FOUND THE CRACKS AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION. PICTURES HAVE BEEN ATTACHED.

Water leaking from ceiling

Ford issued a recall notice in Feb 2024 concerning the exterior A-pillar applique trim clip. This large piece of hard plastic separated from my windshield on an interstate while the vehicle was driving at a high rate of speed and the loose trim was a hazard to the vehicles behind me. It is unacceptable that I cannot have this replaced and the other side repaired more than one year after the recall. This is a safety issue to other vehicles on the road.

Driving 65 mph. 4 passengers. Pillar trim came off and slammed into window. Caused us to veer into another lane almost hitting another vehicle. Passenger side did this in 2023. My husband had to order part and fix it. Right after fix, a recall was issued. Called 5 times in 2024 for recall fix. Was told parts not available. While going to Fort Lauderdale cruise port January 25, 2025, the Driver’s side came off almost causing a crash collision that would have killed us all. Cannot get any shop to fix and was told to keep driving the vehicle. The rubber/part hanging from Explorer.

The A-Pillar to my vehicle flew off on the highway and hit another car.

A-pillar trim recall. I took my car to dealer in July 2024. Ford has yet to produce parts for my vehicle. One trim piece detached after the recall inspection and flew off. Both sides should be replaced now. I have contacted Ford dealer and Ford customer service multiple times, they do not know when parts are going to be made. This is now January 2025 parts should have already been made and received.

See attached document for complaint

Right side windshield trim flew off while driving down the highway.

Due to trim panel recall, trim came off and while driving and now water leaks in windshield when it rains. Leaking water dripped on to climate control panel and caused it to stop working. Now I can’t control heat or AC in car and it continues to leak when it rains

I bought the car from auction. The car was Represent like "Run and drive". But the car come with a lot of rust into the frame and this problem means a structural damage. The car it is not good for driving and it is not possible to be registered.

every time it rains, water comes inside the vehicle on the back side, noticed water coming from the third row seat belts, that cause a bad smell inside the vehicle and cost a lot of money to get that fix, Unknow how to fix, I called the Dealer the stated that is a known problem with this vehicles .

The windshield makes a loud cracking sound (for the last 4 months- this is how ong ive owned it) and a few weeks ago, the sound happened and the window cracked from the frame toward the center (about 7").

While driving on highway, I started hearing a humming/vibration sound on the right side around the windshield. When we stopped, I noticed the trim molding around my windshield (passenger side) had flown off while driving. When we got back on the road we no longer heard the humming/vibration sound so it seems that the sound was coming from windshield trim molding. As of now, I have not received any notification of it hitting another vehicle so hopefully it did not.

While driving down a major highway, the trim/molding on the passenger side of the windshield flew off. The underlying bracket is still attached to the vehicle. The flying debris could cause other drivers to swerve to avoid the debris and potentially causing an accident. A local Ford dealership said there is not a recall for this issue. I found an article in USA Today that states several others who own 2011-2019 Explorers have had this same issue. There were no warnings that this piece was going to fail. Since there is not a recall I will be forced to purchase and repair my own vehicle.

The windshield trim panel on my 2013 Ford Explorer detached and flew off the vehicle without warning while I was driving on the highway . If the detached piece hit another motorist it could cause harm. This vehicle is up to date on it's regular maintenance and no warning was given for the part.

The passenger side front windshield molding blew off during highway driving and almost hit the car traveling behind.

Driver-side A-pillar trim piece broke and partially detached from vehicle while driving on an interstate (appx 70mph). Initially, one small and quick pop noise was heard, but the sound came from outside and it was assumed it was road debris. Approximately 15 seconds later, the left A-pillar trim piece suddenly partially detached from the body of the car in such a fashion that the bottom clip was broken, but still attached only by a weak bond to the rubber seal beneath the trim piece and the top of the trim piece was sticking away from the vehicle by approximately six to eight inches. We immediately pulled off to the side of the interstate and the A-pillar trim piece was debonded from the rubber seal by a gentle pull. Had this weak bond with the rubber seal not been there, the entire A-pillar trim piece could have easily completely detached and...

Was driving on the highway at normal speed and the windshield trim on the drivers side flew off.

Windshield Trim Panel Detachment. Driver side panel detached while driving app 60 mph on the highway. Began with rubber underneath plastic panel breaking off and flying away followed by the panel flying off in two pieces and hitting the vehicle behind me before shattering on the roadway.

When I first purchased vehicle noticed passenger side windshield frame cracked, so I asked dealer to repair which they did. 2 weeks later driving on the freeway at 70 mph the piece flew off. Luckily I was in the lane next to exit and no cars were hit. I then purchased the kit to replace the one lost and same thing happened again but this time on a side road going 45-50 mph. I hope this gets taken care of by Ford because it is getting to be costly!!

Side pillar flew off while driving

The trim on the front windshield blows off constantly at highway speeds. I’ve had this car for a little over a year now and we’ve already replaced it four different times. Every time, it stays on about a month before it detaches and blows off again. The last time, it just barely missed the car behind me. I haven’t replaced it since then because I am terrified the next time it happens, a motorcyclist will be behind me and it could hit them and cause a fatal accident. This is a SERIOUS issue that needs addressed! I should not be scared to drive my car over 45 MPH for fear of causing a serious accident! On top of that, not replacing it means it now leaks into my car when it rains. I love my explorer but the trim on it is absolute garbage..

Vehicle A pillar flew off while driving on the highway and almost hit a vehicle behind me.

Over several months at highway speeds the windshield trim on left and right of the windshield flew off. Appeared to be meagerly attached with clips and Velcro strips. These two strips are connected to the forward roof pylons, exposing the weather seals and allowing water to leak into the interior

The driver side windshield panel flew off/broke off while driving at 55-60 mph.

The driver-side outer windshield trim moulding panel flew off of my vehicle while I was driving at highway speed. Upon inspection, I discovered the passenger-side panel is loose, as well, and could detach at any time.

Windshield Trim on right side passenger came off while driving on the freeway luckily no was behind at the time to avoid further collision

On September 2, 2021, I was driving with my young son in the car. I had to pick him up from daycare due to severe weather(High winds and tornado warning in effect). I heard something hit my window, then my sons window, while driving 55 mph on the highway. I looked in the rearview and could'nt tell what it was. I dropped my son off at home with my mother and then noticed the entire A Pilar was missing on my 2013 Ford Explorer. I was shocked to say the least. I waited a few months to get this repair complete due to money restraints. Within those few months I noticed many other vehicles similar to mine by make and model were missing the same piece. Which I thought could no way be just a coincidence. I finally decided to get this eye sore fixed before it caused any more...

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, she heard a popping sound on the driver’s side of the vehicle. The contact stated that when she arrived at her residence, she became aware that the windshield trim panel had detached from the rear windshield and cut the rubber seal around the window. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the driver’s side windshield trim panel was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 70,000.

Windshield trim broke off on right side at highway speed on interstate 78 in PA. I'm not aware of it had hit another vehicle or not, heard the noise when it flew off but didn't know what it was until I got home and seen the missing piece.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 70 MPH, the windshield trim panel detached from the windshield. The contact’s husband veered to the side of the road momentarily. The contact’s husband was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the windshield trim panel was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The contact stated that the dealer had replaced the windshield trim panel on two different occasions. However, the failure persisted. The contact stated that her husband taped the windshield trim panel to the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the VIN was not included in the recall related to the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000. The VIN was not available.

In October of 2018 while driving on the Interstate, I heard a noise in the area of the passenger windshield. I slowed down as I looked at the windshield and the pillar trim came loose and flew off the car. Fortunately, there was no one behind me and it went into the ditch at the side of the highway. I pulled off as soon as I could and checked the driver side trim, it seemed to be loose as well. I was able to secure it and went to my local dealership where they ordered replacement parts. The repair was $506.54. The same thing happened in December of 2021. So now I have paid twice to have this repair made which, in my opinion, should be a recall. I believe a consumer has a reasonable expectation that parts should remain on the vehicle. Yes, anyone could be hit and harmed...

While driving on the highway, the windshield driver's side upper pillar molding detached and flew off hitting the side of the rear of my vehicle. I was unaware of what had happened in the moment but was just knew there was a loud bang as if some type of debris hit my vehicle. I later noticed the lower molding had been damaged as well but was still attached to the vehicle. My safety was at risk in that I was startled by the bang and others could have been harmed by the flying trim. A call to the dealer confirmed there were issues with the trim piece but it was not under warranty and no recalls had been issued at the time. It was not physically inspected by anyone at the time. Due to cost, I ordered and installed a replacement upper trim piece but the lower trim remains damaged....

Driving down the road and the driver's side windshield trim detached and flew off into traffic at highway speed. The shock of it flying off and into traffic makes it a safety risk. Repair shop person informed me it was a common issue. There was no message indication it was going to detach. Replacement was $200.

The trim piece on the windshield post along the side of the windshield fell off while traveling on a highway. It flew into the air and may have struck another vehicle. We replaced that piece on the drivers side of our car but a few months ago the trim on the passenger side flew off while traveling. This causes a safety problem to other drivers and could cause an accident. The first piece of trim was replaced. The problem has not been reviewed by the manufacturer, police or a insurance representative. There was no warning that this problem was about to occur.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side windshield trim detached. Additionally, the driver's side door handle had also detached. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 131,000.

I've had to replace the windshield trim panel piece three times because they keep flying off.

Rubber weatherstripping around windshield glass is coming off and hitting the windshield. I had the car inspected by Safelite Auto Glass and they said the windshield needs to come out so they can replace all the surrounding parts that are coming off and they will also have to replace the windshield, since it will probably break when they take it out. It will cost $759.67 to repair. Insurance will only cover it if there is a chip in the windshield the size of a dollar bill. I understand you are already investigating this problem and I need to know if you are going to recall my car before something worse happens. I don't want to have an accident because windshield parts are flying off my car and hitting others.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, there was a loud sound outside the vehicle, and an airborne object was seen on the driver’s side of the vehicle. The contact stated it was later discovered that the driver’s side front windshield trim panel had detached from the vehicle. The contact purchased the replacement part from the dealer and the dealer replaced the part. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.