2016 FORD EXPLORER Structurebody Problems

On two separate occasions, the windshield trim panel blew off my Explorer while I was driving at highway speeds. This was the trim panel on the driver's side in both instances. I had it repaired the first time and then it happened again. I was told by Safelight, who repaired it the first time, that they have done dozens of these repairs. And, it happened to my brother-in-law's Ford Excursion. Just look around while you're driving and you will see many Ford SUVs with missing trim panels. The dealership refuses to fix it even under my extended warranty - even though it's clearly a defect - and it costs hundreds of dollars for the repair. I know Ford is aware of the problem and doesn't seem to care. A recall needs to be issued. The last time the trim blew off I was driving 65 miles an hour on I-10...

Passenger windshield trim detached and flew off at highway speed.

The molding for the windshield driver side flew off while driving on the highway

2 pieces of the trim/body have fallen off while driving. One piece fell off and hit a car behind me in the windshield. This is common on these vehicles.

Windshield trim pieces flying off while driving down the highway.

Windshield post molding flew off and damaged our mirror at 70MPH. I took it to the Ford dealer and they have had a number of these incidents, but they still charged me $335.

The A pillars, which are the moldings on the left and right side of the windshield, began to come detached from the vehicle while driving down the Interstate at 70 mph. Only one clip was left to hold it on. I had to reduce speed to 40 mph on a very busy interstate until I could exit the interstate. These clips are similar to those used on the roof rails of this vehicle which was part of two previous recalls. Body parts detaching from the vehicle while driving at high speeds down an interstate should certainly constitute a safety concern. From what I understand from the Ford dealership, this has been a problem for a couple of years now that Ford has chosen not to address. It is currently being held on with duct tape until these can be replaced.

I was on I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson southbound. I heard a thumping noise but could not see anything wrong. Then there was a loud bang and I thought a semi had kicked up something though I saw nothing in the air. I was doing 75mph the posted speed but there was a cross wind. When I arrived home in Oro Valley i noticed the right, front passenger windshield entire trim was gone! Upon looking for a replacement part I noticed that I am not alone with this problem so I am reporting it. I would suspect many others have this problem but do not. Anyhow it is a safety issue. It is a large part to have this debris fly into another vehicle.

Passenger window trim piece came off while driving down interstate. I have seen a story that stated complaints about this were already being investigated so I felt I should report that it happened to me as well.

In November of 2022 on the highway the molding against the windshield that runs from the hood up to the rooftop flew off the vehicle. Luckily nobody was injured or no accident caused. Kerry Ford charged me $538.62... In February of 2023... Again, going down the highway the driver side molding against the windshield broke in half and another piece went flying off... Again, luckily no other damage or accident caused. I noticed this time there appeared to be velcro underneath at the bottom of the panel - Velcro? Not sure that seems appropriate. Again, Kerry Ford charging me another $446.00 to repair the driver side now - Hopefully Ford doesn't think Velcro is the answer. Meanwhile, I'm out nearly a $1000.00 because Ford has pieces flying off their vehicles... wonder how long until it causes a major accident or cost someone behind me their life? Better start a recall...

Right side windshield molding flew off on highway.

When I was driving the vehicle on the interstate (approximately 75 mph) the roof rack railing flew off. Luckily there were no cars following behind me. This was a prior recall that was fixed on my vehicle and I was told Ford was no longer fixing that because they found the glue was faulty.

My pregnant girlfriend was driving our Explorer on the highway (70mph) with her father in the passenger's seat when the driver's side A-pillar trim came off. She said it came loose and stuck the window, scaring them both, before it detached completely. They weren't sure if there was a vehicle close behind them when this happened. This seems like this is a big safety issue worthy of a recall. I purchased replacement parts from a local Ford dealer, and they said they sell a lot of those trim pieces.

we were driving on the 58 freeway in CA and when we went to stop for gas we noticed that the passenger side windshield trim panel had broken off somewhere on the freeway.

Every since I bought this vehicle back in December 2016. I've had major problems that consist of the battery lasting a year an half. In 2018, Ford had it for two weeks due to a major problem that they repaired but never told me what the issue was. Still, to this day, I don't know what they repaired. In 2021, My water pump went out, something is wrong with he fuel injection that may be causing the engine light to be on. Every year since 2016 there's been something going wrong with my Explorer, including the radio panel/cameras monitor. Last year, 2022, I was driving down the highway when my windshield trim panels flew off! I thought it was something from another car until I stopped and realized, my windshield didn't have a cover on the driver side. I'm hoping I didn't caused harm or almost caused harm to any...

Trim piece on driver-side windshield flew off while driving. To the best of my knowledge it did not hit any surrounding vehicles. There was no warning prior to this happening...I just realized it was missing when I returned to my vehicle after work. I had just heard on the news about window trim pieces flying off Ford Explorers the same day this happened to mine.

I have had to replaced two separate times my windshield trim pieces that cover the hardware on windshield. Every time I have lost them it has occurred on the highway where I was going a speed of 65-70mph. When I have had a professional reinstall new parts it has cost me almost $350.00 The parts are coming directly from ford nothing aftermarket and they are being reinstalled by a professional. I should not have keep paying for the same parts. All due to the fact they don’t stay adhered to the vehicle properly and they’re the parts coming directly from Ford manufacturer. I know no accidents have been reported but we shouldn’t wait until one happens either. Ford needs to correct this issue and stop costing the consumer so much to replace and deal with same problem.

While driving 60mph on the highway my windshield molding on the passenger side flew off.

The plastic windshield trim on the passenger side of the vehicle broke and flew off while driving down the interstate. The piece was then run over by another vehicle. Luckily it did not hit another vehicle or someone on a motorcycle . When I called the dealership near us they said that they were aware of the problem. The dealer said it has happened to several explorers that the were aware of but there was no recall. They gave me a quote of 400 dollars to replace it. The vehicle has not been repaired and is still being driven. Hopefully the piece that is still remaining does not come off and hit someone. There needs to be a recall to fix this problem.

I was driving down the road 50 mph The driver side, plastic piece that goes around.the outside of the windshield blew off.Upon further inspection the passenger side is also loose and ready to fall off. The rubber that goes around the whole windshield is dry rotted and all broke off .

The windshield trim panel blew off. It was repaired at Camargo Cadillac where the Explorer was purchased. It blew off on the way home. Camargo replaced the panel again. It blew off 2 days after the second repair. We were reimbursed and it was suggested we go to a Ford dealer. I called Beechmont Ford and I have waited 5 months plus for an appointment for recalls that have not been done. I always felt it was very dangerous when the metal part blew off. In today’s paper I noticed NHTSA is investigating complaints that the windshield panels can fly off of Ford Explorers while traveling at highway speeds.We certainly know this to be true. Please add this to your recalls with instructions on how to correctly fix it. To our knowledge we were never notified about serious issue with the rear suspension toe links either.

I was driving down the Interstate in my 2016 Ford Explorer at approximately 80-85 MPH when a long piece of the windshield trim panel flew off of the car. I didn't realize what had happened until I saw the trim piece missing. Once I saw how big the piece was, I was immediately concerned that the trim piece could have hit another car and seriously injured someone. I took the vehicle to a Ford dealership service center to have the trim piece replaced. The vehicle was not inspected by anyone other than the Ford service center. There was no warning at all prior to the panel flying off. It didn't appear loose or flap in the wind, it literally just flew off.

10/23/22 While driving at highway speeds - Interstate 39 - a large piece of the driver's side windshield trim flew off. We had no impact with anything that would have made it fall off - it simply came apart and landed on the road behind us. We have had the piece fixed since. Body shop could have photos still - if needed. No warning signs were present in the car.

Pieces of my windshield seals are flying off my car endangering other drivers.

The windshield outer trim on the passenger side has detached two separate times (I replaced it each time at my cost), and it could be a hazard when it happens while I am driving on the highway.

Body trim pieces on the b pillar of the vehicle became loose and flew off on the highway, secondary replacement from Ford is now loose and about to come off on both sides, waiting on the warranty from Ford to send another new one.

While driving on the freeway, the right front exterior pillar trim came off and flew back toward traffic behind me. That exterior trim was between the door frame and the windshield. Luckily it did not strike any other vehicle. It could have easily struck another vehicle and caused an accident and/or injury. Prior to the detachment, the trim in question did not appear to be lose or coming off. When I checked with my local Ford Dealer, the service technician told me he knew of many other incidents involving that particular trim coming off on both sides of the vehicle. The dealer replaced the trim at a cost of $500. I later did some research on the internet and found that this has happened to may other owners of Ford Explorers. I notified Ford of the incident, no recalls involving this equipment.

Passenger side windshield trim came loose on the freeway and flopped around violently then broke off and went flying behind us. Thankfully it did not hit vehicles behind us as it weighs several pounds and has pointy ends. We purchased this Ford Explorer brand new and it always had some wind noise at freeway speeds on that side. @ 46K miles and the trim replacement was not covered by warranty. The dealer said it is quite common and they see it regularly (and will happily take your $500 to fix it). I have seen several other Explorers (including one Police Ford Explorer) with this missing trim panel and you can find many aftermarket replacement brands selling them online and in auto parts stores. This must be a very common issue to justify several companies making replacements. This issue could be deadly if you are following behind a Ford Explorer when...

The side panel behind the front passenger and driver side windows detached while driving. Specifically, the passenger side window panel detached while driving approximately 60 mph on the highway, which caused flying debris that could have harmed other drivers. Three days later the driver side panel detached while driving on the freeway at approximately 60 mph; however, this panel stayed hanging from the car due to wires for the keyless entry. When the panel detached at 60 mph, the tailgate open indicator light turned on inside the car. To ensure our tailgate was secure and we would not lose items out the back causing more of a hazard, we navigate to the side of the highway. This placed my family at risk while other cars passed by at 60 mph. The tailgate was shut; however, we were unable to open the tailgate. The car indicted the tailgate is open; however,...

- Molding piece and underlying bracket located between the windshield and side passenger window. Molding piece is long and over 24 inches long. - Became loose and detached completely during driving. -The issue first appeared when the vehicle had under 36000 miles- at that time a Ford service technician glued it to the underlying mounting bracket to remedy the problem. The issue happened to the same piece again within the last three months. A Ford service tech again glued the piece into place to secure. Four days ago the piece completely came off, while driving. The clips on the mounting bracket were completely broken. I have since had the bracket and piece replaced. -According to the service advisor at a Ford dealership, Ford released a notice to service depts advising them of the issue. According to the service advisor is a problem for 2015 and 2016 Ford Explorers This bracket...

While driving down the road the drivers side (A pillar molding) windshield molding broke loose with no warning and flew into traffic behind me. Fortunately this did not hit anyone or cause an accident this time, but it has the potential to do so. From discussing this with the Ford dealer near me it is a common problem with the interceptors and sport model explorers. The design of this is such that you don't know the clips are failing until a sudden andcatastrophic failure occurs.

In the 2016 Ford Explorer, both the driver and passenger side window trim has blown off while driving. The plastic clips break and cause the trim to fly off. It happened to me, and two other owners with the 2016 Ford Explorer that we bought at the same time. I have also seen it on many other Ford Explorers on the road.

The A pillar of my car came loose while driving and is now flapping there. The A pillar on the other side was loose when I bought the car and the dealer fixed that one at that time. I fear these pillars coming loose and flying and hitting other cars while driving. Seems like a safety issue Ford should do something about.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the side panel on the passenger’s side detached from the vehicle. On another occasion, the plastic front pillar section on the passenger’s side suddenly detached from the vehicle. The contact indicated that the failed body parts were attached to the vehicle by glue. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 47,000.

THE A PILLAR COVER HAVE DETACHED ON BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES. THE COVER THAT DETACHES WHILE DRIVING CAN CREATE A ROAD HAZARD FOR OTHER USERS, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. THIS ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. I HAVE OBSERVED SEVERAL VEHICLES OF THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL MISSING THESE SAME COVERS.

Passenger side piller trim detachment this has been an issue on the 2013 thru 2015 models and was issued a recall. Same thing is happening on the 2016 model. Drivers side is also loose. Many 2016 models are having this same problem

On my 2016 Ford Explorer, the A Pillars on both the passenger and driver's side completely detached from the car while driving and flew back into the road while driving on the highway. The A pillars that detached could have easily hit another car/person and caused serious damage. My local Ford dealership inspected the car and pillars and confirmed this as a common failure. They have informed me that there is now a new version of this part because of this common failure. However, the part is currently back ordered and cannot be repaired on any timeline. They are currently duct taped onto the car to protect the car from any further damage. I believe since Ford acknowledged the failure and there was a need to create a new system/part, then this should be a recall of the current parts. There were no warnings or previous issues with the A...

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the contact heard a knocking noise from the front driver’s side window. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and inspected the vehicle and noticed that the weatherstrip on the front driver’s side door was detaching from the molding that held the weatherstrip from the windshield. The contact pushed the weather strip back into the molding and continued to drive back to the residence. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle and stated that the weatherstrip had loosened over time. The mechanic glued the weather strip back into the molding as a temporary fix and referred the contact to a local dealer for assistance. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and was informed that the molding needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not...

While driving at 55+mph both driver side and passenger side A-pillar windshield covers vibrate. Eventually the passenger side blew off during the drying cycle at a car wash. Thankfully it was contained and did not fly off on the road and cause an incident. There are more cases of this occurring on the highways as seen by searching the internet.

The trim to the lining of my window on the right side flew off on the highway

THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN 2020 AND SO FAR I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE A PILLAR TRIM 3 TIMES.ONCE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND TWICE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. COSTING OVER $100 EACH TIME JUST FOR THE PARTS.THE TRIM HAS COME OFF TWICE WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEED, 60 MPH, CAUSING A LOUD NOISE AND FLYING DEBRIS. THE THIRD TIME THE TRIM CAME OFF AT A SLOW SPEED OFF 35 MPH AND ACTUALLY BROKE IN HALF. I ATTACHED A PHOTO OF THE TRIM PIECE. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE MAY BE THE PLASTIC CLIPS THAT HOLD THE TRIM IN PLACE.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THE DRIVER'S WINDSHIELD SIDE TRIM MOLDING DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THIS MOLDING IMPACTED THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, AND BECAME FOD ON THE HIGHWAY. IN REVIEW, ONLY HALF OF THE MOLDING DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE, WITH HALF REMAINING IN PLACE.

RADIO SPARKING AND SMOKING PLUS PEELING AND BUBBLES INSIDE THE HOOD PAINT

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, WINDSHIELD TRIM ON DRIVERS SIDE BROKE OFF. ONCE STATIONARY, INSPECTED WHERE THE TRIM WAS AND IT'S COMPLETELY GONE & APPEARS THAT THE CLIPS HOLDING IT THERE ARE BROKEN AND SOME GONE. PASSENGERS SIDE TRIM IS WARPED AND APPEARS LOOSE. ALSO, DRIVERS DOORS TRIM IS NOW PARTLY DETACHED FROM DOOR

THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE IS RUSTING ALONG THE FRONT EDGE. IT STARTED WITH A SMALL AREA AT FIRST A YEAR AGO BY BUBBLING UP FROM UNDERNEATH. NOW THERE ARE SEVERAL VISIBLE AREAS ALONG THE FRONT EDGE OF THE HOOD DOING THE SAME. IT'S A MATTER OF TIME TIL THE RUST BREAKS THRU THE PAINT. 5 YEARS OLD AND I LIVE IN MD. MILD WINTERS. SHOULDN'T HAPPEN.

WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD PILLAR MOLDING DEPARTED THE VEHICLE. WHILE RESEARCHING PART NUMBERS AND REPAIRS ONLINE I HAVE NOTICED THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FOR EXPLORERS FROM 2011- 2018. ALSO SEEMS SOMEWHAT RELATED TO THE CURRENT RECALL FOR EXPLORER ROOF RACKS THAT USE SOME OF THE SAME MOUNTING HARDWARE. PARTS SEPARATING FROM VEHICLES AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS CREATES HIGH RISK OF INCIDENTS.

PAINT BUBBLING AND PEELING AROUND FRONT EDGE OF HOOD SHOWING RUST UNDERNEATH. VEHICLE IS GARAGE KEPT AND CLEANED REGULARLY.

POWER LOCKS GET STUCK ON EITHER LOCK OR UNLOCKED NOT ALLOWING ME TO EITHER LOCK OR UNLOCK THE CAR DOOR ON DRIVER AND BACK PASSENGER DOOR. PLASTIC STRIPPING PANELS ON FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOORS ARE COMING OFF AND THE PANELS CONNECTED TO THE WINDSHIELD ON BOTH SIDES. POWER SEATS DO NOT HOLD THE MEMORY OF WHERE IT WAS LEFT. THE SEAT GOES ALL THE WAY UP TO THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN MEMORY BUTTONS ARE PRESSED OR IF THE KEYLESS CODE ON THE DOOR IS USED TO UNLOCKED THE CAR. KEYLESS ENTRY WILL UNLOCK WITHOUT TO CODE BEING TYPED IN CORRECTLY. USING THE FIRST THREE NUMBERS CAN UNLOCK THE DOOR. ALL OF THESE THINGS HAPPEN WILL THE CAR IS STATIONARY.

NOT LONG AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE FROM A DEALERSHIP I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH MY FAMILY WHEN THE DRIVER WINDSHIELD PILLAR MOLD FLYS OFF MY VEHICLE AND INTO TRAFFIC BEHIND ME. A FEW WEEKS OR SO LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THE PASSENGER SIDE. I WAS LOOKING ONLINE FOR PARTS AND NOTICED MANY PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD TRIM MOLDING FLEW OFF WHILE DRIVING. DRIVER SIDE DOOR TRIM PANEL LOOSE.