Toronto, Ontario — The U.S.’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a probe into 1.8 million Ford Explorer models following reports that traveling at highway speeds can cause windshield trim panels to detach from the vehicle, thereby putting other motorists at risk.
The preliminary NHTSA evaluation will concern 2011 to 2019 model year Ford Explorers on U.S. roads, in response to more than 160 complaints about the issue, including one case from August 2022 where a California driver reported that “while driving on the freeway, the right front exterior pillar trim came off and flew back toward traffic behind me.”
The cost for the driver to replace the part was $500, according to Reuters. Some drivers have said that they have had to replace the part multiple times due to this defect.
“Some of the complaints reported that the driver of the vehicle following behind the subject Ford vehicle allegedly was startled when the trim piece hit the windshield and momentarily lost control of the vehicle,” said the NHTSA.
Ford said it has “received notice from NHTSA and we plan to work with them as we always do.”
