Ford Is Recalling Almost 500,000 Explorers, And There's No Fix Yet
Another week, another Ford recall covering hundreds of thousands of vehicles, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The latest in an ongoing era of recalls is not focused on backup cameras or broken control arms, but something a little less worrisome from a safety perspective: it focuses on faulty interior trim pieces on 2016–2017 Ford Explorer units.
Specifically, the May 23, 2025, recall is meant to address an issue with the B-pillar trim adhesive and connectors that allow the trim to fall off. Ford's filing with the safety watchdog says that an inconsistent usage of hand rollers at the factory means the foam donut inside the B-pillar is subject to increased outward reaction force and... well, the piece simply isn't attached very well. The B-pillar trim could detach while the vehicle is moving, increasing the risk of a crash for other road users should the part fall into the road.
A total of 492,145 Ford Explorer units are included in this recall, with NHTSA estimating that 4% of the nearly half-a-million units will suffer from the defect. Ford says customers will be able to spot the B-pillar trim defect when opening and closing the forward doors. Increased wind noise or even rattling are other possible side effects.
Ford first identified this issue in 2019, when a technical service bulletin was published to dealers detailing how to repair loose B-pillar trim. It wasn't until six years later that Ford believed the issue to warrant a safety recall, following a March 2025 NHTSA investigation that detailed 38 customer complaints where the trim piece detached completely. An internal team at Ford then began investigating the issue by harvesting doors from scrap yards and reviewing photos from customer complaints. A thorough review of previous part design and assembly plant processes allowed Ford to quickly identify which model years of Explorer were affected, eventually prompting the recall by May.
Unfortunately for Explorer owners, there is no fix just yet. Ford says a remedy is under development, indicating that the problem could be attributable to a larger design flaw with the B-pillar or fastening systems in these particular units. Once a fix has been found, Ford says Explorer owners will be sent to their local Ford or Lincoln dealer to have it performed.
This recall is perhaps less serious than the swath of issues plaguing the entire Ford lineup as of late. Other Ford recalls have focused on broken control arms (particularly in Ford Bronco and F-150 Lightning models) and fuel leaks, as well as electrical issues, including failing instrument clusters and faulty backup cameras. All told, millions of Fords have now been recalled over the course of 2025, ensuring that service departments at dealerships around the country will stay busy this summer.
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Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.0 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 10.0 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 9.0 sec Top Speed (gov ltd): 155 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 153 ft Braking, 100–0 mph: 312 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.99 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY Observed: 18 mpg 75-mph Highway Driving: 24 mpg 75-mph Highway Range: 380 mi EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/City/Highway: 17/14/23 mpg 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe PRICE Base/As Tested: $60,865/$73,205 ENGINE DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injection Displacement: 307 in3, 5038 cm3 Power: 500 hp @ 7250 rpm Torque: 418 lb-ft @ 4900 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink Brakes, F/R: 15.4-in vented disc/14.0-in vented disc Tires: Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS F: 305/30ZR-19 (98Y) R: 315/30ZR-19 (100Y) DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 107.0 in Length: 189.7 in Width: 75.5 in Height: 55.2 in Passenger Volume, F/R: 55/30 ft3 Trunk Volume: 13 ft3 Curb Weight: 3975 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 4.1 sec 100 mph: 9.7 sec 1/4-Mile: 12.5 sec @ 115 mph 130 mph: 16.4 sec 150 mph: 23.2 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec. Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 5.0 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 9.4 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 8.8 sec Top Speed (mfr's claim): 166 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 142 ft Braking, 100–0 mph: 278 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 1.07 g EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/City/Highway: 17/14/22 mpg C/D TESTING EXPLAINED More Features and Specs
