Ford Explorer SUV Gives The Blue Oval Another Quality-Related Recall

Feb. 05, 2023 9:11 AM ET by Sebastian Cenizo Recall / 14 Comments

The automaker has more headaches to contend with, but Jim Farley has promised that these issues will soon be a thing of the past.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received over 100 complaints from owners of Ford Explorer SUVs who have experienced windshield trim panels flying off the vehicle while traveling at highway speeds, as reported by Fox Business. Thus far, 164 complaints pertaining to 2011-2019 Explorers have been recorded. That range covers some 1.86 million vehicles.

A recall may follow, but the NHTSA is simply investigating the problem at this stage. Ford is cooperating with the investigation, but this is not a good look for the Dearborn-based brand.

In 2022, the Blue Oval suffered more recalls than any other automaker, a record that it carried over from 2021 and one that seems may continue in 2023 - a backup camera recall was recently announced for Explorers and some Lincoln SUVs.

Ford

In 2021, Ford came under fire for slow responses to recalls, and in 2019, the company had to issue five recalls in a single day.

Simply put, quality control is a massive issue for the marque. Ford CEO Jim Farley is aware of the issue and hired a new executive director of quality in June last year, but these problems will take some time to address. Farley believes it may take years but has confirmed that improving quality is his chief priority, saying that until the issues are resolved, "nothing else matters."

Unfortunately, the issue of quality is not restricted to older models.

Ford

Brand-new Broncos have faced numerous quality issues, and even electric vehicles like the Mustang Mach-E are not immune to problems.

If Ford is serious about gaining more market share in Europe and stealing EV sales from the likes of Tesla, it cannot afford to keep making the same mistakes. Not only are they bad from a public perception standpoint, but they cost the company money each time a fix must be performed.

In 2021, Ford paid more warranties than any other US-based company, let alone automakers, spending some $3.95 billion on claims. That's even more than Apple and HP spent in the same period combined. Hopefully, Ford's new appointments and Farley's focus on quality will help turn things around soon.