- Ford is recalling 288,314 Explorers over roof rail covers.
- The components can come loose and fly off the vehicle.
- 47,749 Hyundai Konas may have a bad rear seat buckle.
Ford is recalling 288,314 Explorers that can lose their roof rail covers while driving. This poses a danger to other road users and one accident has already been reported.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, some 2016-2019 Explorers are equipped with roof rail covers that can loosen over time. If this happens, owners may notice a visible gap between components or hear a rattle while driving.
More: Ford Recalls 661,000 Explorers Over Detaching Roof Rail Covers
The trim pieces have been a problem for Ford as the company initially conducted a “customer satisfaction” campaign in 2020, which sought to address roof rail covers that could become loose, show a visible gap, rattle, or detach. This was done under the guise of an extended warranty and the repair involved a two-part epoxy to secure the covers.
While the initial effort involved Explorers with painted or satin/chrome covers, Ford issued a recall for vehicles with painted components in 2021. This saw dealers inspect the roof rail covers, replace damaged parts, and secure them using four plastic push-pins instead of epoxy. At the time, their ‘bright’ counterparts were excluded because “warranty analysis showed a significantly lower rate of detachment and loose/rattling claims.”
Fast forward to March of 2026 and the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation reached out to Ford about 46 reports of loose roof rail covers or detachment. This included vehicles that were previously recalled or repaired under the customer satisfaction program.
The automaker looked into the issue and determined that vehicles with unrepaired satin/chrome-plated roof rail covers and those with the epoxy repair “continued to experience degraded retention.” However, previously recalled vehicles fixed with push-pin fasteners were “performing as intended.”
The root cause remains mysterious, but it’s believed heat cycles and wear could potentially result in the loosening of retention clips. For vehicles repaired with epoxy, the process is “repair technician-sensitive,” so it’s believed employees may not have replaced damaged retention clips or may not have applied the epoxy in the right location or amount. There’s also the possibility that the right curing conditions were not met.
A remedy isn’t available yet, but owners will get an initial notification in August and another when the repair is available, likely in September. To address the problem, dealers will inspect the roof rail covers and repair or replace the push-pins, rail clips, or roof rail covers – as needed.
Hyundai Seat Buckle Recall
In other news, Hyundai is recalling 47,749 crossovers including the 2025 Kona Electric and 2026 Kona. They’re equipped with a rear center seat buckle that “may fail to properly restrain an occupant during a crash.”
Joyson, the supplier of the seatbelt buckle, told the automaker about a failed dynamic test in February of this year. This kicked off an investigation, which eventually determined the supplier continued using a stamping die beyond its specified service life, resulting in wear from overuse.
While no incidents have been reported in the United States, Hyundai decided to conduct a recall out of an abundance of caution. It will see the buckles replaced and notifications are scheduled to go out in September. In the meantime, the rear center seat shouldn’t be used.
