Ford Motor Co. is recalling 661,162 Explorer sport utility vehicles across North America because retention pins could loosen, allowing roof rail covers to detach from the vehicle.
A Ford spokeswoman said Sunday the automaker is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the recall, which was instigated at the repeated requests of federal regulators, Reuters reported.
The recall affects 2016 through 2019 model year Explorers. Dealers will install push-pins and replace any damaged rail clips or rail covers, the outlet reported.
Ford revealed in documents posted Sunday that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration first inquired about the issue in early 2020, following 11 detachment reports. The agency requested in April 2020 that the automaker issue a recall, but Ford officials argued the recall was unnecessary because of the low likelihood of malfunctions, the component’s light weight and the fact that drivers would likely detect any issue.
Ford then announced in November that it would extend its warranty to cover the issue for 10 years or 150,000 miles, before agreeing to the recall on April 30.
Customer notifications will begin the week of June 28, and the roof rail covers in question are painted black, silver or absolute black.
The recall affects 620,483 vehicles in the United States, 36,419 in Canada and 4,260 in Mexico.