2014 Ford Explorer Wipers & Visibility Problems

side-to-side reversed image on a 2014 Ford Explorer's backup camera

My APillar molding piece flew off the passenger side of my wind shield. I’m scared the other side will do the same thing and I don’t want anyone to get hurt but I have to use my car. I have been waiting 6 months for the parts… Also, whenever it rains my floorboards flood from water leaking through my windshield and could possibly get into my electronics as well.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the passenger's side windshield wiper detached from the vehicle. The contact was able to pull the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the windshield frame dislodged, and the contact was able to perform a self-repair with sealant. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to inquire of a recall. The dealer did not find a recall associated with the VIN related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel locked inadvertently. The message "Traction Failure - Stop Safely" and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. There was no further information provided. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the electronic steering rack and pinion were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the driver's side windshield trim panel separated, struck, and cracked the windshield of the vehicle behind. There was no injury sustained. Additionally, the driver's side windshield rubber detached and started striking the side of the vehicle. The contact veered to the side of the road. A Ford technician met the contact on the side of the road and assisted the contact in securing the rubber into position and tape was applied. The dealer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the vehicle was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

Front windshield trim coming off at highway speed.

While driving on highway the trim on the side of the windshield flew off .

Driving on highway approx. 65-70 mph windshield trim on passenger side flew off, over car onto highway. I was unable to retrieve piece due to number of vehicles on the 3-lane highway. Have noticed other Explorers in Colorado missing same piece. Thanks for looking into this issue.

I have had the windshield replaced for the trim coming loose on both sides. I was able to use duct tape to keep them in place until replacement. That was a few years back. Then it happened again. Now it is happening again. So 3 times in 8 years.

I was driving on the highway on December 17, 2022 when the right windshield trim panel came off the vehicle. I didn't know what it was at the time but there was a loud noise. When I got to my destination I noticed the trim panel was gone. The panel flying off could have hit another vehicle. I just saw the article on Fox Business that others were having this issue so I wanted to report my issue as well.

Exterior trim or molding on windshield, driver and passenger (both) sides flew off vehicle while driving 65 MPH on the interstate. The weather conditions were sunny skies and wind during day time. This incident occured July 2022. Thank God no serious accidents occurred I'm aware of. After some research, I learned this is a common occurrence with Ford Explorer vehicles. I feel this is a safety concern. Hopefully Ford issues a recall or other type of compensation for owners. I replaced the molding on both sides via Amazon myself after I didn't hear back from a Ford Dearlership nearby.

While driving on the IH-20 highways in Dallas, Texas, the TRIM panels in the RIGHT side of the Windshield fell off the vehicles. I was driving 70 MPH and 75 MPH on IH-20. Weather was clear and was not using the windshield wiper. Had to buy 2 NEW TRIMs, (1 for Left side and 1 for the Right side) from the Ford Dealer and utilized a Windshield repair company to fix the failed units.

While driving on my local highway I heard a large clunk and scraping noise as the windshield trim flew off my vehicle and scrapped down the side and flew behind me. It was very startling and dangerous.

Trim piece in front of driver's door has flown off in traffic twice -second time after being replaced/repaired.

windshield pillar trim blew off at highways speeds at night.

While driving down 1-10 highway in Arizona, the left side windshield black pillar flew off my 2014 Ford Explorer.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the passenger’s side windshield trim molding detached from the windshield. The vehicle was not diagnosed however, the contact was informed that the adhesive used to secure the molding had melted. The manufacturer was contacted and notified of the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 110,660.

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Explorer. The contact stated there was a leak coming from the sunroof. The contact took the vehicle to a collision center and diagnosed that there was tubing that needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE PLASTIC RUBBER ATTACHED TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING AND STRUCK THE PASSENGER'S SIDE SIDE MIRROR. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND FOUND NO CAUSE FOR THE FAILURE. THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,886.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND IDLING WITH THE DEFROSTER TURNED ON, THE REAR HATCH WINDOW SHATTERED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED THE LOCAL DEALER WEST HERR FORD (5025 CAMP RD. HAMBURG NY) AND MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TRIM DETACHED FROM THE WINDSHIELD. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NORTHSIDE FORD (LOCATED AT 12300 SAN PEDRO AVE, SAN ANTONIO, TX 78216, (210) 319-5734) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRIM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NOVEMBER 19, 2019. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO DISENGAGE ON THEIR OWN. THE CONTACT HAD TO REMOVE THE WINDSHIELD WIPER FUSE BOX IN ORDER TO DISENGAGE THE WIPERS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

DUAL CLIMATE CONTROL DEFROST FREEZING RAIN ICING CONDITIONS DUAL CLIMATE CONTROL MODULE BROKE CURRENTLY BLOWING COLD AIR ON PASSENGER SIDE DEFROST WHEN HEAT IS ON. VISIBILITY SEVERELY AFFECTED ON PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE. VEHICLE IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY.

MY HUSBAND AND I WERE DRIVING ONTO THE HIGHWAY, GOING LESS THAN 50 MPH, WHEN WE HEARD A VERY LOUD EXPLOSION THAT RATTLED OUR HEADS AND MADE OUR EARS RING. THERE WASN'T ANYTHING THAT HIT US OR THAT HAD FELL ON SUNROOF AT ALL SO WE WERE BOTH IN SHOCK AS TO WHAT HAD HAPPENED. WE BOTH LOOKED UP TO SEE THAT OUR FRONT SUN ROOF HAD EXPLODED AND IN A QUICK PANIC WE TRIED TO SHUT THE SUNROOF TO KEEP THE GLASS FROM FALLING ON US BUT WERE NOT ABLE TO CLOSE IT IN ENOUGH TIME AND GLASS FELL ALL OVER US AND FLEW INTO THE BACK HITTING OUR KIDS. WE TOOK THE NEXT EXIT TO NEAREST GAS STATION TO STOP AND MAKE SURE NO ONE WAS BLEEDING OR CUT. THE EXPLOSION WAS SO LOUD WE WERE ALL SHAKEN UP. LUCKILY THERE WAS A NEARBY CAR WASH TO VACUUM THE DEBRIS OFF OF EVERYONE AND CALM DOWN THE SCARE THAT PUT US IN PANIC. WE DIDN'T WANT GLASS FLYING OFF AND HITTING OTHER VEHICLES AROUND US. WE TOOK PHOTOS AND INVESTIGATED THE VEHICLE FOR POSSIBLE EVIDENCE AS TO WHY OUR SUNROOF EXPLODED. TO OUR FINDINGS THERE WAS NO OTHER POSSIBLE ANSWERS OTHER THAN OUR SUNROOF CLEARLY JUST EXPLODED OUT OF NOWHERE. AND WE STILL HAD 2 HOURS TO DRIVE ON HIGHWAY TO GET HOME AT NIGHT. I'M WORRIED FOR THE SAFETY OF MY KIDS BECAUSE WE HAVE A BIGGER SUN ROOF BEHIND THIS SMALL ONE THAT IS RIGHT ABOVE THEIR SEATS AND I'M SURE IT COULD EXPLODE NEXT. I HAD TO PLACE MY SONS BLANKET ABOVE THEIR HEADS TO KEEP THE GLASS THAT WAS STILL ATTACHED FROM CRUMBLING AND FALLING ON THEM OR IN THEIR EYES DURING THE REST OF THE WAY HOME. THE GLASS WAS CRUMBLING LIKE COOKIE CRUMBS AND IT WAS NOT SAFE FOR THEM IN THE BACK AT ALL. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE FOR ALL PEOPLE IN THE VEHICLE, INCLUDING SURROUNDING VEHICLES AND ROAD SAFETY THAT SHOULD NOT BE IGNORED OR TAKEN LIGHTLY. *TR

WE WERE DRIVING DOWN I-95 NORTH IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND ALL OF A SUDDEN WE HARD A LOUD POP. IT SOUNDED LIKE WE BLEW A TIRE. WHEN WE GOT OUT TO LOOK, THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR WINDOW HAD A CRACK IN IT. THE CRACK CONTINUES TO GROW, TRAVELING DOWN FROM THE CENTER OF THE TOP OF THE WINDOW TOWARDS THE CAR FRAME BY THE SIDE VIEW MIRROR. YOU CAN BARELY FEEL IT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE WINDOW AND ON THE INSIDE YOU CAN'T FEEL IT AT ALL. *TR

WINDSHIELD TRIM BLEW OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE EXHAUST FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE LEAKED INTO THE VEHICLE'S CABIN VIA THE AIR CONDITIONING VENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT HAD A CARBON MONOXIDE READER THAT SHOWED THERE WAS CARBON MONOXIDE INSIDE THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A TSB NUMBER 140130. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE WINDSHIELD TRIM DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AND THE PARTS AND REPAIR EXCEEDED FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE SECOND PIECE BECAME LOOSE AND DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT SURE THE TRIM WAS INSTALLED PROPERLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.

WAS SITTING IN MY NEW FORD EXPLORER 2014 SPORT, WHEN HEARD A LOUD POP LIKE A GUN.. GOT OUT AND WALKED AROUND CAR TO SEE IF SOMETHING HIT ME.. NOTHING! STARTED TO DRIVE AWAY AT AROUND 20MPH.. STARTED TO HEAR ROAD NOISE COMING FROM SUNROOF.STARTED TO RETRACT SHADE WHEN NOTICED GLASS FRAGMENTS FALLING, CLOSED SHADE PULLED OVER AND TOOK PICTURES.. CONTACTED FORD.. AND HAVE BEEN TOLD SOMETHING MUST HAVE HIT THE SUNROOF? LIKE WHAT I SAID A METEOR!!! THEY LAUGHED AND SAID I SHOULD CONTACT MY INSURANCE CO. BUT THATS FRAUD I SAID?AGAIN THEY LAUGHED.. COME ON FORD STAND BEHIND YOUR CRAFTSMANSHIP OR GET ANOTHER OWNER WHO WILL? VERY DISAPPOINTED? SO WHAT TO DO NOW? *TR

SUNROOF EXPLODED AND RAINED GLASS ON DRIVER. NO IMPACT INVOLVED WITH GLASS BEFORE IT SHATTERED. *TR

PANEL BELOW REAR WINDOW CRACKED. NOT DUE TO ACCIDENT OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF ABUSE. *TR

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE ABOUT A MONTH AGO. DRIVING HOME, 2 1/2 HOURS AWAY FROM WHERE I PURCHASED IT, THE SUN WAS HITTING MY FRONT WINDSHIELD. I NOTICED TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF TINY SHINY PARTICLES ALL OVER THE WINDSHIELD. IT WAS VERY DISTRACTING AND HAZARDOUS!!! I CHECKED THE FOLLOWING DAY AND THE ENTIRE WINDOWS HAVE THE SAME THING. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT IT'S NORMAL. I HAVE HAD 3 OTHER FORD VEHICLES IN THE PAST 4 YEARS AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM. IT IS VERY VERY HAZARDOUS TO ME AND I THINK THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE MAKING WINDOWS LIKE THIS AND THEY SHOULD RECALL AND REPLACE THESE. I AM PAYING ALOT OF MONEY FOR THIS VEHICLE AND DESERVE TO BE HAPPY AND BE ABLE FEEL COMPLETELY SAFE DRIVING IT. *TR