What is the defect?
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Explorer vehicles. The roof rail covers may come loose and detach from the vehicle.
What is the consequence?
A detached roof rail cover can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
What is the manufacturer's remedy?
Dealers will inspect the roof rail covers and as necessary, repair or replace the push-pins, rail clips, or roof rail covers, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 28, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S54. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 21V316. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 16, 2026.
Vehicles covered
- Ford Explorer, 2016–2019
Is your vehicle included?
- Find the 17-character VIN on the driver-side door jamb sticker or at the base of the windshield.
- Enter it on NHTSA's recall lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls. It shows open recalls for that exact vehicle.
- Or ask any dealer for the make. A recall repair costs you nothing.
How this recall can matter to a lemon law claim
A recall repair counts as a repair attempt when the same problem keeps coming back. Keep every repair order, with the dates the vehicle went in and came out, because days out of service can count toward your state's threshold. If the problem returns after the recall repair, that history is what a claim is built on.
See your state's lemon law rules →