THE American automaker’s latest recall is not only one of its most dangerous, but is also for a car the company no longer manufactures.
The issue at hand can cause a piece of the car’s body to fly off, potentially hitting and damaging other cars and distracting their drivers in the process.
Ford’s Chicago factory is solely responsible for the defect[/caption]
The automotive icon’s dark days continue with this latest recall[/caption]
Multiple models under the Ford flag suffer from this latest defect[/caption]
Other drivers are at risk of having their cars hit by the flying trim pieces[/caption]
The latest Ford recall concerns the discontinued Taurus, of which 101,944 in the United States are affected by this issue.
This latest defect focuses on the exterior B-pillar trim on the driver and passenger side doors, also known as an applique.
The appliques in question are known to detach while driving, and could cause significant damage to other cars or distract other drivers, potentially increasing the risk of a crash as a result.
Affected vehicles were manufactured at the company’s Chicago Assembly Plant from July 25, 2016 through March 1, 2019 when domestic production of the Taurus officially ended.
This defect is the result of a change in Ford’s manufacturing process in July 2016, which removed a step that involved extra smoothing of the applique onto the car’s body after initial application.
This created the potential for incomplete adhesion, which is the direct cause of the applique’s separation.
Drivers may begin noticing this separation via visual or auditory cues, such as a whistling or rattling while operating affected vehicles.
The company concluded this after noticing similar issues in the Explorer, which uses similar adhesive application methods. Explorers affected by this same issue were previously recalled in June.
Ford is not aware of any incidents or injuries related to this recall as of this writing.
The manufacturer also confirmed it has already received 452 warranty claims related to this issue as of September 5.
While only 1% of the recalled vehicles are expected to be affected by the issue, Ford is urging all owners to have their vehicles inspected by its dealerships.
Ford’s plan is to have dealers inspect the B-pillar trim pieces and replace or repair as needed on a vehicle-to-vehicle basis.
Owners will be notified via mail this week, with dealers having been notified last week.
The planned remedy notification date is set for early December, per the official National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents on the recall.
Top Ford recalls in 2025
FORD has issued a historic number of recalls so far this year.
Here’s a look at some of the most significant safety announcements that affected millions of the brand’s vehicles.
- In August, 355,000 models, including the F-550 SC, F-450 SD, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, and the 2025 F-150, were recalled over issues with the instrument safety panel
- Just days prior, over 103,000 F-150s were recalled over an axle fault
- In July, Ford announced that 700,000 vehicles were at risk of having a fuel leak problem
- In the same month, over 850,000 Ford cars were found to potentially have a fuel pump defect that could put them at risk of a crash
- Also in July, 200,000 Ford cars were found to potentially have a software glitch affecting rearview cameras
- In June, four new Ford recalls were announced over several issues, including brake malfunctions
- In May, Ford recalled 273,000 cars over a potentially dangerous brake issue
- In April, 148,000 Ford cars were recalled over fears of a fire risk
- And in March, the brand recalled one model over gearbox problems
These documents also confirm that the ability to search VINs affected by this recall is currently live on the NHTSA website.
FORD FEELING THE HEAT
No car company has had more recalls in 2025 than Ford, nor has any manufacturer in history had more recalls in a year than Ford so far in 2025.
In July, the company issued its 89th recall, which saw it break the record for most in a year. In less than three months since, the company has gone well over 100 total recalls for the year.
These recalls ranged from inconsequential inconveniences to issues which impeded drivers’ abilities to safely operate their vehicles.
Some of the most significant in the former category include faulty rearview cameras, issues with front window usage, and child safety lock malfunctions.
The latter category is much more prominent, and includes faulty fuel pumps, blank digital instrument clusters, defective side curtain airbags, and more.
