US probes complaints of parts flying off of Ford Explorers

DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government’s road safety agency is investigating complaints that windshield trim panels can fly off of Ford Explorers while they’re traveling at highway speeds.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has 164 complaints about the trim pieces detaching on 2011 through 2019 Explorer SUVs. The probe covers about 1.86 million vehicles.

The parts could hit the windshield of following vehicles or even a motorcycle rider, possibly causing loss of control and a crash, the agency said.

The agency doesn’t have any reports of crashes or injuries, according to a document posted Tuesday.

NHTSA says it will determine how often the problem happens and the safety consequences of the trim pieces flying off the vehicles.

The investigation could lead to a recall, but so far there hasn’t been one.

Ford says it’s working with NHTSA on the investigation.