Has anyone had to replace these trim pieces? Mine are looking pretty rough!
Oh no! What kind of climate are you in? Have you ever used a UV protectant spray or tried restoring it before it started cracking?
I’m in good ole Virginia! Nope, I didn’t think to use anything like that. I guess I got lucky with my other cars, so I didn’t pay much attention until it was already pretty bad. 
Fife said:
I’m in good ole Virginia! Nope, I didn’t think to use anything like that. I guess I got lucky with my other cars, so I didn’t pay much attention until it was already pretty bad.
Wow, I’m in Virginia Beach by the water, and I don’t have this issue!
@Morgan
Right?! I’ve owned two other Explorers, one even had a sunroof, and I never had issues like this… although the door handles were always junk.
Check for a recall! Ours is recalled, but there’s no fix yet. It sounds horrible going down the highway.
Valen said:
Check for a recall! Ours is recalled, but there’s no fix yet. It sounds horrible going down the highway.
Same problem on the driver’s side for me!
Valen said:
Check for a recall! Ours is recalled, but there’s no fix yet. It sounds horrible going down the highway.
Same problem on the driver’s side for me!
Same here with my ‘16. The Georgia sun just eats up that rubber. I’m waiting for the recall to reach me too. The driver and passenger sides are gone.
That’s your windshield cowl grille (bottom) and the A-pillars (sides). Go to your Ford service department because there’s a recall on the A-pillars, and they’ll replace them for you.
As for the windshield cowl, buy a replacement from Ford. It’s super easy to replace—took me less than 10 minutes. Just pop your hood, remove the wipers (you’ll need a 15mm ratchet), remove the push pins in the cowl (save them), pull the cowl forward, pop the new one in, reinsert the pins, put the wipers back on, and you’re done.
Do NOT buy a replacement cowl from Amazon or eBay. I tried, and both were missing the weather stripping and didn’t fit the windshield right.
@Auden
Thanks so much! I saw the recall for the A-pillars but wasn’t sure if it included the rubber.
@Auden
Unfortunately, no fix available yet.
The side trim is a common issue. Each side costs about $60 to replace with parts from RockAuto, and some models are recalled. The bottom trim might be available there too, probably for a decent price.
Chen said:
The side trim is a common issue. Each side costs about $60 to replace with parts from RockAuto, and some models are recalled. The bottom trim might be available there too, probably for a decent price.
I actually bought my sunroof motor from RockAuto after the drains clogged and fried it!
@Fife
Same here. Haven’t been able to bring myself to spend $400 to fix it though.
Chen said:
@Fife
Same here. Haven’t been able to bring myself to spend $400 to fix it though.
Was that for the motor or the labor? My husband did the labor, and he’s not super handy, but it was pretty easy. The motor price does suck, though! I had no choice because mine got stuck halfway open. 
Yikes, I just looked it up—$250! Could be worse, I guess.
Fife said:
Yikes, I just looked it up—$250! Could be worse, I guess.
Mine’s in the same or worse shape. Last week I found generic replacements on Amazon for as low as $100. Definitely not worth paying for the OEM part.
This is pretty common down here in South Florida. My dealership services the sheriff’s office, and we replace these trim pieces all the time.
I’m in Houston, and I have the same exact problem. I asked the dealer, and they blamed it on the Texas heat. But that’s BS. My Nissan is a year older and isn’t showing any signs of wear like this.
This Ford’s cowl, pillars, door seals… all of it is crumbling.
I’m selling this piece of junk in December and getting a quality vehicle.
I feel you! None of my other cars ever had this issue either. Ford’s trim and accessories have always been garbage!