Ford defect petition DP25001
Underbody shields detachment. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this defect petition about the underbody shields on 1 model year (2020). Opened Sep 5, 2025, closed Apr 9, 2026 after 7 months without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedThe Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition on August 22, 2025, requesting a defect investigation into an alleged defect of the “underbody shields� on model year (MY) 2020 Ford Explorer vehicles. The petition alleges premature degradation and detachment of the plastic underbody shields, potentially leading to road debris. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11682326. A search of the subject vehicle population was undertaken using complaints submitted to ODI. No related complaints were found in NHTSA’s database for the subject vehicle population. Subsequently, ODI conducted a broader search for related complaints and field reports involving MY 2020-2025 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator models, as these vehicles utilize substantially similar underbody shields. No complaints or reports were found citing any allegations pertaining to any of the underbody shields. ODI also reviewed manufacturer information and data and did not identify a trend related to the Petitioner’s allegations. Based on the absence of consumer complaints and reports, ODI has not identified a material risk of a complete detachment or a projectile hazard related to this condition. The petitioner's description of detectable symptoms - including noise and vibration that progressively worsen and visible sagging of the shields underneath the vehicle - indicates a failure mode that provides drivers with ample notice to seek service before a potential detachment. In view of the insufficient evidence of a vehicle-based defect pertaining to the underbody shields of the subject vehicle, ODI is denying this Defect Petition. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA’s reasons for denial of the petition will be published. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the report cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
A Defect Petition is a petition from a member of the public asking NHTSA to open a defect investigation; the agency grants or denies it and publishes the reasons. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one closed without a recall. That means NHTSA found no defect trend it chose to act on at the time, or the manufacturer addressed the condition another way (a service campaign or a bulletin, which have their own pages). A closed file can be reopened if new reports arrive.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themA vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs DP25001 a recall?
No. A defect petition is NHTSA asking questions, not a recall. A safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number and a duty to repair for free; this one closed without one. Whether one particular vehicle has an open recall is a VIN question at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Is DP25001 still open?
No. It closed on Apr 9, 2026 without a recall.
Which vehicles does DP25001 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 1 model year: 2020 Ford Explorer. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.