2011-2015 Roof Rack Design Flaw?

[ncullen12]

After a weekend away, using our roof rack for the 1st time, I found that the hard plastic prongs along the rails had punctured into the roof of our explorer. We have the factory cross bars installed and the total weight of the cross bars and equipment connected to the cross bars was 69 pounds. The manual states that I can go up to 100 pounds, evenly distributed.

The punctures have gone through the paint and have cracked the paint within the "rail channel", as seen in the attached photos. My concern is that the paint will continue to crack and flake away, along with rust starting to form at these locations.

I believe that this is a design flaw by ford, as I drove around to 3 different dealerships tonight and looked at 10 different Explorers ranging in model years from 2011-2015. I found Explorers where the plastic prongs had not yet penetrated and some that were worse off than mine.

May this be one of the reasons Ford changed their rail system for 2016/2017?

Anyone else having this problem/concern? If it is a design flaw, what are the odds that Ford would take care of it?

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum.
Given all the members we have here, no one else has reported this issue to my knowledge. It seems to me that the channels on my 2011 were covered with a kind of filler. If this is the case then the prongs are not actually penetrating the metal itself but the softer filler. There was some discussion on why the rails were changed. There were many instances where leaks were attributed to the areas where the rails attached to the roof. This led to water seeping into the interior and usually ending up in the spare tire well. Others thoughts were to make the vehicle more aerodynamic. In any case that doesn't help your situation.
See the following. It won't help but may give you some insight into the situation.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums...underneath-the-roof-rails-rail-gutter.348195/

Peter

 

[ncullen12]

Welcome to the Forum.
Given all the members we have here, no one else has reported this issue to my knowledge. It seems to me that the channels on my 2011 were covered with a kind of filler. If this is the case then the prongs are not actually penetrating the metal itself but the softer filler. There was some discussion on why the rails were changed. There were many instances where leaks were attributed to the areas where the rails attached to the roof. This led to water seeping into the interior and usually ending up in the spare tire well. Others thoughts were to make the vehicle more aerodynamic. In any case that doesn't help your situation.
See the following. It won't help but may give you some insight into the situation.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums...underneath-the-roof-rails-rail-gutter.348195/

Peter

Thank you Peter for your input. I checked the channel on my 2015 again and to me, it feels as if it is metal, not filler. I plan on stopping by a local dealership tomorrow to ask about their thoughts and will report back. Thank you again!

 

[cwescapexlt4x4]

I believe the changes for 16+ were for aerodynamics primarily and honestly it made them even less usable.
I know you mentioned 69LBS but was it evenly loaded? Too me I'd suspect Ford will say you overloaded the rack (be that correct or not and would be hard to prove otherwise I'm willing to bet)

 

[ncullen12]

I believe the changes for 16+ were for aerodynamics primarily and honestly it made them even less usable.
I know you mentioned 69LBS but was it evenly loaded? Too me I'd suspect Ford will say you overloaded the rack (be that correct or not and would be hard to prove otherwise I'm willing to bet)

This is not the exact model of rack, but similar to give you an idea, and I have universal clamps to connect to the Ford cross bars. From this layout, I do not know how it would not be evenly loaded. I think I would have a decent argument that I didn't overload it.

 

[Jon M]

I don't see how the plastic could be penetrating the metal. That doesn't make sense, and shouldn't be possible. The plastic should bend or break long before the metal gives.

 

[Odrapnew]

I just checked my 14 Sport and see the same thing. Looks like the metal was formed in that area to accept the plastic from the rack. It doesn't appear to be deformation from the rack. I've never had anything attached to my roof rack. The only way I could see it happening on mine is if the bolts were tightened too much at the factory.

I cannot see any cracks in the OP's pictures, but I did see what appears to be a small crack in the paint on mine. It's hard to tell if it's really a crack, or just dirt.

 

[ncullen12]

Welcome to the Forum.
Given all the members we have here, no one else has reported this issue to my knowledge. It seems to me that the channels on my 2011 were covered with a kind of filler. If this is the case then the prongs are not actually penetrating the metal itself but the softer filler. There was some discussion on why the rails were changed. There were many instances where leaks were attributed to the areas where the rails attached to the roof. This led to water seeping into the interior and usually ending up in the spare tire well. Others thoughts were to make the vehicle more aerodynamic. In any case that doesn't help your situation.
See the following. It won't help but may give you some insight into the situation.
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums...underneath-the-roof-rails-rail-gutter.348195/

Peter

Peter, thank you. You definitely know what to look for within the forum! I spoke with the local dealership's collision center today and they stated to me that they actually get about 1 person a month coming in and asking about it. Directly under the rails is a rubber seam sealer, that is covered by the vehicles paint for aesthetic reasons. Yes, the plastic tabs do break through the paint and crack the paint slightly, but he stated that I will not have to worry about any form of rusting.

So thank you all for your input, I appreciate it!

Nic