Denial of Motor Vehicle Defect Petition, DP25-001

This notice sets forth the reasons for the denial of a defect petition (DP25-001) submitted by Mr. Luis Armando Vega on August 14, 2025, requesting that the Agency initiate a safety defect investigation into premature degradation and detachment of the plastic underbody shields on Model Year (MY) 2020 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured by Ford Motor Company. After conducting a technical review of the petition and other information, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has concluded that that the issues raised by the petition do not warrant a defect investigation at this time. Accordingly, the Agency has denied the petition.