Extremely weak cabin roof

[jorosz0309]

I deal with a similar condition in my career.

This sounds like “oil-canning”.

Oil-canning typically occurs (in my business) with cold rolled steel in areas where both ends of the panel are “pinned” and cannot allow for thermal expansion and contraction of the steel. If the heat of the dryers and the drastic temperature change is causing the oil canning then the subsequent temperature change leaving the car wash lets the panel “pop” back into place. To relieve this, steel will often be formed with a slight bend, ridges, or perforations in the panel to allow the panel to flex during temperature changes.

Fortunately, oil canning does NOT affect the structural integrity of the steel. It’s just “physics”.

I will concede that Ford should’ve taken more preventative measures to reduce the oil-canning, but the fact that it’s popping back into place likely mitigated the need for a change. I could be wrong but my understanding with the Colorado/Canyon service bulletin was that it wasn’t going back to its original shape after leaving the car wash.

Regarding structural integrity of the roof. Everything that keeps the roof from collapsing during a roll is hidden under the steel. I wouldn’t concern myself with the oil-canning unless it damages the roof or paint in some fashion.

I'm guessing you are right. I have a large steel basin sink at home and if I have the stopper in the drain and pour boiling hot water in it to strain noodles, I get the same flex / pop and often the drain plug will pop out if it's in. Follow that by running some cold water and you get another flex as it contracts. I've only used touchless car washes with my truck and here in Minnesota that sometimes means very drastic temperature changes. So I've heard the flex sound myself, though I've never had my Aux controls pop out. Like you, I'd venture a guess that it's temperature related (cold water, warm blowers?), and not due to the power of the blowers. I got my truck pretty early (March '24) and it's seen weekly touchless washes since then, much of that in Minnesota winter, without issue. The OP may want to take their dealer contact on a drive through the car wash.

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[AlpineBike]

I deal with a similar condition in my career.

This sounds like “oil-canning”.

Oil-canning typically occurs (in my business) with cold rolled steel in areas where both ends of the panel are “pinned” and cannot allow for thermal expansion and contraction of the steel. If the heat of the dryers and the drastic temperature change is causing the oil canning then the subsequent temperature change leaving the car wash lets the panel “pop” back into place. To relieve this, steel will often be formed with a slight bend, ridges, or perforations in the panel to allow the panel to flex during temperature changes.

Fortunately, oil canning does NOT affect the structural integrity of the steel. It’s just “physics”.

I will concede that Ford should’ve taken more preventative measures to reduce the oil-canning, but the fact that it’s popping back into place likely mitigated the need for a change. I could be wrong but my understanding with the Colorado/Canyon service bulletin was that it wasn’t going back to its original shape after leaving the car wash.

Regarding structural integrity of the roof. Everything that keeps the roof from collapsing during a roll is hidden under the steel. I wouldn’t concern myself with the oil-canning unless it damages the roof or paint in some fashion.

This is not what’s going on. The panel is only spot welded into place.
It’s like 24ga. metal. The air dryers are just deforming it.

 

[RANGER PRIDE]

just pull down your headliner and apply dyna mat to all the large areas of unsupported sheet metal.
Ford is not going to re-design a roof based on an overly powerfull air dryer at a local car wash.
they've done their testing, it passes all the crash tests.

 

[Ivan Baez]

wait until you have heavy rain falling while driving the truck, the cabin becomes really noisy, as it seems they did not put enough insulator on the top of the cabin. Very hard to use the handsfree feature while raining, or voice commands.

 

[SubZombie]

You sure that's what it is? Under the headliner there multiple metal beams across the roof supporting it. The sections are small enough that I don't think they would pop back out if they were pushed in. Mine makes a popping sound as well sometimes but it was the blower catching the antenna as it went past (confirmed by a buddy who was waiting and watching while I was going through a touchless wash). It sounds exactly like you describe and is louder than you would think it would be. Mine caught while the blower was going back and then again as I was driving out after it had returned to the front of the truck. To prevent it from happening you can literally unscrew it in 2 seconds and put it back on after.

 

[moonstorm]

You sure that's what it is? Under the headliner there multiple metal beams across the roof supporting it. The sections are small enough that I don't think they would pop back out if they were pushed in. Mine makes a popping sound as well sometimes but it was the blower catching the antenna as it went past (confirmed by a buddy who was waiting and watching while I was going through a touchless wash). It sounds exactly like you describe and is louder than you would think it would be. Mine caught while the blower was going back and then again as I was driving out after it had returned to the front of the truck. To prevent it from happening you can literally unscrew it in 2 seconds and put it back on after.

Not the same. I'm seeing the auxiliary controls block being pushed down into the cabin at the first poping sound and back out afterwards. The metal beams you're talking about were part of the GM recall fix, which I'm expecting Ford to do the same given enough push back.

So far it seems people treat these as porcelain toy cars. Someone here even posted they're cleaning their truck with a washcloth?!
Definitely not the response I was expecting.

I witnessed an accident where a load fell from a semi, crushing the occupants of a car. Yup, the door pillars remained almost intact, which is where a rollover test would pass with flying colors. There is no excuse for companies to use paper thin materials in places where better support is needed to keep people safe.

 

[superj]

I see people being kind of particular with their truck, too. Thats ok, its their truck. Mine has only been washed once since i got it and the interior has grass and dirt in the floor mats. Its a truck to me. A great truck, but still a truck so its going to be dirty

 

[SubZombie]

Not the same. I'm seeing the auxiliary controls block being pushed down into the cabin at the first poping sound and back out afterwards. The metal beams you're talking about were part of the GM recall fix, which I'm expecting Ford to do the same given enough push back.

So far it seems people treat these as porcelain toy cars. Someone here even posted they're cleaning their truck with a washcloth?!
Definitely not the response I was expecting.

I witnessed an accident where a load fell from a semi, crushing the occupants of a car. Yup, the door pillars remained almost intact, which is where a rollover test would pass with flying colors. There is no excuse for companies to use paper thin materials in places where better support is needed to keep people safe.

IDK what you're talking about with metal beams being a GM recall fix. I am attaching the picture of a 2024 Raptor with the headliner pulled down (from one of flaberdoopin's videos). As you can see there are a number of braces that are attached to the sheet metal going across. Them being pushed down a little would be from the foam block which rests against the roof - but that piece of foam sits right beside the beam.The way the sheet metal is reinforced and the way it is stamped you would have to have some sort of defect in the construction of your particular roof to be having an issue with the metal popping up and down imo - maybe you are missing some welds. There is too much tension on the sheet metal from the welds for that to happen the way they are made. Vibrating a little from a ton of force from a blower makes sense, but it would take a lot of force for the metal to pop down.

 

[moonstorm]

Nope. Not a vibration. The roof is literally pushed down, together with the auxilary controls. I could take a video next time this happens. You can also check for similar reports by other people in this thread. Here's an example:
https://www.ranger6g.com/forum/threads/extremely-weak-cabin-roof.19345/post-278883

And tbh, if what you're showing is really the roof of a 2024 Ranger, that roof looks almost identical to the GM's before they got them recalled and fixed. They added several extra reinforcement patches and finally a transversal bow front to back.

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2025/0...f-denting-issue-finally-fixed-at-the-factory/

And Ford should do the same already. Dealers already know about this design flaw. When I brought it up, they dismissed it as being "by design" and "it's also happening on bigger models".

What's the best way to escalate this btw? Anyone knows?

 

[SubZombie]

Nope. Not a vibration. The roof is literally pushed down, together with the auxilary controls. I could take a video next time this happens. You can also check for similar reports by other people in this thread. Here's an example:
https://www.ranger6g.com/forum/threads/extremely-weak-cabin-roof.19345/post-278883

And tbh, if what you're showing is really the roof of a 2024 Ranger, that roof looks almost identical to the GM's before they got them recalled and fixed. They added several extra reinforcement patches and finally a transversal bow front to back.

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2025/0...f-denting-issue-finally-fixed-at-the-factory/

And Ford should do the same already. Dealers already know about this design flaw. When I brought it up, they dismissed it as being "by design" and "it's also happening on bigger models".

What's the best way to escalate this btw? Anyone knows?

It’s literally not the same my guy. That GM picture has nearly twice as much space between the support beams (the pic you posted has them back behind the B pillar which is a completely different design) and there are no welds or adhesives holding them to the roof to put tension on the metal, and that roof is stamped completely differently with a larger bow between the supports.

I think you have an issue specifically with your truck. See what it feels like next time when you push back on the aux buttons. If you’re going through a super high pressure wash a temp solution is just pushing up a little on the aux buttons while the blower goes over.

I just went through a wash at Sheetz today and literally nothing happens when the blowers go over. That said all of them are different and they all have disclaimers that they can dent your vehicle and you’re using them at your own risk. My last mustang the hood would flex like crazy going through them, but it was my choice to do it and it never damaged anything.

 

[pablo94sc]

Nope. Not a vibration. The roof is literally pushed down, together with the auxilary controls. I could take a video next time this happens. You can also check for similar reports by other people in this thread. Here's an example:
https://www.ranger6g.com/forum/threads/extremely-weak-cabin-roof.19345/post-278883

And tbh, if what you're showing is really the roof of a 2024 Ranger.

It is. I'm still suffering some tennis elbow from installing sound deadening and insulation on the roof and headliner.

 

[moonstorm]

It’s literally not the same my guy. That GM picture has nearly twice as much space between the support beams (the pic you posted has them back behind the B pillar which is a completely different design) and there are no welds or adhesives holding them to the roof to put tension on the metal, and that roof is stamped completely differently with a larger bow between the supports.

I think you have an issue specifically with your truck. See what it feels like next time when you push back on the aux buttons. If you’re going through a super high pressure wash a temp solution is just pushing up a little on the aux buttons while the blower goes over.

I just went through a wash at Sheetz today and literally nothing happens when the blowers go over. That said all of them are different and they all have disclaimers that they can dent your vehicle and you’re using them at your own risk. My last mustang the hood would flex like crazy going through them, but it was my choice to do it and it never damaged anything.

Really? TWICE as much space??? Look again. YES, it IS behind the B pillar but not by a lot. And why would that make any difference anyway? The symptoms are EXACTLY the same! So whatever "different" design Ford picked is still crap. Or maybe you think that me and others are making this story up or something? Go outside and push on that roof with your hand, come back and tell us about it.

Also, this is NOT a discussion about what car washes work with our trucks. We can open a new thread for that if needed. Apparently we do in 2025 Damn those blowers drying our cars so well. Who needs them anyway? Yeah, I'm not interested in that kind of talk. Couldn't care less about those blowers, I care about what they "dug up".

 

[moonstorm]

And I'm sorry, I said use a hand. I actually meant to say finger. A hand would dent it for sure!

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