Is this piece important?

[mk15]

This piece fell off the bottom of my front bumper splash guard. It hangs down and is long and thin and silicone kind of like a squeegee. It was held on by some sticky stuff, no screws or anything. Car is a 2014 mustang gt. Can someone let me know what it does and if I need to get it fixed? Help!

 

[SilBult]

It's an air dam. An aerodynamic device intended to prevent or deflect air from under the car. I doubt that it has much real effect at legal speeds. I also have a '14 GT and now that these cars are ten years old getting a replacement from a Ford dealer might be difficult, but worth a try if you want to do it. Probably not over $5.00- $10.00 at a salvage yard if you can find one that's not all torn up. Good luck.

 

[BullittSS]

Just putting this out there -- there is a possibility that it is designed to deflect air towards the radiator. I only say that because I had a 1984 Trans Am with the aero package, and it had an air dam similar to, but larger than this one. It came loose and fell off on an expressway. The next day, on the same expressway, the car overheated to the point where I had to pull off and shut it down. After cooling for an hour, I nursed it the few miles back home. As it turned out, the air dam was an integral part of the cooling system. I have a 2014 GT/CS, but can't get under it to assess it right now. If you've been driving the car without higher than normal cylinder head temperatures, you're probably alright.

 

[crjackson]

I’ve had 3 of them come off on my 2 2014’s. 3 because I replaced one.

The rubber piece that came off is a stone deflector according to my local ford dealership parts guy.

It doesn’t deflect air towards the radiator, and I’ve found no difference with, or without upto 140 mph, so any aerodynamics are lost to me. I wouldn’t worry about it unless you just find it irksome.

I purchased a new panel (you have to replace the whole shield panel, just to get the little rubber strip) and it was like $350ish from Ford. It’s worn off again already. I sure miss it too… The $350 I mean.

 

[GriffX]

I would re-attach it with e.g. windscreen glue and add some rivets or nuts/bolts to it and it will never come off again (?)

 

[DieHarder]

You can use Riv Nuts to mount it and it'll last the life of the car and removeable as well.