Future Ford Vehicles Could Get Integrated Roof Rack Cross Bars

Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for integrated roof rack cross bars that may be used on future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.

The patent was filed on June 21^st, 2023, published on March 11^th, 2025, and assigned serial number 12246681.

The Ford Authority Take

The Blue Oval has published a few patents exploring different types of roof rack designs that we may one day see on future Ford vehicles, with ideas for things like modular roof racks and selectively deployable roof rails. Now, this newly published patent keeps that trend going, this time, with a new idea for integrated roof rack cross bars that may be used on future Ford vehicles, too.

The concept here is to make a roof rack assembly featuring a pedestal that can move between different positions – in this case, either running the length of the vehicle as is the case with existing units, or across the width of that same vehicle. The idea is to make it easier to carry larger, heavier objects in lieu of crossbars, which are currently offered as separate accessories. If this particular patent comes to fruition, one presumably wouldn’t need those types of bars at all – rather, they could simply detach their existing rails and orient them as desired, which seems like a pretty great idea – if it does indeed come to fruition one day.

“Submitting patent applications is a normal part of any strong business as the process protects new ideas and helps us build a robust portfolio of intellectual property,” Ford said in a statement. “The ideas described within a patent application should not be viewed as an indication of our business or product plans. No matter what the patent application outlines, we will always put the customer first in the decision-making behind the development and marketing of new products and services.”