Ford is recalling about 20,000 F-150 pickup trucks in Canada over an issue with certain rear axle bolts, which could increase the risk of “injury or crash.”
The recall affects model year 2021 to 2023 vehicles equipped with the “Trailer Tow Max Duty” package and the 9.75-inch heavy duty axle with a three-quarters float axle design, a company spokesperson confirmed.
Rear axle hub bolts on those vehicles are vulnerable to break, which can lead to unintended vehicle movement while the truck is parked without the parking brake.
This can happen when the rear axle hub splines undergo fretting damage and are eventually stripped, the company said.
“Stripped rear axle hub splines may also result in loss of motive power in 4X2 operation,” Ford Canada spokesperson Matt Drennan-Scace told CTVNews.ca in a written statement.
Drennan-Scace said Ford is “not aware of any accidents or injuries pertaining to this issue,” adding affected customers and dealers would receive a notice “later this month.”
On Tuesday, the U.S. highway safety agency advised consumers of the recall affecting more than 112,000 trucks.
The agency wrote that a fix is “currently under development,” adding that F-150 owners can take the vehicle to a dealership for an interim repair if they hear a clicking or rattling noise associated with the rear axle bolt.
Drennan-Scace said the company has already started manufacturing 2024-model F-150s and that dealers are selling the last of the 2023 stock.
“If a vehicle has any open recalls before delivery, the repair work is to be completed before the vehicle is delivered to the customer,” he explained.
Last year, Ford recalled more than 870,000 of its full-sized F-150 trucks(opens in a new tab) because the electronic parking brake could engage unexpectedly, even while driving.
At the time, The Associated Press reported a rear wiring bundle could come into contact with the rear axle housing, potentially chafing the wire. That could result in a short circuit, activating the parking brake without any action from the driver.
— With files from The Associated Press and CNN