STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Ford Motor Company is recalling approximately 238,364 vehicles for a roll-away risk, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Ford is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles, because the rear axle horizontal mounting bolt may fracture and cause the driveshaft to disconnect. A disconnected driveshaft can result in a loss of drive power or a vehicle roll-away if the parking brake is not applied. Either of these scenarios, according to NHTSA documents, can increase the risk of a crash.
Affected vehicles were built with a three-point mounted axle design and, on some units, the rear axle horizontal mounting bolt may fracture. Powertrain torque through the driveline causes axle rotation of the pinion angled towards the subframe, which exerts a bending force on the rear axle bolt.
“Peak torque is normally experienced during a launch event. After numerous peak torque events are experienced, the bolt may suffer a fatigue failure, which will lead to the axle housing moving out of position, resulting in a condition described by customers and dealer technicians variably as loud, grinding, binding, or clunking noises,” according to NHTSA documents.
This fractured rear axle bolt will allow the rear axle housing to move out of position, resulting in severe noise and vibration. If this breaks, the driveshaft or half shafts may become disconnected, resulting in loss of transmission torque to the rear wheels, which is necessary to hold the vehicle in park and is also needed for the vehicle to move forward or backward.
The loss of the primary park torque will allow the vehicle to roll in park if the parking brake is not applied, increasing the risk of crash and injury.
Dealers will replace the subframe bushing and rear axle bolt. They will also inspect the rear axle cover for damage near the bolt-hole location and replace it with a new cover if any damage is found. Repairs will be performed free of…
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