Ford is recalling certain F-150 pickup trucks with a part that could break and cause the vehicles to roll away when parked.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the truck’s rear axle hub bolt could break and cause the axle hub splines to become damaged.
“Damaged axle hub splines can result in a vehicle roll away when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake applied, or cause a loss of drive power,” NHTSA official Alex Ansley wrote in a letter to Ford. “Both of these conditions can increase the risk of a crash.”
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The recall affects more than 112,000 trucks in the model years 2021-2023 that have the Trailer Tow Max Duty package and a 9.75-inch heavy duty axle with a 3/4 float axle design.
A “clicking or rattling noise” could indicate problems with the rear axle bolt, and owners can take their trucks to a Ford dealer for a repair, NHTSA said.
Ford spokesperson Maria Buczkowski said the automaker would be sharing more information soon on the “final service remedy” of the problem, and that in the meantime drivers can engage their truck’s electronic parking brake.
As of Dec. 2, there had been 376 warranty reports related to broken rear axle bolts and stripped hub splines that impacted the vehicle’s driving power or parking status, Ford said.
The Dearborn, Mich.-based company said it wasn’t aware of any reported accidents or injuries related to the issue.
In March, Ford recalled roughly 220,000 F-150 trucks over defective windshield wiper arms.
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