Over 250K Ford Explorer SUVs Recalled Due to Rollaway Risk
Gas, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and Police Interceptor Explorers are all affected by this recall.
Ford is recalling 2020-2022 Explorer SUVs due to a driveshaft disconnect issue. According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration document dated April 20 (PDF), a total of 252,936 vehicles are part of this campaign.
"In some of the affected vehicles, the rear axle mounting bolt may fracture during vehicle acceleration," NHTSA said in a statement. "If the rear axle bolt breaks, the driveshaft-half shafts may become disconnected, resulting in loss of transmission torque to the rear wheels which is necessary to hold the vehicle in park. If the parking brake is not applied, the loss of the primary park torque will allow the vehicle to roll in park increasing the risk of crash and injury."
Affected vehicles include the 2020-2021 Explorer Police SUV with both gas and hybrid powertrains, as well as the 2020-2022 Explorer 2.3L RWD, Explorer Hybrid, Explorer plug-in hybrid and Explorer ST. Since December 2019, NHTSA says there have been 235 warranty claims involving rear axle bolts.
According to NHTSA, depending on model, Ford dealers will either replace the Explorer's bushing axle cover or update the electronic parking brake software. Ford is not aware of any injuries or accidents related to this problem.
To check if your vehicle is affected by this (or any other) recall, visit CNET's handy guide.
