Ford Recalls Thousands Of Pickup Trucks Due To A Bolt Problem

An issue with a small bolt is leading to a recall of some big pickup trucks.

Ford is recalling about 113 thousand 2021-23 F-150’s all with the Tow Max Duty package.

A bolt can fail, causing the vehicles to roll away while parked, or lose power while being driven.

Ford says owners of these vehicles should make sure that the parking brake is engaged.

They say owners who hear a clicking or rattling sound should go to a dealer for an interim repair, as an extra precaution.

Ford officials say they are working on a fix for those issues.

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Ford Motor Company has recalled nearly 113,000 F-150 pickup trucks over concerns a rear axle hub could break off, causing the vehicle to lose power or roll away when in park.

The recall applies to some 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles “equipped with the Trailer Tow Max Duty package and a 9.75-inch heavy duty axle with a 3/4 float axle design,” according to a notice Tuesday from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The rear axle hub bolt “may fatigue and break,” the recall states, “which can result in damage to the axle hub splines.”

Vehicles with damaged axle hub splines can roll away when in park or lose drive power. “Both of these conditions can increase the risk of a crash,” NHTSA said.

According to the recall, Ford is still figuring out how to deal with the issue. For now, NHTSA advises owners of the recalled pickups who have problems related to the rear axle bolt, such as a clicking or rattling noise, to take the vehicles to a dealer for a temporary repair.

Owners can direct any questions to Ford customer service at (866) 436-7332. Ford’s number for the recall is “23S65.”

Owners may also contact NHTSA’s safety hotline at (888) 327-4236 (toll-free at 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.nhtsa.gov for further information.

In October, Ford also recalled more than 238,000 Explorers in the U.S. because of faulty rear axle bolts.