Ford recalls more than 250,000 Everest vehicles because of brake failure

Ford is recalling 252,936 Explorers from the 2020-2022 models because their drive shafts can disconnect and cause the wheelchair to roll away while parked.

According to NHTSA, affected vehicles have a three-point axle design, and on some vehicles, the horizontal mounting pin on the rear axle may break.

“The torque of the powertrain through the actuator drives the gear shaft to rotate. After being subjected to prolonged use and reaching maximum torque many times over, the bolt can fail due to wear, resulting in the shaft moving out of position – a condition described by the customer and technician is the car makes a loud noise, the sound of metal grinding against each other”, the report describes the fault clearly.

If the rear axle bolt breaks, the drive shaft can become disconnected resulting in a loss of torque transmitted to the rear wheel, which is essential to keeping the vehicle in place when parked. As a result, vehicles can roll away and potentially cause an accident if the handbrake is not used.

The cause of the problem is that the vehicle’s components are not durable enough with an unreasonable load-bearing design.

There are two different fixes for this problem. First, certain models will have their washers and axle caps replaced, while others will receive updated software related to the electronic brake when the vehicle is parked. Owners will receive notice by mail in early June and repairs will be made free of charge.

The automaker discovered the problem after reviewing warranty claims. The famous automaker has recorded as of April 5 of this year, 235 warranty claims related to rear axle bolts as of December 2019. However, the company said that it has not yet announced any information about any any accident or injury related to this fault.