Dearborn, MI – September 18, 2021 – Ford (NYSE:F) has recalled 644,055 cars in 23 states because of faulty suspension. This issue may reduce steering control and result in a crash and an injury. This is an expansion of three previous recalls conducted by the manufacturer and also affects some cars that have previously been repaired.
Vehicles that are part of this recall include:
- 2013 Ford Explorer
- 2014 Ford Explorer
- 2015 Ford Explorer
- 2016 Ford Explorer
- 2017 Ford Explorer
Recall summary
One of the components of suspension in the recalled vehicles setup is a toe link, which holds the back wheel at the correct angle. The link can fracture due to multi-year exposure to road salt which these states regularly use on the roads to de-ice them.
Risks
A broken rear suspension toe link will affect how the vehicle behaves on the road and may result in a “loss of steering control.” This increases the risk of a crash and injury to its occupants, other motorists and nearby pedestrians.
Other Ford Explorer recalls
This recall is a continuation of an ongoing series of rear suspension recalls that affect several models in Ford’s lineup.
Other similar 2013 Ford Explorer recalls include one from 2017, which addresses a wheel hub bearing issue that may cause the wheel to fall off.
The repair
Dealers will inspect the ball joints on both the right and left toe links. If worn or have seized, the dealer will replace the affected toe link with an updated version. Owners were set to receive a notification as early as August 23, 2021.
Is your vehicle a part of this recall?
This Ford Explorer rear toe link recall includes more than 600,000 vehicles. To check if yours is part of this recall, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.
