Dearborn, Mich. – Ford Motor Company has recalled more than 150 vehicles potentially equipped with defective parking brake assemblies, according to documentation submitted to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The campaign affects Ford F-650 and F-750 diesel and gasoline vehicles produced between March 28, 2018, and April 17, 2018. Ford suspects all of the models referenced in the action contain the defective components.
The Defect
Affected vehicles include improperly calibrated hydraulic or electric brake cables that do not meet tension requirements. Consequently, the cables could become loose and interfere with transmission functionality, specifically the park setting. Should this happen, unintended vehicle movement might occur, increasing the likelihood of an accident. That said, the automaker has yet to receive reports connecting the defect to accidents or injuries.
In addition to posing a safety hazard to occupants, the defective fixtures violate Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 105, Section 5, which states that “the parking brake system on a multipurpose passenger vehicle, truck or bus (other than a school bus) with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or less shall be capable of holding the vehicle stationary for 5 minutes.”
Timeline of Events
The Ford Critical Concern Review Group on April 26, 2018, received a report outlining an instance in which a vehicle was equipped with defective brake cables that did not meet factory tension requirements. Engineers reviewed the concern and found that installation personnel had used improperly calibrated tension gauges. This discovery prompted Ford to assess the impact these features might have on vehicle driveability. At the same time, potentially affected vehicles were quarantined. Over the course of May 2018, Ford conducted statistical analysis on the defective cables to ascertain how they might impact various builds, including disparate axle, tire and transmission assemblies.
On May 14, members of the Field Review Committee evaluated the matter and chose to launch a voluntary safety recall. Ford notified dealers May 18.
The Solution
Ford has directed dealerships to adjust the brake cables in affected vehicles free of charge, according to an NHTSA recall acknowledgement document. The automaker intends to notify owners between May 21 and May 25. Owners in need of additional assistance can connect with Ford customer service personnel at (866) 436-7332. Callers should use the internal recall identification code 18C05. Owners can also contact the NHTSA directly using the agency’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236.
