Ford Recalled Hundreds of Thousands of F-150s for Defective Parking Brakes
Parking brakes can be very useful, but only in limited situations and when the driver intends to use them. Unexpectedly engaging the parking brake while the vehicle is moving can cause a loss of control and cause the vehicle to crash. Ford recently issued a recall for several hundred thousand F-150 pickup trucks for an issue that could cause their parking brakes to engage while driving.
The recall impacts more than 870,000 2021 to 2023 F-150s. Recall documents show that damaged wiring can cause the parking brake to activate unexpectedly, though the driver may get a warning light in the gauge cluster. The rear axle wiring harness can contact the axle housing, which can wear the wiring over time. Ford said it is not aware of any accidents related to the issue. To remedy the problem, dealers will inspect the wiring harness and install a new unit if necessary.
This is yet another recall for Ford, which was the most-recalled automaker in 2022. It issued 68 recalls last year that impacted almost nine million vehicles. The 2022 F-150 alone has ten recalls, including this one. Ford has promised to improve its vehicle quality, which could help it save billions in recall and repair costs as it looks to build an electric vehicle business.
[Image: Ford]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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I watched a tear down video on youtube of a 2.7 eco boost out of a truck. It was really interesting because the motor block itself had very complicated (read expensive) webbing and reinforcement. That block was NOT cheaply engineered. BUT THEN it had an ABS plastic oil pan with a crazy cheap oil pick up and screen. Then even though it had timing chains, the oil pump is spun off of a rubber belt that's partially submerged in the sump. Why would you engineer a rubber belt to go through oil considering the damage that does?
This seems to be the whole Ford Way- they will throw common sense out the window to engineer something to very high standards. Then someone sees the bill and the sticker shock makes them cheap out on some other parts that they don't think people will notice.
Recall number 36 for the year.
The electronic parking brake was already the most pointless and useless automotive "feature" ever invented. Now we can add "potentially the most dangerous" to this list. Go back to the simple tried-&-true parking brake cable!
Ford's on a roll........ there's no stopping them.... Where will it end?