Ford ended the month of September with a big announcement – but not the kind it would prefer to make. In fact, the company has announced five separate new recalls, two of which are related to vehicles’ rearview camera.
We don't have the Canadian numbers for some, though not all, of these campaigns.
The first is a safety compliance recall and affects 620,246 units, with 12 different 2020 models affected: Ford’s Edge, Escape, Expedition, Explorer, F-150 and Super Duty, Mustang, Ranger and Transit, as well as the Lincoln Corsair, MKX and Nautilus.
On these vehicles, the circuit board of the rearview camera suffers from insufficient electrical conductivity. This problem can cause the resulting image to be blank or distorted, which can increase the risk of a collision while backing up. Ford will begin notifying owners starting Nov. 7 to take their vehicles to their dealership to have the rearview camera replaced.
The second issue impacts the 2020 and 2021 Ford Explorer, Lincoln Corsair and Lincoln Aviator equipped with the 360-degree camera. If you own a 2021 Explorer equipped only with a regular rearview camera, neither of the camera-related recalls affects you. In all, 354,330 models are affected by this campaign.
In this second case, a video output issue can cause the displayed image to cut off, increasing the risk of an accident while backing up. Ford will notify dealers regarding this problem, starting October 7. The solution is an update to the image processing software.
Next, the F-250 and F-350 Super Duty are being recalled again due to potentially incorrect welds on the front axle wheel end bracket. A faulty weld could alter steering performance, causing the truck to pull to the left or right, or change steering sensitivity. There are 9,628 affected trucks in the United States and 961 in Canada. Dealers will replace the axle assembly if defective welds are found.
The fourth recall affects 38,005 Mustangs (2020 and newer models) in the U.S. and another 2,873 in Canada and Mexico. In this case, the brake pedal support could break during a sudden stop, which can decrease brake pressure and increase the risk of an accident. The solution is to have a dealer replace the entire brake pedal support.
Finally, 126,033 2011-2013 Explorer SUVs are being recalled due to a potential problem with the suspension height. On some vehicles, the rear drawbar cross pin ball joint may have been replaced with a ball joint that could seize. If this happens, there is a risk of fracturing the rear suspension steering link.
Ford is working to determine how many vehicles may be affected and where they are located, but for now, this includes Explorers that were registered, previously registered or sold in 22 states and the District of Columbia: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
This action is in addition to two other ongoing recall campaigns affecting the Explorer. Ford will notify owners by mail beginning November 1.
No word yet on Canada for this latest recall, but we'll update this news if any information comes in.