The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles. The rear axle horizontal mounting bolt may fracture and cause the driveshaft to disconnect.
The risk
A disconnected driveshaft can result in a loss of drive power or a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not applied. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the subframe bushing and rear axle bolt. They will also inspect the rear axle cover for damage near the bolt hole location and replace with a new cover if any damage is found. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 19, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S55.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by ODI
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Ford Explorer | 2020, 2021, 2022 |
Components: POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Explorer | 2020 | 1,241 | 33 |
| Ford Explorer | 2021 | 447 | 26 |
| Ford Explorer | 2022 | 271 | 24 |
Other power train recalls in 2023
56 of the 894 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2023 concerned the power train; Ford Motor Company filed 737 campaigns in all.
| 23V896000 22 Dec 2023 | Ford Motor Company |
| 23V895000 22 Dec 2023 | Daimler Trucks North America, LLC |
| 23V851000 15 Dec 2023 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC |
| 23V821000 6 Dec 2023 | BMW of North America, LLC |
| 23V811000 4 Dec 2023 | Eldorado National- California, Inc. |
| 23V809000 4 Dec 2023 | Gillig, LLC |
| 23V756000 9 Nov 2023 | Hino Motors Sales U.S.A., Inc. |
| 23V755000 9 Nov 2023 | Subaru of America, Inc. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2023