Category Archives: Ford

News about Ford automobile manufacturer. News about Ford recalls, technical service bulletins (TSB), and problems regarding Ford vehicles.

Ford F-150 Transmission Shifts Into Neutral While Driving

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Some 2021 Ford F-150 trucks could unexpectedly shift into neutral while driving. The unexpected loss of engine power could increase the chance of an accident.

In February 2022, an issue was brought to Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG) about certain 2021 F-150 vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI, 2.7L, and 5.0L engines, along with the 10R80 transmission. These trucks were experiencing an increase in Transmission Fluid Pressure along with a Transmission Fluid Pressure Low Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) of P0868. This DTC would falsely activate and cause the transmission to shift into a neutral state while the truck was driven. Once the false activation occurs, the vehicle will coast to a stop and the electronic shifter will attempt to engage Park. Once the vehicle comes to a complete stop, the electronic shifter will automatically shift into Park.

According to the engineering investigation, one of the power-train diagnostic logic software branches was turned on in error when these vehicles were produced. Under certain conditions, this diagnostic logic could inadvertently activate the pump gear failure detection logic even though the hardware is still functioning properly. When this happens, the transmission on-board diagnostics will set the DTC P0868, turn on a Wrench Light telltale, and the vehicle’s transmission will shift into a neutral state. As the vehicle slows to a speed below 2 mph/3kph, the electronic shifter will attempt to engage the Park function and will automatically shift into Park when the vehicle comes to a complete stop. The transmission function can be restored by a key-off/key-on cycle.

Between October 2021 and February 2022 there have been 28 warranty claims and one Customer Contact Center report to Ford that potentially related to this concern.

Dealers will correct the problem by updating the Power-train Control Module (PCM) software. Ford’s number for this recall is 22S15 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-188.

Ford Escape And Lincoln Corsair Hybrid High Voltage Battery Failure

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A small number of 2021-2022 Ford Escape and 2022 Lincoln Corsair hybrid power-train SUVs have been manufactured with a high voltage battery that could fail and result in a sudden loss of motor power. The problem was brought to Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group in October 2021 after an issue pertaining to an overheated high voltage battery bus bar was reported in Germany. Through a search of warranty reports, Ford identified an additional vehicle in Europe that reported a loss of function due to the overheated high voltage battery bus-bar.

During the manufacturing process, the high voltage bus-bar pad was not properly seated and could cause the pad to be mounted out of position prior to bus-bar welding. This condition could reduce the contact area between the cell terminal and the bus bar, giving it a high resistance. The high resistance could eventually result in an overheat situation.

According to the defect report, an overheated bus bar terminal may create a high resistance connection that could cause the battery pack high voltage bus voltage to fall below an operational level. If this happens, the hybrid power-train control module will sense the high voltage and detect a fault. A diagnostic trouble code will be sent and the vehicle will lose power. Drivers will also notice a “Stop Safely Now” warning message displayed on the instrument panel.

Ford’s team reviewed supplier process and production records to determine the population of affected parts. Affected vehicles are equipped with the 2.5L Hybrid power train and the suspect high voltage battery pack.

Dealers will replace the high voltage battery. Ford’s number for this recall is 21S48 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-149.

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Brake Master Cylinder Leak In Ford And Lincoln Trucks

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Certain 2016-2018 Ford and Lincoln, trucks and SUVs equipped with 3.5L Ecoboost engines could require more braking effort and distance to stop the vehicle. Ford will be asking owners to return to their dealerships for repairs.

In May 2016, Ford issued a recall (16V-345) for F-150s equipped with the 3.5L Ecoboost engines, because the brake master cylinder could leak and allow brake fluid from the front wheel circuit into the brake booster. After continued field data monitoring and discussions with NHTSA, Ford issued a second recall (20V-332), to extend the population for F-150s.

Ford continued to monitor field reports expanding the coverage into Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles built during the same period. These vehicles share a similar brake master cylinder design as the F-150 3.5L Ecoboost vehicles

Investigation into supplier records and discussion with the supplier identified additional steps taken by the supplier to further improve brake master cylinder seal installation from August 2016 to December 2016. These include an automated process to remove imperfect threads from the master cylinder outlet port, as well as actions to improve the installation of the rearmost cup seal in the master cylinder. Master cylinders with these improvements were incorporated into vehicle production by January 31, 2017.

In March 2022, Ford’s Field Review Committee reviewed the concern and approved a safety
recall action. Ford is aware of 4 low-speed/low-impact accident allegations with no injuries.

Vehicles manufactured with these defective fuel injectors include:
2016-2017 Ford Expedition
2016-2018 Ford F-150
2016-2017 Lincoln Navigator

Dealers will correct the problem by replacing the brake master cylinder. If the master cylinder is leaking, the brake booster will also be replaced. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 20V-332. Ford’s number for this recall is 22S11 and the NHTSA campaign number is 22V-150.

2018 Ford F-150 – Tailgate Could Unexpectedly Open

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Ford Motor Company (Ford) will be contacting the owners of certain 2018 F-150 vehicles with manual and power release tailgates because the tailgate latches on their trucks could unlatch unexpectedly while driving.

In September 2021, a problem affecting tailgate latches on certain 2018 Model Year F-150 trucks, was brought to the attention of Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group. The affected vehicles were built with a tailgate latch that could unlatch under certain loading conditions and cause unintended opening of the tailgate while the vehicle is in motion.

According to the defect report, the suspect tailgate latch design incorporates a latch pawl that is perpendicular to the catch mechanism. This latch design is susceptible to pawl walkout (unlatching) under certain dynamic loading conditions in this tailgate application. Unintended tailgate opening without vehicle operator knowledge may result in loss of unrestrained cargo increasing the risk of a crash. An unintended tailgate opening will only be apparent to an operator if they notice it prior to entering the vehicle.

Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have both the left-hand and right-hand tailgate latches replaced. The recalled tailgate latches (JL3A-9943150-AC and JL3A-9943150-BC) will be replaced with tailgate latches that incorporate a different latch pawl design (5L3Z-9943150-A).

In April 2018, Dearborn Truck Plant reverted to the initial latch design. Vehicles not included in this recall were built with latches that incorporate a different latch pawl design. Ford’s number for this recall is 21S53 and the NHTSA campaign number is 21V-983.

2021 Ford Bronco and 2021 Ford Ranger Collision Avoidance Reacts Slowly

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Owners of certain 2021 Ford Bronco SUVs and 2021 Ford Ranger trucks will be returning to their Ford dealership to fix a problem affecting the forward collision avoidance system. According to the defect report, a misaligned radar module may prevent the vehicle from maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles when adaptive cruise control is active. In addition, the automatic emergency braking (AEB) system may react slowly, or not react at all, during a pre-collision assist braking event.

Back in July 2021, a problem affecting the alignment of the cruise control radar modules was brought to the attention of Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG). An investigation was carried out to understand the potential effect of an incorrect calibration and how it could vary on the vehicle configuration and ride height. They found that radars aligned with the incorrect programming could be up to 2.6 degrees lower than design intent. Numerous reviews were conducted to understand the effect on vehicle Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Pre-Collision Assist (PCA) features as part of the Advanced Automatic Emergency Braking system.

The ACC and PCA features use information from the vehicle’s forward-looking radar and camera sensors to detect and track objects in the host vehicle path. A misaligned cruise control module radar can cause the vehicle to have a closer-than-expected following distance when using the adaptive cruise control feature, or the automatic emergency braking system may react late resulting in a sudden loss of speed during an automatic Pre-Collision Assist braking event. As a result, the Pre-Collision Assist system’s effectiveness to detect a potential frontal collision may be compromised and could increase the risk of a crash.

Dealers will correct the problem by adjusting the angle of the cruise control radar module. Ford’s number for this recall is 21S52 and the NHTSA campaign number is 21V-982.

2021-2022 Ford Bronco Sport And Escape Reduced Brake Performance

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Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Bronco Sport and 2021-2022 Escape vehicles because they fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 135, “Light Vehicle Brake Systems.”

In October 2021, Ford was contacted by the NHTSA’s Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance regarding the results of a compliance audit on the 2021 Bronco Sport vehicle equipped with a brake vacuum booster. According to the defect report, the stopping distance test results for “Brake Power Assist Unit Inoperative” exceeded the federal regulation stopping distance of 168 m. Ford compared data from the NHTSA test vehicle to data from the Ford certification test vehicle and could not identify the difference in performance between the two test vehicles.

In November, Ford conducted further testing which included the “Brake Power Assist Unit Inoperative” portion, on a 2021 Bronco Sport equipped with a brake vacuum booster without a vacuum sensor, to replicate NHTSA’s test vehicle. The test vehicle was fitted with a new current batch of brake linings from the assembly plant and the stopping distance test results exceeded the federal requirements.

Analysis of the brake system identified that the friction coefficient of the rear brake caliper linings was below manufacturer specifications. Vehicles equipped with rear brake linings that have a friction coefficient that is outside of the specified tolerances would experience longer stopping distances if the vacuum sensor is not there to compensate for variations in brake pad friction performance.

The 2021-2022 Ford Escape shares the same brake system as the Bronco Sport and the same certification test applies to both vehicles. Some Bronco Sport and Escape vehicles are equipped with a brake vacuum booster and some are equipped with an Electronic Brake Booster (EBB). Vehicles with an EBB are not affected by this issue because they have higher system pressures if the booster malfunctions.

The remedy is currently under development. Ford’s number for this recall is 21C31 and the NHTSA campaign number is 21V-922.

2021 Ford F-150 Super Cab Seatbelts Routed Incorrectly

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In May 2021, Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG) was informed of a warranty report affecting the seatbelts in a 2021 Ford F-150 Super Cab truck. According to the report, the front passenger outboard seatbelt webbing was routed through only the rubber trim sleeve, and not properly routed through both the sleeve and anchor eyelet. A misrouted seatbelt may not adequately restrain an occupant during a crash and could increase the risk of injury.

In July, another potentially related warranty report was identified during Ford’s ongoing monitoring process. The dealer forwarded photos of the suspect assembly showing that the seatbelt was routed through the anchor’s rubber sleeve cover but not through the anchor attachment, similar to the prior report. Ford is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this condition, but have approved a field action for vehicles produced between January 1, 2021 and May 27, 2021.

Owners will be notified by mail with instructions on how to perform a preliminary self-assessment of the vehicle’s seatbelts. Performing this procedure does not replace the need for an inspection by a Ford technician.

If the customer is uncomfortable with the self-assessment procedure or uncertain of the results, they will be instructed to not drive their vehicle and make arrangements with their Ford or Lincoln dealer to have vehicle towed for inspection.

If the customer does not detect a suspect seatbelt, they will still be instructed to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to be inspected.

If the customer detects a suspect front passenger seatbelt, they will be instructed to not use the seating position and to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to be inspected.

If the customer detects a suspect driver seatbelt, they will be instructed to not drive their vehicle and make arrangements with their Ford or Lincoln dealer to have vehicle towed for inspection.

The dealer will inspect the front row outboard seatbelts to verify the belt is routed correctly through the anchor’s metal eyelet and anchored to the pretensioner assembly. Should the inspection fail, the dealer will replace the affected seatbelt retractor and pretensioner assembly. Ford’s number for this recall is 21C20 an d the NHTSA campaign number is 21V-653.

2021 Ford F-150 Reduced Brake Performance

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A small number of 2021 Ford F-150 trucks could experience an electronic brake booster leak. The leak could result in brake fluid entering the electronic control unit (ECU), causing longer break pedal travel, higher pedal effort and reduced braking.

In May 2021, Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group reviewed three F-150 truck warranty claims where brake fluid from the electronic brake booster leaked into the ECU. Ford’s review of supplier records found that the supplier had identified 169 2021 model year F-150 brake booster assemblies in December 2020 because they were potentially assembled with a broken clinching tool, used to secure the pressure sensor to the booster housing. Further review of supplier and Ford records determined that 51 of the 169 quarantined parts were inadvertently shipped to Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant and assembled into vehicles, all of which were shipped to dealers in the U.S.

Engineering analysis found that a brake booster with an incomplete clinch between the pressure sensor and the brake booster housing can cause brake fluid to leak through the pressure sensor into the ECU. This can reduce braking effectiveness of the brake circuits.

Those receiving notifications will be asked to return to their dealerships to have the ECU replaced. Ford’s number for this recall is 21S33 and the NHTSA campaign number is 21V-533.