Category Archives: Ford

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

2020 Ford F-150 Grinding Noise When Engine Starts

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Ford will be contacting a small number of 2020 Ford F-150 owners because of a problem with the electrical system in their trucks. According to the safety report filed with the NHTSA, the affected vehicles were built at their Kansas City assembly plant June 30, 2020 and July 1, 2020.

These trucks may have been built with a positive power supply cable nut that does not meet design specifications. These nuts do not have the correct torque characteristics or conductive coating needed at the power supply attachment to the starter motor. This could increase the amount of heat generated during starting and could create an electrical arch that could start a fire. Drivers will be alerted of a problem through grinding noises when starting or restarting during a stop-start event, or the engine may not start at all.

Owners receiving notices will be asked to return to their dealers to have the starter motor B+ power supply attachment nut replaced with the correct part. Ford’s number for this recall is 20S40 and the NHTSA campaign number is 20V-467.

Lincoln MKX And Lincoln Nautilus Seat Wiring Damage

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Ford Motor Company will be asking the owners of certain 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX and 2019-2020 Lincoln Nautilus SUVs, to return to their dealership to fix a wiring problem that could affect the air bags. These vehicles are equipped with 16 way electric tilt seats.

According to the safety report, the seats in these vehicles may have a wiring harness that was not properly protected from the edge of the seat cushion frame. When the tilt function is used, it is possible that the wires could become damaged and, as a result, the airbag system may not function as intended.

Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this problem, but they will be asking owners to return to their dealerships to have the wire harness inspected and replaced as necessary. Also, a protective flocking tape will be installed onto the exposed edge of the 16-way seat cushion frames. Ford’s number for this recall is 20S37 and the NHTSA campaign number is 20V-414.

Expedition & Navigator Called Back For Improperly Welded Headrests

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Concerns related to improperly welded second row headrest attachment brackets will have some 2020 Ford Expedition and 2020 Lincoln Navigator vehicles recalled for repairs. Dealers are required to inspect and repair the problem before demonstrating or delivering any new stock.

According to the defect report, an in plant inspection found that the headrest to seat back frame attachment bracket was out of position during assembly and some welds did not properly penetrate the headrest bracket. As a result, the strength of the headrests are weakened and they do not meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for head restraints. An improperly welded headrest bracket may not adequately restrain an occupant during a crash.

Those receiving notices will be asked to return to their dealership to have the seat structure inspected and replaced as needed. Ford’s number for this recall is 20C12 and the NHTSA campaign number is 20V-366.

2020 Ford Mustang Collision Avoidance Problem

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Ford will be contacting a small number of 2020 Mustang owners because of a problem affecting the collision avoidance system in their cars. These vehicles are equipped with a forward looking camera that may not function as intended.

According to the defect report, the affected vehicles have an image processing module, or a forward looking camera that was misaligned during assembly. This incorrect calibration may cause features such as pre-collision assist, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping system, driver alert and auto high beam control to not work as intended. The pre-collision assist system’s effectiveness to detect a frontal collision may be compromised, increasing the risk of an accident and injury.

Those receiving notices will be asked to return to their dealers to have a lane departure warning system camera alignment procedure done. Ford’s number for this recall is 20S26 and the NHTSA campaign number is 20V-306.

Ford Pre-Collision Assist Will Not Enable

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Ford had decided that a problem affecting the collision avoidance system exists in certain 2020 Ford Expedition and 2020 Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The condition affects models equipped with the standard camera-only pre-collision assist built within a certain time period. Vehicles with optional radar plus camera pre-collision assist systems are not affected.

According to the defect report, the affected vehicles are equipped with pre-collision assist features that are not functional. This includes: Forward Collision Warning, Dynamic Brake Support and Automatic Emergency Braking. There is no warning to the driver that these features are not functional, increasing the risk and severity of a frontal collision.

Dealers will correct the problem by reprogramming the software affecting the Body Control Module, Anti-lock Braking System, Instrument Panel Cluster, Headlamp Control Modules and reset the Tire Pressure Monitor System. Ford’s number for this recall is 20S20 and the NHTSA campaign number is 20V-262.

Inaccurate Transmission Indication

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Ford has determined that a potential safety defect exist in certain 2020 Ford Expedition, F-150, and Ranger trucks equipped with 10 speed automatic transmissions.

According to the defect report, some vehicles may have been manufactured with a gear shift cable lock that may not be fully seated. The partially seated clip could allow the transmission to slip and show a different gear than the transmission is in. This could result in “shifter mismatch”, “shifter inoperative”, “shifter stuck in park” or “no start” symptoms. Drivers may be able to shift into “Park” and remove the key while the transmission may not actually be in “Park”. The instrument panel display will continue to show the correct transmission gear state.

Owners receiving notices will be asked to return to their Ford dealerships to have the shifting lock clip inspected and replaced as necessary. Ford’s number for this recall is 20S18 and the NHTSA campaign number is 20V-197.

2019 Ford Ranger HVAC Blower Motor Failure

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Ford will be contacting the owners of certain 2019 Rangers because of a problem with the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) blower motor in their vehicles. The trucks affected had their HVAC blower motor replaced between October 9, 2019 to November 22, 2019 as part of recall 19V-726.

According to the defect report, the replacement motor installed, may have been built with improper clearance between the electrical terminal and the base plate. If the terminal shorts against the plate, it could overheat, melt, smoke and/or ignite.

Ford will ask owners to return to their dealerships to have the HVAC blower motor inspected and replaced as necessary. Ford’s number for this recall is 20S12 and the NHTSA campaign number is 20V-137.

Ford F150 Grinding Noise

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The Ford F-Series is a series of light, medium and super duty trucks manufactured by Ford Motor Company since 1948. One of he most popular versions of the series is the light duty F-150. Now in its thirteenth generation, the F-150 is one of the best selling trucks in America.

Throughout the years, every model year F-150 has experienced problems and defects. Below are some of the most common problems affecting 2015-2019 model year F-150 trucks.

“Transmission makes clunking and grinding noise.” Many F-150 owners report problems with their transmissions when starting, accelerating, or shifting. They experience clunking and jerking when shifting through gears on all types of roads. Although there are several transmission recalls affecting Ford F-150 trucks, none of them address the difficult shifting problems.

“Loud grinding when starting.” Grinding from the starter often starts with a faulty starter solenoid. The starter solenoid has internal electrical contacts that supply electricity to the starter. When it is not working properly, it may allow the starter drive gear to grind on the teeth of the flywheel after the engine has started. Over time the drive gear will wear down, the grinding will become more frequent and the starter will have to be replaced. In some cases a vehicle could go through two or three starters in its lifespan.

“Front end grinding in 2WD” In August 2019, Ford released a technical service bulletin for intermittent grinding noises coming from the Integrated Wheel Ends (IWE) in some 2013-2018 F-150, Expedition and Navigator vehicles. The problem was caused by a loss of vacuum to the Integrated Wheel End (IWE) actuators and/or wear of the IWE components. To correct the condition service centers were instructed to inspect and replace worn vacuum and IWE components.

“Engine rattle at startup.” The first symptom of problems with a timing chain is a rattle from the engine on start up. Because the timing chains are so long, they must be kept tight using hydraulic tensioners and are supported by plastic guides. With the proper lubrication and oil filter the timing chain should last the life of the vehicle, but with a substandard oil filter, the engine oil may drain back to the oil pan when the engine is turned off.  A lack of oil pressure means tensioners cannot immediately tighten the timing chains on startup.  When this occurs slack in the chain tends to jerk and the plastic timing chain guides can break.

“Grinding noise coming from the wheels.” Grinding that seems to be coming from your wheels is most likely bad wheel bearings. Wheel bearings allow for friction-free movement of the hub assembly so your wheels can rotate smoothly, but they are not immune to wear and tear and may need to be replaced over the length of a vehicle’s life. If the noise gets louder as you accelerate, then a bad wheel bearing is most likely the problem.

If you purchased or leased a defective Ford F-150 in California and it turned out to be a lemon, contact us now and we can help you get rid of it… just fill out the above form or call us now for a free case evaluation.