In an unsettling development, Ford Motor Company has announced a massive recall of hundreds of thousands of F-150 trucks across the United States due to an alarming potential wiring issue linked to their electric parking brakes.
FORD RECALL: Ford is recalling more than 870,000 F-150s from the model years 2021 through 2023 because the electronic parking brake system can activate while driving. Ford says it's not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the problem. pic.twitter.com/UEkdWPtDEg
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) July 28, 2023
According to a safety recall report submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the automaker revealed that interference with the rear axle housing could potentially damage a wiring harness, which could, in turn, lead to an unexpected and unwelcome activation of the electric parking brake.
The startling recall affects an estimated 870,701 F-150 trucks from the 2021 through 2023 model years that are equipped with single exhaust systems. Production of these potentially hazardous vehicles spanned a time frame of nearly three years.
To inform the affected owners, Ford will begin dispatching recall letters from September 11th, coinciding with the date when dealers will be notified about the issue.
Out of over 900 warranty and field reports relating to the wire chafing problem, nearly 300 reports indicated an unintended electric parking brake activation, with 19 of these incidents occurring while the truck was being operated by a driver.
Thankfully, the report assures that no injuries or accidents have been linked to the issue thus far.
Ford dealerships are prepared to rectify the issue in one of two ways, either by replacing the faulty harness with a new one or by applying a protective tie strap and tape wrap at no cost to the owners.
If the tape covering the problem area shows signs of wear, a replacement harness will be installed. The new harnesses will feature a plastic shield to prevent chafing.
It’s noteworthy that an internal team at Ford began investigating reports of the unintentional parking brake activation as early as February, according to the report.
