Global Courant
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating a Ford Motor Co. recall. of more than a quarter of a million Explorer SUVs in the US after receiving complaints about repairs designed to prevent the vehicles from rolling away unexpectedly, even when placed in the car. park.
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The problem, attributed to fractures of a rear axle mounting bolt that could allow the driveshaft to come loose, was addressed by a software update from Ford designed to activate the electronic parking brake if the driveshaft failed, the agency said. But according to two complaints from car owners, their SUVs behaved erratically after the repair.
In one such instance, the Explorer would reportedly come to a complete stop at speeds of up to 30 or 40 miles per hour. In the other, it reportedly started moving as the driver tried to disable the electronic brake. No injuries were reported in these cases, although the first driver reported striking a utility pole when the Explorer began to roll downhill after an abrupt stop, apparently because the powertrain had been shut off.
The original recall affected certain 2020 through 2022 Explorers with 2.3-liter engines, as well as 3-liter and 3.3-liter hybrids, and the 3-liter ST. Also included were 2020 and 2021 Explorer Police hybrids and those with 3.3-liter petrol engines. Both reported incidents involved 2021 Explorers.
A Ford representative said the company is cooperating with NHTSA.
