Ford is officially recalling certain 2022 Mustang Mach-E electric crossovers since there's a chance their axles could break. According to the automaker, the reported manufacturing error impacts the Mustang Mach-E's right-rear axle half-shafts.
As reported by Green Car Congress, the affected 2022 Mustang Mach-E SUVs' half-shaft stem could end up breaking when it's under load. Nearly 1,200 models are potentially impacted by the recall issued by Ford and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
As with many recalls, Ford is carrying this out as a precautionary measure. There are not currently any known injuries or deaths related to the problem, but the potential for a few different related issues is a cause for concern.
The NHTSA notes that if a car's half-shaft breaks, the car could literally roll away while it's parked. It may be wise for Mustang Mach-E owners to get into the habit of using their EV's parking break until they're aware if the recall affects their crossover and/or it's taken care of at their local dealer.
A broken half-shaft can also cause a car to lose power. If the part breaks while driving, it could lead to a safety risk, which is the other primary reason for the recall.
Ford dealers will check your Mustang Mach-E's serial number, and, if needed, replace the right-rear half-shaft for free. The article suggests that Ford will mail letters about the recall by September 19, 2022. However, owners have already received more prompt notifications via other means.
You can also call Ford's Customer Service line at 1-866-436-7332. If you contact Ford or your local dealer, be sure to mention the Ford recall designator: 22S55. The NHTSA's campaign number is 22V646000.
We contacted Ford for comment, and the automaker provided the following statement:
"Our goal is to get quality right from the start, but when issues do arise, our objective is simple, to make it right for our customer."
Ford also pointed out that most of the impacted vehicles are unsold, and less than 1 percent of the parts are expected to have this condition. The company also wrote that "dealership mobile inspection and vehicle pick-up and delivery will be included as an option for dealers that participate in the program." In addition, customers were already notified via FordPass on August 31, 2022.
Ford isn't the only EV maker experiencing a wave of recalls. Tesla has also had its fair share of recalls this year. Moreover, startups, including Rivian and Lucid have already recalled vehicles as well, and the same is true of many legacy automakers. With new models and new technologies come unforeseen issues. The most important part is that the issues are discovered and the automakers promptly address them and get a fix in place sooner rather than later.
