Updated 1/5/24 7:02 a.m. EST
Ford (F) -) is recalling nearly 113,000 of its F-150 pickup trucks due to a defective rear axle hub bolt, federal regulators said
The automaker is recalling 112,965 of its 2021-2023 F-150 vehicles equipped with the Trailer Tow Max Duty package and a 9.75-inch heavy duty axle with a 3/4 float axle design.
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F-150 top seller for Ford
The rear axle hub bolt may fatigue and break, which can result in damage to the axle hub splines, according to the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration.
Damaged axle hub splines can result in a vehicle roll away when the vehicle is in park without the parking brake applied, or cause a loss of drive power, NHTSA said. Both of these conditions can increase the risk of a crash.
Ford indicated that a fix for the defective piece was “currently under development,” but F-150 owners can also take the vehicle to a dealership for an interim fix if they hear a clicking or rattling noise.
Notification letters to owners are expected to be mailed by Jan. 24.
In July, Ford recalled more than 870,000 F-150 pickup trucks because the electric parking brakes can turn on unexpectedly.
Last month, Robert Kaffl, Ford’s director of U.S. sales, said the company sold more than 700,000 F-Series trucks in 2023, making it the bestselling truck in the U.S. for the 47th consecutive year, as it remained the bestselling vehicle for the 42nd year in a row.
Kaffl said that Ford's "unwavering focus on growth across gas, hybrid, and electric models in 2024 reflects our promise to offer a truck for every customer – one that fits seamlessly into their lifestyle."
Ford: 2024 output cut for electric F-150
"From the Bee Gees to Taylor Swift and the Apple II to Apple iPhone, if change is the only constant in life, then there’s something reassuring that more than half of Americans have grown up only knowing that Ford F-Series is America’s bestselling vehicle," Mike Levine, director of Ford North America product communications, told the Detroit Free Press.
Ford launched the electric F-150 Lightning pickup in 2022, which the automaker called “a milestone moment in America’s shift to electric vehicles.”
However, Ford said in December that it would cut planned production of its all-electric pickup roughly in half this year as EV demand slowed and as prices and interest rates remained high.
A company spokesperson at the time said the automaker would continue "to match production with customer demand."
The company also said that it was postponing around $12 billion in planned EV investments, including the construction of a new battery plant.
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