Problematic Ford Explorer recall prompts federal investigation

(Image credit: Jeff Kowalsky / AFP via Getty Images)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation Saturday into the Ford Motor Company's recall of 300,000 Explorer SUVs. The investigation was prompted by allegations that the vehicles behaved erratically even after undergoing recall-related repairs.

The recall, originally issued by the company in April 2022, affected Ford Explorers made from 2020 to 2022 and was mainly over a problematic rear axle mounting bolt that could fracture and eventually "allow the vehicle to roll in park if the parking brake is not applied, increasing the risk of crash and injury," Ford said in its recall notice.

Ford attempted to address these rear axle issues with a software update that would apply an electronic parking brake even if the manual one failed. However, NHTSA noted that this fix only creates an electronic failsafe, and does not address the actual problem with the rear axle. At least two complaints were lodged alleging that the Explorers continued to have issues even after the company reportedly had them fixed.

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In one case, the vehicle "would reportedly slam to a complete stop at speeds of up to 30 or 40 miles per hour," The Associated Press reported, while the other case saw the Explorer "reportedly lurch into motion while the driver was attempting to disengage the electronic brake." While no injuries were reported from these incidents, the AP reported that the first driver struck a utility pole when the Explorer started rolling downhill following a sudden stop.

"The vehicle would randomly slam to a complete stop while driving. It happened several times with three different drivers (myself, my wife, and my son)," one of the cases alleged, according to a copy of the complaint obtained by Reuters.

A representative for Ford told AP that the company is working with NHTSA on the investigation.

Justin Klawans has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022. He began his career covering local news before joining Newsweek as a breaking news reporter, where he wrote about politics, national and global affairs, business, crime, sports, film, television and other news. Justin has also freelanced for outlets including Collider and United Press International.