On Wednesday, November 4, Ford Motor Company said it would be recalling nearly 375,000 of it’s 2013-2017 Explorer SUVs in North America.
The company initiated the recall because a particular part can come off the vehicle, which can potentially lead to a crash for the driver. The problem itself revolves around a possible fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link, which stems from a previous recall.
This is nothing new in the Explorer discussion. In 2017, Ford issued a recall of 1.2 million Explorers over the toe link. According to the company, the toe links could fracture if subjected to “frequent full rear suspension articulation (jounce and rebound).”
Yet, a year prior to the 2017 recall, a little over 75,000 Explorers from years 2014 and 2015 were recalled over an improperly welded toe link. If this problem were to occur, the driver could lose control of the vehicle which would increase the risk of a crash. There was only one accident and one injury reported from this specific issue. Interestingly, this model is the same one that is used as a Police Interceptor Utility Vehicle.
The problem isn’t just with Ford Explorers. Toe links have been problematic in Ford Flex, Taurus, and Lincoln MKT models; all of which ride on what the company calls a D4 platform. This is considered a unibody underpinning each vehicle shares similarity to. It’s uncertain if there will be another recall on those models, but it’s important to perform a check with your local dealership for safety purposes regardless.
Ford said the company is aware of at least 13 crashes and six injuries due to this recent complication. But it’s no surprise– if you own a 2013-2017 Ford Explorer, you should get your vehicle checked immediately if you haven’t already. Your dealership will complete a “torque inspection of the cross-section axis ball joint and replace it as necessary,” according to Ford Motor Co.
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If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident, or injured yourself due to the issues mentioned in this Ford Explorer recall, you should contact Johnson//Becker today. We are currently accepting new auto defect lawsuits across the country.
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