Ford F-150 Pick-Up Truck Recalled in US Due to Sudden Parking Brake Activation, Over 8.70 Lakh Units Impacted

Nearly 9,00,000 units of the Ford F-150 pick-up truck have been voluntarily recalled in the US over a potential wiring issue with their electric parking brakes. The American automobile manufacturer said that this recall was issued to address an issue with the rear wiring harness that may have come in contact with the rear axle housing, leading to the sudden activation of the electronic parking brake. This recall applies to 8,70,701 units of the Ford F-150, manufactured between 2021 and 2023 and equipped with a single exhaust system. In order to resolve this problem, owners of the affected vehicles will be contacted via mail by mid-September to take their vehicles to their respective dealers for repair, and the necessary replacement of a damaged harness with one that has a plastic protective shield will be made. Those without worn harnesses will have a protective tie strap and tape wrap to protect them from the axle housing.  

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In February 2023, Ford's Critical Concern Review Group began its investigation into reports of unexpected parking brake applications on the F-150 manufactured in 2021. The findings revealed that the rear axle wiring harness could come into contact with the axle housing, leading to chafing in some cases. And over time, the circuit insulation and protective tape may eventually be worn out. 

As of July 11, 2023, Ford identified 918 warranty claims and three field reports for the wire chafing condition in North America, received between August 2021 and July 2023. However, there have been no reports of any injuries, crashes, or fatalities.  

Ford's Past Recalls

This is not the only recall from Ford. 21,301 units of the Escape crossover and 17,394 units of the F-Series Super Duty were also recalled by the automaker. A digital instrument cluster on the impacted 2023 models could have failed to illuminate as a result of an erroneously soldered module. Ford will inform the owners of this recall starting August 14 and replace the faulty part free of cost. 

Ford Eyes 2024 Dakar Rally

Ford Performance, the performance division of the Ford Motor Company, is set to expand its motorsports efforts and will do so by competing in the 2024 Dakar rally, which from January 5 to 19 will be held for the fourth consecutive year in Saudi Arabia. A full factory Dakar programme with the T1+ version of the Ford Ranger Raptor – an extreme racing version of the Ford Ranger – will step up Ford's off-road racing effort in the 2024 Rally and beyond. The full works Dakar programme will be run in collaboration with M-Sport in the UK and Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM) in South Africa. 

Also Read: Ford Eyes 2024 Dakar Rally, Announces Full Factory Programme with Ranger Raptor T1+

Based on the previous generation Ranger, the Ford Ranger Raptor T1+ will be developed further for the 2024 Dakar Rally. According to Ford, this will be an exploratory effort at the Dakar Rally, instead of an effort aimed at victory. Following this, Ford Performance, NWM, and M-Sport will develop the brand-new Ranger for the 2025 Dakar Rally, where Ford aims to compete for the Dakar crown.

In terms of powertrain, the Ranger T1+ version is expected to draw power from a 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 engine. Power and torque figures are yet to be revealed as the upcoming racer is still under development.