SAN FRANCISCO — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating a recall of more than a quarter of a million Ford Motor Explorer SUVs in the United States after receiving complaints about repairs intended to prevent vehicles from moving unexpectedly even when parked.
The agency said the problem, blamed on rear axle retaining bolt fractures that could cause the driveshaft to disengage, was addressed by a Ford software update designed to apply an electronic parking brake in the event of a driveshaft failure. But according to two vehicle owners’ complaints, their SUVs behaved erratically after repair.
In one such instance, the Explorer would reportedly come to a complete stop at speeds of 30 or 40 miles per hour. In the other case, it would reportedly engage while the driver was attempting to disengage the electronic brakes. No injuries were reported in these cases, although the first driver reported hitting the crankshaft when the Explorer began to descend downhill after an abrupt stop, apparently due to a transmission disengagement.
The original recall covered some 2020 to 2022 Explorers with 2.3-liter engines, as well as 3- and 3.3-liter hybrids, and the 3-liter ST. Also included are the 2020 and 2021 Explorer Police plug-in hybrids and the 3.3-liter petrol engines. The two reported incidents concern Explorers 2021.
A Ford representative said the company is working with NHTSA on the matter.
