Owners of model 2020-2022 model year Ford Explorers may want to pay heed as the NHTSA opens an investigation after receiving new complaints. The two new complaints happened after accidents were reported following Ford’s recent repair. The update was in part due to previous warranty claims filed by Ford Explorer owners whose vehicles had their driveshaft disconnect when a rear axle bolt fractured allowing the SUVs to roll away even if placed in gear without the parking brake being engaged. A recall of over a quarter million vehicles was issued in April for this issue and it had then been announced that a software update to address it would also be made available. At the time Ford had received 233 warranty claims for the issues.
Per The Associated Press:
“DETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co. is recalling more than a quarter-million Explorer SUVs in the U.S. because they can roll away unexpectedly while shifted into park.
The recall covers certain 2020 through 2022 Explorers with 2.3-liter engines, as well as 3-liter and 3.3-liter hybrids and the 3-liter ST. Also included are 2020 and 2021 Explorer Police hybrids and those with 3.3-liter gas engines.
Documents posted Friday by U.S. safety regulators say that a rear axle mounting bolt can fracture and cause the drive shaft to disconnect. If that happens, the SUVs can roll away even if they are placed in park gear, without the parking brake on.”
As the NHTSA opens its investigation after receiving complaints from owners there are now two who have said their vehicles demonstrated odd behavior following the repairs/updates. Neither owner reported any injuries but both have startling stories to tell. One owner reported their SUV would slam its brakes to a complete stop at speeds up to 35 miles per hour while the other owner said the vehicle would lurch forward as they attempted to disengage the electronic brake. In regard to the report of the slamming brakes (which sounds oddly similar to reports for Tesla vehicles made last year), it’s no small miracle that instance didn’t result in an injury, or worse, as that vehicle reportedly hit a utility pole after its drivetrain disengaged and the vehicle rolled downhill.
Per The Washington Post:
“In one of those cases, the Explorer would reportedly slam to a complete stop at speeds of up to 30 or 40 miles per hour. In the other, it would reportedly lurch into motion while the driver was attempting to disengage the electronic brake. No injuries were reported in these cases, although the first driver reported striking a utility pole when the Explorer started rolling downhill following an abrupt stop, seemingly because the drivetrain was disengaged.”
The owner whose SUV would hit its brakes told the NHTSA that it did this multiple times and added that (via Reuters), “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), each happening at 30-35 mph or less.”