Ford Recalls 412,000 SUVs For Suspension Issues

The rear suspension toe links may fracture under certain conditions and result in a loss of steering control.

2018 Ford Explorer

Anthony Alaniz

By: Anthony Alaniz

Feb 25, at 10:02am ET

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The Breakdown:

Ford is recalling more than 412,000 Explorers for rear suspension toe links that may fracture.
Ford hasn’t determined the cause of the issue.
The recall affects certain 2017-2019 models.

Ford Motor Company has issued a recall for 412,774 Explorers. The SUVs could suffer a rear suspension toe link fracture under certain conditions, diminishing steering control and increasing the risk of a crash.

The recall affects certain 2017-2019 Explorer models equipped with cross-axis ball joint parts manufactured by SAF. While Ford hasn’t identified the cause of the problem, some evidence suggests the ball joint is seizing, resulting in a “bending moment on the toe link” that may be causing the fracture.

2018 Ford Explorer

According to the recall report, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration contacted Ford about five 2018 Explorer models that experienced loss of steering control due to rear toe-link fractures. Ford opened an investigation into these reports in late January and uncovered 26 other reports.

Ford says it is unaware of any injuries related to the issue, but does know of two instances in which vehicles hit road barriers following toe link fractures that could be related to this issue.

The automaker will begin notifying affected owners early next month. Ford will replace the toe links with stronger components that are "more resistant to a seized CABJ" than the recalled part.

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This isn’t the first time Ford has recalled the Explorer for toe link fractures. In 2021, the automaker issued one for certain 2013-2017 models and determined that vehicles manufactured after the recall action were equipped with SAF-made CABJ parts that showed no signs of corrosion.

Motor1’s Take: Recalls continue to plague Ford Motor Company, for both recently made vehicles and older ones. That said, it's always great to see automakers fixing potentially dangerous failure points promptly.

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