Ford Motor Company is recalling ~1 million vehicles for safety defects according to documents made public today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). One of the safety defects affects 2018-2023 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with third-row seating; and 2019-2023 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, and F-600 SuperCab and three-passenger front bench seat regular cab vehicles. (*)
“The owner’s manual does not include instructions for adjusting or removing certain head restraints. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 202, “Head Restraints,” NHTSA said. (#)
The other recall is on 2022-2023 F-150 Battery Electric Vehicles. “The rear light-bar may have microcracks in the outer lens that allows moisture to accumulate, which can result in inoperative or flickering reverse lights,” NHTSA said. (**) and (##) Dealers have been told by Ford “DO NOT DEMONSTRATE OR DELIVER any new in-stock vehicles involved in this safety recall. A complete Dealer Bulletin will be provided to dealers 4th quarter, 2023 when it is anticipated that parts ordering information and repair instructions will be available to support this safety recall.”
*Chronology
- On 11 May 2023, missing Owner’s Manual content was brought to Ford’s Critical
- Concern Review Group for review. The investigation determined that human error in Ford’s Owner’s Manual review process resulted in missing Owner’s Manual information required by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 202a, “Head Restraints.”
- On 17 May 2023, the CCRG found that required head restraint adjustment and removal information for the third-row center seating position on 2018-2023 model year Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles was missing from the vehicle Owner’s Manuals. Additionally, the CCRG concluded that required head restraint adjustment and removal Owner’s Manual content for the second-row center seating position was missing from 2019-2023 model year Ford Super Duty vehicles in all SuperCab configurations. Required head restraint adjustment and removal Owner’s Manual content was also missing for the front row center seating position in 2019-2023 model year Ford Super Duty vehicles in all SuperCab and Regular Cab configurations equipped with a three-passenger front bench seat.
- On 2 June 2023, Ford’s Field Review Committee reviewed the concern and approved a field action. Ford is not aware of any reports of accidents or injury related to this safety defect.
**Chronology
- 23 March 2023. Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG) initiated an investigation into reports of moisture in the rear light-bar of 2022 and 2023 model year F-150 BEV Platinum and Lariat vehicles. These vehicles have a rear light-bar that stretches across the tailgate and houses the supplemental tail lamp function and the reverse lamp function. Ford identified elevated warranty report rates of moisture in the rear light-bar and reported that certain claims indicated inoperative or flickering rear supplemental tail lamps and reverse lamps.
- May 2023. Part return analysis showed the visual appearance of water in the lamp as droplets or condensation from the microcracks in the light-bar outer lens. The parts returned from the field were tested for functionality and more than half had inoperative or flickering supplemental tail lamps and/or reverse lamps, consistent with customer and dealer technician verbatims. The CCRG investigation determined that the stress to the light-bar is due to static and dynamic loading of the system during the assembly plant fit process of aligning the tailgate and surrounding components or during severe tailgate surface loading at temperatures below -40 Celsius. Forces on the light-bar and housing transfer stress to the lens, which could result in microcracks.
- 24 May 2023. CCRG reviewed statistical projections which predicted an elevated lightbar failure probability through the expected life of the vehicles. The projections are based on warranty reports of water ingress, including reports of inoperative or flickering reverse lamps and supplemental tail lamps.
- 2 May 2023, there are 291 warranty claims and four Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ)
- reports received from Aug 24, 2022, through April 28, 2023, indicating either moisture in the rear light-bar and/or inoperative or flickering reverse lamps.
- 9 May 2023. Ford is not aware of any accidents, fires or injuries related to this condition.
- 2 June 2023. Ford’s Field Review Committee reviewed the concern and approved a field action.
# Ford will mail the Owner’s Manual addendums that describe how to adjust and remove the head restraints for the center seating positions, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 10, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 23C20.
## Notification to dealers is expected to occur on June 13, 2023. Mailing of owner notification letters is expected to begin June 26, 2023 and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2023. A new rear light-bar assembly (Part Number NL34-13N466-AE) will be installed to replace the recalled component (Part Number NL34-13N466-AC).
In any of the above safety recalls, owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Ford Motor Recalls – Restraints, Lightning on I Million Vehicles
Ford Motor Company is recalling ~1 million vehicles for safety defects according to documents made public today by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). One of the safety defects affects 2018-2023 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with third-row seating; and 2019-2023 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, and F-600 SuperCab and three-passenger front bench seat regular cab vehicles. (*)
“The owner’s manual does not include instructions for adjusting or removing certain head restraints. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 202, “Head Restraints,” NHTSA said. (#)
The other recall is on 2022-2023 F-150 Battery Electric Vehicles. “The rear light-bar may have microcracks in the outer lens that allows moisture to accumulate, which can result in inoperative or flickering reverse lights,” NHTSA said. (**) and (##) Dealers have been told by Ford “DO NOT DEMONSTRATE OR DELIVER any new in-stock vehicles involved in this safety recall. A complete Dealer Bulletin will be provided to dealers 4th quarter, 2023 when it is anticipated that parts ordering information and repair instructions will be available to support this safety recall.”
*Chronology
**Chronology
# Ford will mail the Owner’s Manual addendums that describe how to adjust and remove the head restraints for the center seating positions, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 10, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 23C20.
## Notification to dealers is expected to occur on June 13, 2023. Mailing of owner notification letters is expected to begin June 26, 2023 and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2023. A new rear light-bar assembly (Part Number NL34-13N466-AE) will be installed to replace the recalled component (Part Number NL34-13N466-AC).
In any of the above safety recalls, owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.