A new Ford recall campaign affects 870,701 F-150 trucks with a single-outlet exhaust system.
Ford Motor Company recently announced it would recall these fourteenth-generation F-150 trucks over a potential wiring issue with the electric parking brake. According to what the automaker told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “In the affected vehicles, the rear axle wiring harness bundle may contact the rear axle housing.”
In certain circumstances where that happens, after the harness wiring rubbing against the housing wears down the insulation, the damaged harness could inadvertently apply the parking brake while driving if there’s a short circuit. The driver may see a parking brake warning light and a message on the instrument cluster, though it’s not a guarantee depending on how the harness wiring is damaged.
Ford opened in investigation into the issue back on February 23. The automaker’s Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG) reviewed 918 warranty claims and three field reports for the wire chafing issue through July 11, 2023. Of those, 299 indicated that the electric parking brake inadvertently activated. 19 of those cases alleged the parking brake activated while driving. However, Ford says it is not aware of any accidents or injuries due to the problem.
The problem may impact up to 870,701 F-150s with single-outlet exhaust systems, meaning it should not impact certain powertrain configurations like the Raptor or the all-electric Lightning. Ford built the impacted trucks between January 8, 2020 and February 25, 2023.
What’s the fix?
For this latest Ford recall, owners will receive a letter in the mail notifying them of the problem no later than September 15, 2023. From that point, dealers will inspect the rear axle wiring harness, replacing it with a new one if the wiring bundle shows any wear. Even if the harness is not damaged, technicians will install a protective tie strap and wrap the wiring with extra abrasion-resistant tape. New wiring harnesses have a plastic shield that inhibits the rear axle housing from chafing the parking brake wiring harness.
Ford told the NHTSA it will reimburse owners who paid to repair the problem out of pocket, under its general reimbursement plan.
Owners can find out more about this recall through the NHTSA website.
