US auto safety regulators investigate Ford’s previous recalls of 710,000 Explorers due to reports of power loss – News Block

US auto safety regulators announced Saturday that they are investigating Ford Motor Co.’s previous recalls of 710,000 Explorer full-size crossovers due to reports of power loss to determine if a remedy is appropriate.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted that the second largest US automaker issued recalls in April 2022 and March of Ford Explorers from model years 2020-2022 to address a rear axle horizontal mounting bolt that it can fracture and cause the driveshaft to disengage.

Ford previously said its recalls were to address a disconnected driveshaft that could cause the vehicle to roll away when placed in “park” without the parking brake applied, increasing the risk of a crash.

Ford did not immediately comment on Saturday, but said in March that it was not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the recall issue.

Ford’s solution is to add a software update that automatically applies the electronic service parking brake to prevent the vehicle from rolling, the agency said, adding that there is no remedy to fix the rear axle horizontal mounting bolt issue.” which is the basis of this security”. problem and the cause of the disabled vehicle”.

NHTSA said it received two complaints alleging a loss of rear-wheel drive power or torque on Explorer vehicles that had received the recall fix.

One complaint told NHTSA that after receiving the software update, “the vehicle would randomly come to a complete stop while driving. It happened multiple times with three different drivers (me, my wife, and my son), each going 30-35 mph or less.”