Ford Motor Company has recalled hundreds of thousands of F-150 trucks from the U.S. because they could have a problem with their parking brakes.
The vehicle manufacturer reported in a safety report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that contact with the rear-axle housing could damage a wiring cable, which may lead to an unexpected activation of the electric parking brake.
870,701 of the trucks that could be affected are from model years 2021 to 2023 and have single exhaust systems. The recall vehicles were produced over a period of approximately three years.
According to a report, owners of affected F-150s will begin receiving letters on Sept. 11 informing them about the recall and fix for the problem. Dealers will also receive a notification at this time.
In the recall report, it was noted that nearly 300 out of over 900 field and warranty reports on the issue of wire chafing included unintentional activation by an electric parking brake. It said that 19 of these incidents occurred when a driver was operating a vehicle.
According to the report, there have been no known accidents or injuries as a result of this issue.
Dealerships will address the issue in two different ways. The recalled trucks can either have the harness replaced with a new one, or owners will receive a protective tape and tie strap at no charge.
The recall report stated that a harness would be replaced if the tape covering the area had worn out. The new harnesses have a plastic shield to prevent chafing.
According to the report, a group at Ford began investigating reports of unintentional activation of parking brakes in February.
