F150 Rear Axle Recall

[Gthoskin]

What a cluster of a mess with the recall of the rear axel and bolt sheering recall with corporate Ford and their dealers. What a joke and such a poor way to communicate with customers. I have spoken to the recall department twice promising me parts are available, that they contacted my dealer, and an appointment with my dealer can be made by calling my dealer. I call and no parts are available and they tell me to keep calling back after 1.8 years and four recall letters since January 2024. My truck is listed as non driveable and supposedly I am driving a dangerous vehicle. The escalation with corporate customer service yielded nothing. The recall letter promises parts are available and a loaner; my dealer says no rental no parts. Spoke to a major Ford dealership in Raleigh and they are back ordered with considerable number of recalls. I was told there is no fix, there has never been a fix and no one will have their truck fixed anytime soon. Yet, corporate Ford denies this feedback. What a S—— show and a lowly way to communicate with your customers. I was denied a lemon claim through Ford as well. I would appreciate any other customer feedback. Thanks.

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[Snakebitten]

Do you have a sheared bolt?

 

[Gthoskin]

The truck was inspected back in April and I was told I needed to have the rear axle replaced.

 

[Snakebitten]

Actually, everyone with the original design max tow axle "needs" to have their axles replaced with the redesigned axles.

Having said that, there's a huge disparity in urgency between an axle with a sheared bolt vs an axle that is still perfectly intact.

Declaring a truck undrivable is debatable even if there's a sheared bolt, but deeming it undrivable with both bolts intact is unwarranted.

 

[Gthoskin]

I have the max tow TB which indicated the axle needs to be replaced. I suppose does it really matter that the last dealer indicated the latest axle redesign is probably a failure and who knows when parts will be available. My dealer indicated the axle needs to be replaced. Who knows what to believe and as I said, does it really matter if no parts are available. After over 1.5 years. When I filed the Ford claim that this was a lemon and the truck had symptoms, they declined it anyway indicating it does not qualify. I asked why and could not get an answer from the customer service representative. It is difficult to trust anyone from Ford except the noise the dealers have regarding the accuracy of information from their supplier. With that said, this truck could be a serious accident waiting to happen and I have no idea what questions to ask the next Ford mechanic as to when do I know failure is imminent. Possibility when I die. I have grandsons that ride in this truck and the (4) recall letter states it can be dangerous to drive. Should I try to sell this truck? How ethical would that be for the buyer knowing what I know. Ford puts us in difficult situations with regard to our safety bottom line

 

[Ricksc]

How many people driving it everyday? How many people tow with it broken? Sure it’s a recall but haven’t heard of any thing major while people driving it broke. It’s up to you how you want to feel and prepare for the worst. Lots of them still driving broken.

 

[Snakebitten]

If you have a copy of the recall documentation, you can just read it for yourself. Form your own risk analysis. I can assure you that there are many here that have done so.

The only specific situation that I personally would be seriously concerned with is actually having a sheared bolt and Ford (the manufacturer) not providing the repair parts for the dealership to install. That's just indefensible. Pathetic. And I know of one person experiencing that plight.

As for your life being endangered by an axle shearing the bolt? I personally think that is about as much of a threat as the windshield wiper recall.

 

[Gthoskin]

I have no idea how one would assess the risk and also form an opinion from your feedback. Are you an expert? Accidents due to recalls are difficult to account for and are huge liability cases. I trust no one when we discuss axel sheering bolts and other damage this recall could be causing. I doubt we really don’t know if this defect is causing any type of accidents or injuries. My original tires on this truck wore out on the side in 8,000 miles. Ford would take no responsibility. Yet after I found legal documentation that the tires were defective were they willing to compensate the unused miles toward a credit for new tires.
Insurance companies often play a crucial role when an accident occurs due to a recalll. They might deny claims if a recalled defect contributed to the accident and repairs were neglected. It’s essential for owners to communicate with insurers and document all recall-related actions. Legal advice can help clarify responsibilities and protect the rights of all parties involved. As my insurance company is now aware of this recall and should I die or my children or grandchildren they will have the notice to investigate. As for ever purchasing a used truck with this defect, hell no…would you?

 

[Snakebitten]

Nope.
Not an expert.
But also not one to be hyperbolic about such things.
Worse case scenario, a faulty axle would render the vehicle unable to get torque transferred to the rear wheel.

 

[Gthoskin]

Impulse. I purchased the truck due to back support comfort for an injury and the bells and whistles. You were the smart one. Wish I did the same. Lessons learned.

 

[Gthoskin]

Nope.
Not an expert.
But also not one to be hyperbolic about such things.
Worse case scenario, a faulty axle would render the vehicle unable to get torque transferred to the rear wheel.

Thanks for the feedback. This is what I was looking for to understand worst case scenario much appreciate your time.

 

[Snakebitten]

For visual clarity, the image below contains both the actual image in the official recall, as well as the aftermarket Dorman axle that addresses exactly the same design change.

If you look closely, what Ford (and Dorman) did was to simply switch from boring a hole in the end of the axle, and then threading that hole for accepting a bolt, to instead adding length to axle beyond the splined surface and then thread that extension on the outside, thus using a nut instead of a bolt.

Both designs are using a threaded fastening approach to simpy "locate", or to "keep" the axle located where the maximum amount of splined surface is in use.

If the bolt shears, eventually the axle can move inbound, about 1/2 to 3/4". If/when it moves inbound, less of the splines on the axle are in contact with the mating splines of the wheel hub. Eventually that leads to the splines fretting and at some point the splines fail. Once the splines fail, then the axle just spins in the hub and the wheel is no longer able to have torque from the differential transfered into forward motion.

 

[jchristena]

So, I have had no problems on my 25. I don't tow a damn thing right now...just a grocery getter. They are supposed to pick it up for the recall on Tuesday. Am I better off just driving it until parts are readily available. Last thing I want is for them to keep my new truck for 6 months for something that I will never have a problem with.

 

[Snakebitten]

Are they saying that they CAN perform the recall?
That could only be true if they in fact DO have the axle/hub assemblies on hand.

Which would be fantastic news, by the way.

 

[rtf150]

I have not had the recall completed. I have had the axles replaced before the recall axle was available. I popped the center cap several times suspecting bolt shear. Appear to be intact. My failure is I never put a socket on it. I never even touched the bolt. Pulled cap…took a peak…snapped cap back on. I drove approx 35-40K with the sheared bolt. I know this based on the sound of the grinding I could hear. The louder it got the more times I checked for a sheared bolt. Short story is the bolt was sheared but never popped out of place so visually looked normal. I share this with you that it might give you peace of mind. Even when I drove the truck to dealership for the repair I was giving it hell in sport mode trying to shear the bolt! Because I knew something was wrong based on the noise…NOT based on performance or any other concern. I actually smoked the tires at every light and corner on the way. I could not get the axle to actually “fail”. It WAS failing no doubt. However I never felt a safety concern driving…just annoyed by the sound and the number of times I looked at the dang brakes and told the oil change guy…check them rear brakes for me! If you don’t hear a brake dragging sound or feel any slipping/slop in the axle…just drive it like normal. Currently I am scheduled for recall repair in December. Not ideal…but I’m also not broken! If it fails before then I know I’ll get moved to the front of the line. Wishing you the best with your truck and axle concern. It does suck…but I’ll take my defective axle on my truck over the competition for how I use my truck all day long.

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