Rear axle bolt failure...AGAIN!!

[FirstTimeFord]

Got mine today for my 23 Platty, UGH! Good chance they'll fix one thing while they screw up another. Dread letting someone else be behind the wheel of my truck. Good luck to us all. Good luck making it to the "we found a fix" and good luck with the "we fixed it". The days of getting what you paid for are long gone. That's everywhere you go these days.

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[oneinch]

I don't understand why they don't replace both sides.

Took my truck in for an oil change. Guess what? Broken axle bolt. Dealer told me that Ford is requiring both bolts to be replaced now. They've had my truck one week so far. One bolt is replaced. Waiting on another. I'm fortunate I have another vehicle to drive, but I took their rental anyway. Failures have consequences.

 

[Chieftwoguns]

This is really beginning to piss me off. I've had a second axle bolt failure, this time on the other side. Apparently there is a group of engineers and analysts somewhere in the engineering staff at FORD that has no idea of Fracture Critical Parts, Single Point Failures and redundancy of fracture critical parts. If a single bolt fails and renders my vehicle as unsafe to drive, then there should be redundant fasteners. FORD you need to conduct a Failure review board and determine the root cause of the bolts shearing and issue a recall and have the affected parts replaced. I'm not sure how the design of the axels on the Explores are designed but I have read that those axle bolts fail as well. As soon as I finish this post I will be writing to NHTSA to submit a compliant.

I had this happen twice on the same passenger side on my 22 lariat… they don’t have a fix as far as my dealer knows. They just put the same port back in. Ford paid for it both times…

 

[gkaz]

New to the forum.

Add another 2023 to the list. I think one of the reasons why there’s less of them is simply because they haven’t been around long enough to have as many broken bolts as the older models yet.

Mine was found during a 10 K service. I heard a slight rattling sound for a couple of months and thought it was a stone up in the wheel.

Since I’m not covered by the recall (yet) it’s going to be interesting to see how it’s handled under warranty. They told me to bring it back next week and I have to leave it for a couple of days while they work it out with Ford.

 

[Snakebitten]

It's a warranty repair if you shear a bolt and your truck is still warrantied, regardless of any TSB or CSP or Recall.

At least that's how I see it being handled. I mean, your bolt shears, the truck is under warranty, you take it to the factory authorized service center, they repair the truck.

 

[bloodocean]

Since I’m not covered by the recall (yet) it’s going to be interesting to see how it’s handled under warranty. They told me to bring it back next week and I have to leave it for a couple of days while they work it out with Ford.

Welcome to the (2023) club. File a complaint with NHTSA, Ford won't expand the recall voluntarily and the build date range criteria they've got in the recall is utter nonsense.

 

[JoeRedFly]

This is news to me, I hadn't heard the 2023s were having an issue outside the date range of the recall. Is this as common as the other years or a rare occurrence? I have a '23 with 14k miles that so far hasn't broken a bolt.

 

[gkaz]

My question about how it’s going to be handled under warranty is because this is not just a “normal “warranty problem. This is an ongoing and well known design problem where my vehicle currently falls outside of their date range.

On one hand cars within the date range might be getting additional proactive repairs, where is my warranty repair might be replace the bolt and leave it at that. No new axle etc.

It’s all just speculation until they actually start the work, but that was what I was wondering about. I have to drop it off for three days for them to simply “evaluate it“ I asked about a rental car and I was told that since it hasn’t been confirmed to be a warranty repair, they would not pay for a rental car. (This is my only vehicle)

what frosted me a bit is that the work order says “customer states rear axle bolt is broken“. This was discovered by their own mechanic when he rotated my tires. I don’t know why they could not have started a warranty claim right there on the spot

As far as the recalls and reporting it to the feds, i’ve already reported it..

And lastly, yes, I’ve seen plenty of 2023‘s already having a problem. As I said, I suspect there are fewer of them simply because they haven’t been around as long for the bolts Issues to show up in similar numbers.

 

[Buyer2021]

My question about how it’s going to be handled under warranty is because this is not just a “normal “warranty problem.

Actually, given failure of a warranty-eligible component that's not covered under a VIN-specific recall, yours is a 'normal' warranty claim (with all of the sometimes frustrating 'normal warranty' claim procedures and protocols that entails).

This is an ongoing and well known design problem where my vehicle currently falls outside of their date range.

Perhaps true insofar as recall status, but that has no bearing on the warranty status.

 

[lilburnedbear]

Aaannnnd it happed again. Right rear. Fully snapped off. Scheduling another interim repair...

The Driver's side luckily still fine. Is anyone actually prophylactically swapping the unbroken bolts out on any kind of regular basis?

 

[Snakebitten]

Aaannnnd it happed again. Right rear. Fully snapped off. Scheduling another interim repair...

The Driver's side luckily still fine. Is anyone actually prophylactically swapping the unbroken bolts out on any kind of regular basis?

I do.
But I don't use Ford's bolt or torque spec.

Aftermarket 12x1.75 at ~84ftlbs
I pull and inspect at tire rotation
I swapped after two rotations just for fun. (10,000 miles)

 

[gkaz]

lilburnedbear, when did you have the bolt replaced? I’m wondering how long my non-recall repair will last.

Anyone hear any updates on when the permanent fix will be available?

It was supposed to be announced first quarter of 2025. The quarter is almost 2/3 over.

 

[Captain Dirty Beard]

What a joke. I think I'd be replacing those bolts on my own, with a class 12.9, or maybe even a stud, with a Nord-lock washer on top of the OEM thick washer

McMaster-Carr

 

[lilburnedbear]

lilburnedbear, when did you have the bolt replaced? I’m wondering how long my non-recall repair will last.

Anyone hear any updates on when the permanent fix will be available?

It was supposed to be announced first quarter of 2025. The quarter is almost 2/3 over.

Its been almost about 18 months - July 2023. I think like Snakebitten, I'm going to start swapping bolts at 10K or 12k intervals.

 

[HammaMan]

Aaannnnd it happed again. Right rear. Fully snapped off. Scheduling another interim repair...

The Driver's side luckily still fine. Is anyone actually prophylactically swapping the unbroken bolts out on any kind of regular basis?

Ask them to torque to 84lbs and NOT TO YIELD IT.
Just leave it alone.

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