Ford Motor Company has issued a recall for 103,174 F-150 pickup trucks, citing concerns over faulty rear axle hub bolts that could break.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report has identified that the affected vehicles come with the Trailer Tow Max Duty package and a 9.75-inch heavy-duty axle.
These trucks, which have a three-quarter float axle design, were manufactured between 2 January 2023 and 21 May 21 2025.
The auto regulator’s report indicates that the rear axle hub bolt may succumb to fatigue, leading to a breakage that prevents it from securing the hub splines to the axle shaft splines.
The resulting micro-movement, particularly in corrosive environments, may wear down the hub splines and compromise torque transfer to the wheel end.
This defect could potentially cause the vehicle to roll away when parked without the parking brake engaged or result in a motive power loss during 4X2 operation, increasing the crash risk.
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By GlobalDataThe cause of the issue has been attributed to fretting wear between the hub and axle splines, with displaced particles leading to corrosion and accelerated wear.
Customers might notice a clicking noise if the rear axle hub bolt loosens, or a rattle noise if the bolt breaks.
NHTSA estimates that only about 1% of the vehicles are affected by this defect.
Ford plans to notify owners via mail, directing them to take their trucks to a Ford or Lincoln dealer for a no-cost replacement of the left and right rear axle shaft assemblies.
These replacements will feature revised spline geometry and fasteners.
The notification period for the planned remedy is scheduled between 18 August 18 2025, and 22 May 2026.
As of now, Ford is not “aware” of any injuries or accidents associated with this condition.
In July 2025, the company recalled 694,271 vehicles globally due to a potential fuel injector issue that could lead to underhood fires, affecting certain Ford Bronco Sport and Ford Escape models with 1.5L engines.
