— Ford Explorer rear toe-link problems have allegedly caused at least six injuries and a recall of nearly 775,000 Explorers worldwide.
The 2013-2017 Ford Explorers are recalled in the U.S. where road salt is applied in the winter, and Ford will conduct a customer service program for non-corrosion states.
"In the U.S., the affected vehicles are located in high-corrosion states as defined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or in regions with a combination of cold winter weather with relative high humidity and substantial road salt use."
The Ford Explorer recall includes 676,152 SUVs in North America, 59,935 in China, 13,162 in Europe, 190 in South America and 25,257 elsewhere.
According to Ford, an affected Explorer may suffer from a seized cross-axis ball joint that causes a fractured rear suspension toe-link.
Explorer owners should be aware of clunk noises, problems with steering or misaligned rear wheels. And you better hold on if a toe-link breaks while driving.
The Explorers were built in Chicago between September 4, 2012, and September 30, 2017, and also built in Russia between January 28, 2013, and July 28, 2017.
Ford Explorer recall notices will be mailed the week of August 23, 2021. Ford dealers will inspect the cross-axis ball joints, replace the cross-axis ball joints/knuckles as necessary and replace the toe links with new parts.
If you drive a recalled Ford Explorer and have concerns, please call 866-436-7332. The Ford recall reference number is 21S32.
