Ford Adds To Recall List With 2021 Edges and F-350/F-450 Trucks

Following Ford's announced recall of 200,000 Transit Connect vans to repair a transmission cable bushing that could allow the vans to roll, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the agency that controls vehicle recalls, announced a pair of recalls affecting Ford vehicles.

First Recall The Largest

The second of three recalls affects 2021 Ford Edge Crossovers, while the second affects trailer hitches on F-350/F-450 Super Duty trucks.

In the first recall, announced during the weekend, Ford recalled 2013-2021 Ford Transit Connect vans to repair transmission cable bushings. This is the second major recall affecting the six-speed automatic transmission that debuted in 2007 models. Ford had earlier recalled 500,000 2013-2014 Fusion and Escape vehicles for the same problem. Ford announces major recall of Transit Connect Vans to repair faulty transmission bushing.

The problem involves a faulty bushing that allows drivers to select the Park position on the transmission gearshift. However, the transmission remains in Drive, allowing the vehicle to engage in unintended movement. The six-speed transmission was mated to the 2.3-liter four.

Ford recently announced the recall of 660,000 Explorers To Repair Roof Rails

In the second recall, the driver's seatbelt assembly fails to work as intended. In a small recall involving 82 2021 Ford Edge vehicles, the driver's seatbelt retractor pretensioner assembly may not function correctly in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Meanwhile, Ford recalled Transit Connect vans to repair faulty rear wheel flange studs.

Owner notification will begin on June 14, when letters are mailed to the owners of the vehicles affected. Dealers will replace the driver's seatbelt retractor pretensioner assembly free of charge.

3rd Recall Involves Ford Super Duty Trucks

For more information, owners can contact Ford customer service at 866-436-7332. Ford's identification number for this recall is 21C13. The NHTSA identification number is 21V377. Owners can also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236. Or, you may visit their website at www.safercar.gov.

In the third recall, Ford has recalled nearly 1,800 2021 Ford Super Duty F-350/F-450 trucks, equipped with left-hand-mounting trailer mounting brackets. It is possible, NHTSA notes, that a cracked mounting bracket could result in the fifth wheel detaching from the vehicle while towing, increasing the risk of crashes.

Dealers will mail notification letters to the 1,796 vehicles affected by the recall on June 21. Dealers will inspect the mounting bracket and replace it if necessary, free of charge.

Customer Contact Information Listed

As with the other recalls, owners can contact Ford Customer Service at 866-436-7332. Or they can contact the safety agency's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-7332 or go to its website at www.safercar.gov. The Ford number for this recall is 21S23. The NHTSA identifier is 21V379.

Marc Stern has been an automotive writer since 1971 when an otherwise normal news editor said, "You're our new car editor," and dumped about 27 pounds of auto stuff on my desk. I was in heaven as I have been a gearhead from my early days. As a teen, I spent the usual number of misspent hours hanging out at gas stations Shell and Texaco (a big thing in my youth) and working on cars. From there on, it was a straight line to my first column for the paper, "You Auto Know," an enterprise that I handled faithfully for 32 years. Not too many people know that I also handled computer documentation for a good part of my living while writing YAN. My best writing, though, was always in cars. My work has appeared in venues including Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, AutoWeek, SuperStock, Trailer Life, Old Cars Weekly, Special Interest Autos, and others. You can follow me on: Twitter or Facebook.