Ford Recalls Super Duty Trucks Over Possible Rollaway Problem

Many things can happen to a vehicle that you do not think about. For example, let's say that your vehicle hits a pothole, and when you get back to your home, you find that the tire has begun to look like a donut with a flat spot on the bottom. Or, let's say that you pull in to fill up your vehicle, and you forget to fasten the gas cap tightly. If your vehicle was built in the last 20 years or so, then the chances are good that the engine warning light will come on simply because the seal isn't tight enough. As more than one motorist has learned, it is an easy thing to miss.

Ford Recalls 2020 Super Duty Trucks

Whether you drive a car, an SUV, or a truck, such problems can affect you. For example, what would happen if you pull in to park your Ford Super Duty pickup, place the truck into Park, and it starts to roll away, headed toward traffic speeding by on a major local highway? The answer could be a real problem for you and the traffic.

It is why Ford has recalled 23,000 2020 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 trucks.

According to information filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), debris within the transmission may keep the vehicle from achieving or holding the Park setting. It could increase the risk of the Super Duty rolling away, causing a crash.

Debris Can Prevent Park Usage

The debris is from a washer that may disintegrate in the transmission resulting in metal debris that can become lodged in the Park mechanism (a mechanical pawl that mates with a slot in the driveshaft and keeps the truck from rolling). The vehicles involved are Super Duty trucks equipped with Ford's Duramax 6.7-liter diesel engine.

Ford will notify owners of the affected vehicles at the end of May. Once owners have received their notification letters, they can take their trucks to their dealers, where technicians will replace a gearset within the transmission.

Consumer Contact Info

For more information, owners can contact Ford customer service at 866-436-7332. The Ford recall identifier for this is 22S22. Or, they can contact NHTSA at the agency's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236. Or owners can go to the agency's website at www.nhtsa.gov. The NHTSA identifier is 22V256.

Photo courtesy Ford Motor Co.

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 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 Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, AutoWeek, SuperStock, Trailer Life, Old Cars Weekly, Special Interest Autos, etc. You can follow me on: Twitter or Facebook.