• Ford is recalling nearly one million SUVs and pickups because of incomplete information in the owner's manual. Auto123 has the details.
There’s a positive way to spin the latest Ford recall just announced. Yes another Ford recall. Except that this time the issue is not linked to a problem affecting the vehicles themselves.
The problem this time is that information is missing from the owner's manuals of the affected vehicles, specifically concerning the head restraints.
The recall affects 2018-2023 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs equipped with third-row seats. Other modles impacted are the 2019-2023 F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550 and F-600 Super Duty pickup trucks in crew cab or regular cab configurations, equipped with a front bench seat that can accommodate three occupants. In all, 979,797 vehicles are covered.
Missing from the owner's manual are instructions on how to adjust and remove these headrests, which could increase the risk of injury in the event of an accident. Ford’s fix is to send owners an appendix for the manual containing this information. The manufacturer will start informing owners on July 10.
The good news is that people won't have to go out of their way. With many vehicles now offering virtual manuals, a simple online update would have sufficed.
Ford firs learned of a problem with the manual on May 11. The reason for the recall is that incomplete manuals are a violation of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.
Ford's statistics will have to take this campaign into account, however. According to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), Ford has issued 29 recalls since the beginning of 2023, covering 4.1 million vehicles. Last year, the company led the industry with its recalls affecting some 8.6 million models.
We've already touched on the subject: Ford is working to improve the quality of its models. Earlier this year, we reported on rigorous new controls at the plant where the Super Duty model is built. It will be some time before we see results, but they seem determined to reduce the number of recall campaigns.
When we draw up the company's balance sheet for 2023, we should remember that one million models have been recalled due to this lack of an owner's manual.