A recall has been issued for all Australian-delivered Ford F-150s, with the full-size ute suffering from a potentially dangerous issue related to the vehicle’s steering system.
The Australian Government recall, which affects 443 units of the large American pickup, states that “the steering intermediate shaft may separate from the steering rack resulting in a loss of steering control”.
Ford Australia has released a statement regarding the new recall, stating that:
The new Ford F-150 has been hit with a recall
“We found a quality issue in a very small number of F-150s, which could potentially have led to a loss of steering whilst driving. This was picked up in the re-manufacturing plant and there have been no reported incidents in the field,” a spokesperson for the brand said.
The Blue Oval has confirmed that all 98 vehicles delivered to customers require an inspection “to confirm that the steering shaft has been installed correctly”. Chasing Cars confirmed with Ford that the remaining 345 vehicles are either in transit, or at dealerships.
The brand has said that the majority of inspections have already taken place.
Ford offers the F-150 in Australia in either XLT or Lariat grades
“Of these, none were found to have an incorrectly installed steering shaft, so all of these customers have now been cleared to drive their vehicle as normal. A few customers were travelling and away from their vehicles, so their vehicles are not being driven and will be inspected as soon as they’re accessible,” the statement continues.
Ford has said that the balance of potentially affected vehicles are being checked by their team or dealer network prior to delivery to customers.
Issue comes amid delivery halt of F-150s
Ford is working to resolve the recall steering issue
News of the recall comes after the F-150 was hit with issues relating to its turbocharger that affected at least three vehicles sold in Australia, with deliveries temporarily halted while the issue was investigated.
Ford offers the F-150 in Australia in short or long wheelbase, and in either XLT or Lariat trim, with prices starting at $106,950 before on-road costs and as high as $140,945 before on-road costs.
Standard equipment for the F-150 includes a 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine that produces 298kW/678Nm, a ten-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive and a 4500kg towing capacity.
Also included as standard are powered driver and front passenger seats, halogen headlights and 20-inch six-spoke alloy wheels. A 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.0-inch touchscreen are also standard.