- Ford is recalling over 412,000 older Explorers due to a rear suspension issue that has caused two accidents, albeit no injuries.
- The recall involves 2017 to 2019 Explorer models, which may have defective rear toe links that are prone to breaking.
- Ford will ask owners to bring their vehicles in so that the original toe links can be replaced with stronger ones that are more resistant to corrosion.
If you drive an older Ford Explorer, specifically a 2017–2019 model, it could have a rear suspension that's compromised. The issue involves components that could fail and cause an accident, so Ford is recalling 412,774 examples to fix the issue and help prevent any future accidents.
The Explorers that are affected by the recall have rear toe links that are susceptible to failure. According to a recall document that Ford submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the rear toe links may fracture under load, which could reduce steering control and cause a crash. Signs of trouble can vary from a misaligned rear wheel to a clunking noise to abnormal handling. In the NHTSA report, Ford says that it's aware of two accidents resulting from the problem, though no injuries were reported.
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Ford says it's still investigating the cause of the problem, but the automaker thinks the cross-axis ball joints may seize and bend the rear toe link, which could lead to the part breaking. Regardless, Ford is asking owners to bring their Explorers into an authorized dealer to replace the old rear toe links with revised versions that are stronger and less likely to corrode, improving their resistance to a seized ball joint. Owners will be notified by mail by March 13, 2026. Affected models are now searchable on the NHTSA recalls website here.
Eric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual '97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a '90 Honda CRX Si.
