Over the past two years or so, a couple of lawsuits have been filed over an issue with select 2020-2023 Ford Explorer models where the rear axle mounting bolt may fracture when the vehicle is accelerating, which can lead to severe noise and vibration, or worse – disconnected driveshafts and the potential for the vehicle to roll away when in park. Ford recalled these SUVs and instructed dealers to replace these defective rear axle mounting bolts with new parts, but some customers felt like this fix was inadequate – prompting these lawsuits. Now, one of those lawsuits has been voluntarily dismissed.
According to Car Complaints, this particular Ford Explorer lawsuit – Collier, et al., v. Ford Motor Company – was voluntarily dismissed by the plaintiffs, who previously claimed that the automaker’s recall fix was inadequate, resulting in a vehicle that isn’t safe to drive. Only two Ford Explorer trims from the 2020-2023 model years came equipped with two rear axle bolts instead of one – the Platinum and ST – which offer up more in terms of power than other trims utilizing one rear axle bolt.
Ford first issued a recall for those models back in April 2022, after it discovered that the rear axle mounting bolt may fracture during vehicle acceleration, instructing dealers to replace that bolt with a new one. However, shortly thereafter, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into the matter to determine if this fix was adequate. The agency opted to close that investigation early last year after Ford issued another recall instructing dealers to replace the subframe bushing and rear axle bolt in affected vehicles.
Meanwhile, as Ford Authority reported last October, the refreshed 2025 Ford Explorer now features one rear axle bolt for all trims, which may seem a bit odd given the issues experienced by prior models, but the automaker updated its bushing and connecting interface to make it stronger in that regard.
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