- Vehicles
- 238,364
- Built between
- Not published
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 19 January 2024
- Repaired
- 71%
- Unrepaired
- 64,741
Does this affect my vehicle?
The manufacturer did not publish a build-date range for this recall, so the model and year list below is the only way to tell whether your vehicle is covered.
- 2020-2022 Ford Explorer
Repair progress
64,741 of 238,364 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q2 2026.
71% repaired — 170,022 of 238,364 reported
- Owners not reachable
- 3,596
- Scrapped or exported
- 5
Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.
What the defect is
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Explorer vehicles. The rear axle horizontal mounting bolt may fracture and cause the driveshaft to disconnect.
What could happen
A disconnected driveshaft can result in a loss of drive power or a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not applied. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
Dealers will replace the subframe bushing and rear axle bolt. They will also inspect the rear axle cover for damage near the bolt hole location and replace with a new cover if any damage is found. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 19, 2024.
Parts involved
- BushingL1MW-4B425-BABushing
Part numbers are as filed by the manufacturer and are listed for reference. Your dealer will confirm the correct part for your vehicle.
Timeline
- Recall reported to NHTSA6 October 2023
- Owners notified19 January 2024
- Latest repair reportQ2 2026 — 71% repaired
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 6 October 2023.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S55.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- 23S55
- Recalling manufacturer
- Ford Motor Company
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.