— A Ford F-250 and F-350 front axle recall has been announced for more than 9,600 trucks with front axles that may not have been welded properly.
Ford says the 2019 F-250 and F-350 front axles may have wheel end yokes that weren't correctly welded to the axle tube ends.
A driver could experience steering problems including pulling to the right or left, misalignment of the steering wheel or change in steering sensitivity.
Ford says the supplier should have quarantined certain parts that were placed into the front axle assemblies.
Ford received a report in January about a truck that braked hard and the steering pulled even though the truck had less than 600 miles on the odometer. Engineers checked the front axle and found the left-hand side axle yoke had rotated due to an improper weld.
No additional reports were found from the field, but the supplier couldn't verify certain parts weren't used in the axle assembly.
"Analysis of the production control process found inconsistencies with adherence to set-up part handling requirements. Review of the potential vehicle implications for an improperly welded axle yoke attachment found the most likely effect to be a steering pull, though yoke detachment from the axle could not be ruled out." - Ford
Another axle report was received and again it involved a welding problem that caused the driver to feel the steering pull to the side during hard braking.
Although Ford couldn't find any crash or injury reports, the automaker issued the recall because of the obvious dangers caused by the axle welds.
A truck driver may hear a loud popping noise from the front axle during hard braking.
The Ford truck axle recall is expected to begin November 9, 2020. Ford dealerships will inspect the front axle wheel yoke weld locations and replace the axle assemblies if problems are found.
Ford F-250 and F-350 owners may call 866-436-7332 and use recall reference number 20S56.
CarComplaints.com has complaints from drivers of Ford F-250 and F-350 trucks.