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Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator Recalled to Replace Improperly Heat-Treated Engine Rails

On April 20th, the Chicago Assembly Plant began to experience a bolt strip-out condition when securing the front subframe to the front apron. Autokiniton Global Group, the supplier of the engine rail sub-assembly, was promptly informed of this problem by Ford to help identify the root cause.
Ford Explorer 32 photos
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The sub-tier supplier analysis concluded that mechanical properties didn’t meet specifications, namely the design intent yield strength requirement. 58 MPa as opposed to 260 MPa, is a tremendous difference. The sub-tier supplier identified no fewer than 656 engine rails sub-assemblies that were sent out for a questionable repair procedure that annealed the material.

367 of the 656 units were shipped to the Chicago Assembly Plant in April 2022, prompting the Ford Motor Company to issue a stop-ship order. Workers then inspected in excess of 5,000 vehicles in the plant’s yard for engine rail hardness. The Ford Supplier Technical Assistance division introduced this concern to the Ford Critical Concern Review Group’s meeting on May 10th, resulting in the opening of a formal investigation by the CCRG.

Workers continued to inspect Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles in the plant’s yard, identifying 60 out-of-spec rails. The Chicago Assembly Plant discovered that an unknown quantity of suspect rails may have been scrapped by the body shop without any sort of formal documentation.

The Ford Motor Company still hasn’t found 77 suspect rails, which may have been built into vehicles that were shipped to dealers. Analysis of three engine rail ground strap bolts was used to identify vehicles that may have been produced with the suspect engine rails. On the upside, Ford isn’t aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this unnerving concern.

A grand total of 1,000 vehicles are called back, split between Explorers and Aviators produced from April 4th to May 4th. Due to degraded mechanical properties, the rails in these vehicles don’t comply with the federally-mandated standard for occupant protection and fuel system integrity.

Annealed engine rails may come loose from the front subframe, leading to clunking noises during acceleration, deceleration, or when driving over an irregularity such as a pothole or speedbump. Known customers will be informed of the recall from August 1st through August 5th. Dealers will first inspect the affected Explorers and Aviators. If the rails are out of spec, “owners will have the option for a vehicle replacement or buyback.”
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 Download: Ford Explorer/Lincoln Aviator recall (PDF)

About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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