Swelling from 372 on June 10 up to 5,675, Ford expanded its recall of 2014 F-150 pickups on June 24 and urged truck owners to keep them off the roads until the repairs have been made at a certified dealership.
The recall was initiated after the discovery of an improperly placed motor-position sensor inside of the 2014 F-150's Electronic Power Assist Steering (EPAS), which could result in a loss of power steering while driving. At this point, no accidents have been attributed to the issue with the pickups' EPAS gears.
The issue was brought to Ford's attention by a supplier on June 17 after a review of data in the original recall indicated the issue was more prevalent than initially thought. The pickup trucks involved in the recall were manufactured between May 26 and June 19.
Only 260 of the 5,675 vehicles involved in the recall have been delivered to consumers, while the rest remained in the possession of dealerships or were on their way to dealers. Owners of the 2014 F-150s have been urged to contact dealers for repairs and dealerships have been warned to halt demos of the pickups until they have replaced the EPAS gears.
Ford reaffirmed its commitment to quality in a June 24 press release.
"Ford is committed to providing our customers with top quality vehicles," stated the release. "We are equally committed to addressing potential issues and responding quickly for our customers."
The recall of the 2014 Ford F-150 pickups was announced on June 10. Ford released a technical manual that advised F-150 owners on the process of disconnecting the EPAS system so the trucks could be driven at low speeds to receive repairs at dealerships.
Ford offered to compensate dealers who provide rental vehicles to customers who owned the recalled trucks. In addition to the $55 per diem Ford offered to pay to cover rental fees, the company offered to compensate dealers with up to $300 for delivery and pickup at a location determined by the customer.
Ford recalled approximately 1.4 million vehicles over the course of four campaigns in May 2014. Those recalled vehicles included Ford Escapes, Mercury Mariners and Ford Explorers, with issues related to the automobiles' power steering systems. Three of the four recalls were the result of urging from regulatory committees in the U.S. and Canada.
Those owning Ford vehicles can visit the automaker's website and search for recall notices by vehicle identification numbers.
