Ford Is Recalling 217,000 F-150s For Headlights That Are Too Bright

The new LEDs in F-150s are just too bright, apparently. Ford Motor Company is issuing a safety compliance recall and two safety recalls in North America.

The safety compliance recall is for select 2018-20 Ford F-150 vehicles with LED headlamps. When the daytime running lamps on affected vehicles are illuminated and the master lighting switch is manually rotated from the auto lamp position to the headlamp-on (low-beam) position, the daytime running lamps remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamp intensity as required by federal motor vehicle safety standards. This may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.

Ford is not aware of any reports of accidents or injuries related to this condition.

This recall affects 166,196 vehicles in the U.S. and federal territories and 50,989 in Canada.

Affected vehicles were built at Dearborn Truck Plant, Jan. 5, 2017, to Oct. 10, 2019, and Kansas City Assembly Plant, Jan. 25, 2017, to Oct. 10, 2019.

Dealers will update the body control module software configuration. The Ford reference number for this recall is 20C03.

The second safety recall is for select 2015-16 Ford F-150 vehicles for the engine block heater cable. Ford is issuing a safety recall for select 2015-16 Ford F-150 vehicles equipped with engine heater elements and 3.5-liter GTDI engines. Depending on the heater element location, some vehicles may have cables with insufficient heat protection and incorrect length. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can cause a resistive short, inoperative engine block heater, and/or tripping of household breakers or GFCI-equipped outlets while the vehicle is parked and the block heater is plugged in.

The risk to safety exists only while the vehicle is parked and the block heater cable is plugged into an electrical outlet. A resistive short in the engine-block heater splice connector can increase the risk of overheated or melted wiring and fire. Customers are advised to not use the engine block heater cable until their vehicle is inspected.

Ford is not aware of any reports of fire, accident or injury related to this condition.

This action affects 13,854 vehicles in the U.S. and federal territories and 19,679 in Canada.

Affected vehicles were built at Dearborn Truck Plant July 31, 2014, to Sept. 27, 2016, and Kansas City Assembly Plant, Feb. 10, 2015, to Oct. 15, 2016.

Dealers will inspect the block heater and cable and repair or replace as necessary. The Ford reference number for this recall is 20S08.

The third safety recall is for select 2020 Ford F-Series Super Duty and 2021 Ford E-Series vehicles. In some affected vehicles, there may be an inadequate amount of axle lubricant. This can result in bearing seizure, leading to component fracture and driveshaft separation from the rear axle. In the event of a rear-axle pinion stem fracture, customers would experience loss of vehicle motive power and loss of the park function. If the parking brake is not applied, this could result in unintended vehicle movement, increasing the risk of injury or crash.

Ford is not aware of any reports of accidents or injuries related to this condition.

This action affects 319 vehicles in the U.S. and seven in Canada.

Affected vehicles include:

• 2020 Ford F-Series Super Duty vehicles built at Kentucky Truck Plant Jan. 12-14, 2020
• 2021 Ford E-Series vehicles built at Ohio Assembly Plant Jan. 2-16, 2020

Dealers will check the differential fluid level. If the fluid is at the proper level, no further action will be taken. If the fluid level is determined to be low, the rear axle assembly will be replaced. The Ford reference number for this recall is 20S09.