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Ford Powertrain Recalls Involving Fluid Leaks and Wheel Detachment
⚠ 2 of these recalls carry a do-not-drive advisory.
The supplied Ford powertrain notices repeatedly describe fluid leaks, clutch fractures, driveshaft failures, and wheel attachment problems. Focus clutch fractures appear in the 2016-2018 notice and again in the notice covering 2015-2018 Focus and 2013-2016 Fusion vehicles. Front wheel hub extender concerns recur on certain 2021 and 2022-2023 Super Duty trucks. Transit Connect appears in both the 2019-2020 accumulator notice and the separate 2019-2020 engine overheating notice. Other examples include a melting clutch pressure line on 2024 Mustang vehicles, driveshaft weld fractures on certain 2020 Explorer vehicles, and unintended gear selection on certain 2018 F-150 trucks with the specified engine, transmission, and shifter.
Warning signs to watch for
- 2018 F-150 shifter recall, 17S35: quickly shifting from Park to Drive may remove the gear indication and momentarily select Reverse or Neutral.
- 2024 Mustang clutch pressure line recall, 24S36: loss of drive power.
- 2026 driveshaft recall, 26S13: sudden loss of drive power.
Can you keep driving? What the notices say
Two supplied recalls instruct owners not to drive: the May 2021 front wheel hub extender recall for certain 2021 F-350, F-450, F-550, and F-600 trucks, until wheel extender nut torque is verified; and the November 2023 hub extender recall for certain 2022-2023 Super Duty trucks, until repairs are performed. None of the supplied notices gives a park-outside instruction. The notices for the remaining clutch, accumulator, driveshaft, cooler line, axle bolt, overheating, and shifter recalls do not tell owners to stop driving.
What the free repair involves
Free remedies include software updates and clutch replacement as necessary under 18S07, accumulator replacement under 20S49, and driveshaft inspection and replacement as necessary under 20S65 and 26S13. For 24S36, dealers inspect and repair the Mustang clutch pressure line as necessary. For 25S32, dealers update Transit Connect PCM software free of charge.
Severity at a glance
| Severity | Recalls |
|---|---|
| critical | 11 |
| high | 41 |
| medium | 4 |
Models affected most
Where owners report power train problems most
NHTSA owner complaints filed under power train for the Ford models and years in this guide. Complaints are unverified reports and are not limited to the recalled defects.
| Vehicle | Power train complaints |
|---|---|
| 2020 Ford Explorer | 481 |
| 2019 Ford Edge | 455 |
| 2018 Ford Focus | 318 |
| 2018 Ford Escape | 269 |
| 2020 Ford Expedition | 257 |
| 2020 Ford Escape | 236 |
| 2019 Ford Expedition | 216 |
| 2020 Ford Edge | 181 |
Every recall in this group
Common questions
Which Ford powertrain recalls tell truck owners not to drive?
The May 2021 wheel hub extender notice prohibits driving until nut torque is verified. The November 2023 Super Duty hub extender notice prohibits driving until repairs are performed. These are the two stop-driving instructions in the supplied powertrain notices.
What repairs do the Ford Focus clutch notices describe?
Recall 18S07 specifies software that detects and prevents prolonged clutch slip, plus clutch replacement as necessary, free of charge. The June 2026 notice specifies free software updates and, for Focus vehicles, inspection and clutch assembly replacement as necessary, also free.
What is the overheating issue in the Transit Connect notice?
Recall 25S32 covers certain 2019-2020 Transit Connect vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under 20V-636. PCM temperature thresholds are higher than intended, potentially delaying engine cooling and causing overheating. Dealers update the PCM software free of charge.
A recall applies only to specific vehicles. Check your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.