Ford has announced a recall of over 600,000 vehicles in Canada and approximately 4.3 million in the U.S. due to a software problem that could lead to trailer brakes not working and exterior lights malfunctioning. The affected models include certain years of popular Ford vehicles such as F-150s, Super Duty trucks, Rangers, and Mavericks.
To address this issue, Ford will provide an over-the-air software update for the impacted vehicles. Customers can also opt for mobile service or visit a Ford dealership to have the update installed. The software update rollout is expected to be completed for most Canadian vehicles by the end of March and for all vehicles by the end of May.
The software glitch can disrupt communication between the vehicle and a trailer, resulting in non-functional stop lamps and turn signals on the trailer. In some instances, the trailer’s braking system may also fail. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has warned that defective trailer lights or brakes could compromise the driver’s ability to control the trailer, potentially leading to accidents.
Drivers will receive a “Trailer Brake Module Fault” message and experience rapid flashing of the turn signal indicator if their vehicle encounters communication issues related to the recall. Although Ford has reported 407 incidents possibly linked to the recall, no accidents or injuries have been attributed to this problem.