The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has closed Recall Query RQ24-003 without manufacturer action, accepting Ford’s data that 2021–2022 E-350 and E-450 dual-rear-wheel chassis previously cleared by inspection have a predicted hydraulic line failure rate of less than 0.25% over 10 years. The Office of Defects Investigation opened the query in February 2024 to test the scoping of recall 24V097, Ford’s expanded remedy that replaced hydraulic lines on uninspected vehicles and those passed within the prior 12 months. Vehicles that had cleared inspection earlier than that window were excluded, and the agency’s review supported that boundary.
Highlights
- ODI opened RQ24-003 in late February 2024 to evaluate the scope of recall 24V097, which followed earlier campaign 22V089 on the same defect.
- Ford data showed an under-0.25% predicted 10-year failure rate for vehicles that passed inspection more than 12 months before 24V097 — versus a roughly 2% prior failure rate among vehicles brought back into scope.
- ODI cited complaint and warranty data corroborating Ford’s assessment when closing the query.
- The closure does not preclude future agency action if new data emerges.
Defect background and original remedy
The underlying defect involves hydraulic lines on dual-rear-wheel E-350 and E-450 chassis that could leak, producing a sudden loss of power steering and power brake assist and raising crash risk. Ford issued the original recall, 22V089, in February 2022. Its remedy was a dealer inspection of the affected lines, with replacement only on vehicles that failed inspection. Vehicles that passed received no new hardware.
Roughly two years later, Ford issued recall 24V097 — internally referenced as 24S07 — to install new hydraulic lines on any vehicle that had not yet been inspected under 22V089 and on any vehicle that had passed inspection within the preceding 12 months. Ford excluded vehicles cleared by inspection more than a year before the new campaign, judging their failure likelihood to be low.
What ODI found
ODI’s questions centered on whether the 12-month inspection-pass cutoff was defensible. The agency issued an information request to Ford in April 2024 and received a full response at the end of May 2024.
Ford’s submission projected a less-than-0.25% defect rate over 10 years on inspected-only vehicles falling outside the new recall’s scope. The vehicles brought into scope by 24V097 had shown a roughly 2% failure rate before being recalled again — an order-of-magnitude gap that ODI accepted as the rationale for the cutoff. The agency’s own analysis of consumer complaints and warranty data did not contradict Ford’s projection.
In closing the query, ODI noted that the action does not amount to a finding that no safety-related defect exists and that the agency retains the right to revisit the matter.
Industry context
The 8x difference between the failure rates inside and outside 24V097’s scope is the analytical hinge of the closure. Recall-query decisions on inspection-pass populations typically turn on whether residual failure projections approach the rate in the recalled population; here, the projected rate sits well below typical action thresholds, which is consistent with ODI’s recent posture on inspection-remedy effectiveness in commercial chassis campaigns.
What to Know
Which vehicles are covered by recall 24V097?
The expanded recall covers 2021–2022 Ford E-350 and E-450 cutaway and stripped chassis with dual rear wheels that had not been inspected under 22V089, plus units that passed inspection within the 12 months preceding 24V097. Owners can verify status by VIN through Ford or at NHTSA.gov.
What should owners of older inspection-pass vehicles do?
Vehicles cleared by inspection more than 12 months before recall 24V097 are not included in the new campaign. ODI’s review found no statistical basis for further action on this population, but owners experiencing power steering or brake assist warnings should contact a Ford dealer immediately.
Does the closure clear Ford of further liability on this defect?
No. NHTSA explicitly noted that closing RQ24-003 is not a determination that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency can reopen the matter if new failure data, complaints, or warranty trends warrant it.
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