It’s been nearly two weeks since Ford last announced a vehicle recall, but the streak has been broken. The automaker with more recalls than any other this year – by far – has just said that the owners of 103,174 F-150 pickups from 2023 through 2025 will need to get some axle replacements. The problem is that the semi-floating axle design used on Max Tow package trucks could become fully floating, and not in a good way. This could cause the truck to roll away or lose power.

Max Duty Axle Not Delivering Max Durability

Opting for the Trailer Tow Max Duty package on the F-150 raises its towing capacity to as much as 13,500 pounds. There are some tech upgrades and other changes that get you to the maximum capacity, but really, it comes from a stronger rear axle. The 9.75-inch rear axle with a 3.73:1 gear and electronic locking is what Ford calls a 3/4 float axle.

The problem with the axle is the rear axle hub bolt. It secures the wheel hub to the axle shaft in the truck. The bolt can break due to fatigue, and that lets the axle shaft move in the hub. Ford describes them as “micro-movements,” but says that corrosion and time can let the amount of movement grow. When the parts move against each other, it can wear the splines in the rear hub. Once they’re worn enough, they strip out completely.

When the hub splines are stripped, there’s no longer a physical connection between the axle shaft and the hub. The axle shaft and hub can then spin independently. If the two parts spin independently, it can have two consequences. The first is that when the truck is parked without the parking brake on, the only thing holding it in place is the parking pawl in the transmission. If the splines let go, the truck can roll away, potentially causing a crash.

The second is that if the splines strip out while you’re driving, the truck could suddenly lose power transfer. You won’t be able to drive forward or reverse, so you’ll need to coast to the side of the road. The risk of a crash is high in that situation.

Fix Includes New Rear Axles

Customers might get some advanced notice of a failure. You might be able to hear a clicking noise or a rattle, but it’s not going to be easy to suss out by ear or feel.

The fix is a trip to the dealer to have both the left and right axle shaft assemblies replaced. The new parts come with an improved geometry and revised fasteners that solve the issue. Ford will start notifying customers this week, but it will be a phased recall. Some won’t be notified until as late as May 22, 2026. We’ve reached out to Ford to ask about the phasing, but we assume it’s related to either vehicle age or, since it’s related to corrosion, the state where it was sold.

Ford first learned of the issue in June 2025 as part of a follow-up into 2021-2023 model trucks, which were recalled for a similar failure. As of July 14, the automaker is aware of 194 warranty claims involving the affected trucks, but it is not aware of any accidents or injuries. Trucks built after May 21, 2025, are not affected. The Ford recall ID is 25S82.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration