Is Ford Making The Mustang From Glass These Days?

Another day, another Ford Mustang recall. At this point, I've lost track of how many times the Mustang has been recalled this year alone.

This time, Ford is calling back 4,595 2024 Mustangs because of a potential rear upright failure. According to NHTSA the rear suspension in the affected vehicles may be built with an upright that contains a casting imperfection–the imperfection has the potential to cause the upright to fracture under load.

The rear upright, or knuckle, is one of the most critical components of a rear wheel drive vehicle; it connects the wheel hub to the suspension control arms, tie rods, and shock absorbers. When you get an alignment the movement of the suspension arms is ultimately manipulating the uprights position relative to the chassis.

So when the knuckle fractures it turns the carefully designed suspension geometry into a middle-school abstraction. A fractured upright will reduce vehicle lateral stiffness and result in significant toe-in or toe-out of the rear tire under pitch–braking or throttle application. Drivers may experience limited vehicle steering control as a result, increasing the risk of a crash. As of now, Ford is only aware of two 2024 Mustangs in the wild with fractured rear uprights as a result of the defective part.

Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the rear suspension knuckle serial numbers inspected to determine if they are affected parts. If affected knuckles are found, they will be replaced at no charge. Dealers will also inspect any new in-stock vehicles and must replace any affected parts before delivery.

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