A motorhome upfitting company that Ford contracted to build the off-road (not so) capable Transit Trail model screwed up. The company appears not to have taken the size of the tires into account, and that means that they can rub against the wheel well, leading to a recall.
Ford started receiving complaints about this issue in January 2024, and its engineers quickly started looking into it. Under testing, it was able to induce rubbing of the front tires at turning angles of as little as 60 percent, when the vehicle was fully loaded and the brakes were applied.
Read: Rugged 2023 Ford Transit Trail Takes Van Life Off The Grid
Although Ford says that it is not aware of any accidents relating to this issue, it does constitute a risk to safety. In addition to being annoying, if the tire rubs against the wheel arch, it can cause a blowout, which is the last thing you want when you’re, say, braking and turning.
That can increase the odds of a crash, and it’s a particular concern in a vehicle that is specifically designed for overlanding. From the factory, the van gets a 3.5-inch ride height increase, a 2.75 inch wider track, and 30.5-inch Goodyear Wrangler Workhorse all-terrain tires that are wrapped around 16-inch black alloy wheels.
The Transit Trail also designed to be filled with everything you need to go camping, so the odds of it being at or near its weight limit are high.
Although it is only aware of seven specific vehicles whose drivers have complained about rubbing, Ford is recalling a total of 1,902 Transit Trails from the 2023 to 2024 model years. Unfortunately, the automaker has yet to get the bottom of this issue, and is not aware of what its root cause is. That means that it doesn’t have a remedy for the issue yet.
All the same, Ford will get in touch with Transit Trail owners starting on April 8, and will alert them to the risk of tire rubbing, while informing them that an investigation is under way. It will then contact them again to finish the recall once a fix has been found.
