DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford is recalling nearly 243,000 Maverick small pickup trucks in the U.S. because the tail lights may not illuminate.
The company says a computer can falsely detect too much current on one or both of the tail lamps, causing them to stay dark while the trucks are being driven. That can increase the risk of a crash.
The recall covers certain pickups from the 2022 through 2024 model years.
Ford says it has no reports of any crashes or injuries due to the problem. Headlights, turn signals and brake lights will still work.
Documents posted Wednesday on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website say dealers will update software to fix the problem at no cost to owners. Notification letters will be mailed starting May 20.
It's the second recall in less than a month to include the Maverick trucks.
In April, Ford issued a recall for more than 456,000 Bronco Sport and Maverick vehicles due to a battery detection issue that can result in loss of drive power, increasing crash risks.
According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the body and power train control modules for these cars may fail to detect changes in battery charge. And when undetected, a low battery charge can cause an unexpected loss of drive power — including sudden stalling or inability to restart — and the use of other electric capabilities like hazard lights.
That recall covers about 403,000 model year 2021-2024 Bronco Sports produced between February 2020 and March 2024, as well as more than 53,000 model year 2022-2023 Mavericks manufactured from February 2021 to October 2022, a recall report dated Friday notes.