Ford Mustang recalled for phantom steering, again

Ford is recalling a small number of recent Mustang models a second time to address a steering issue because the remedy from a previous recall may not have been applied correctly.

The recall of just 332 vehicles from model years 2022 and 2023 addresses an improperly calibrated secondary steering torque sensor, which could cause the steering wheel to turn unintentionally side-to-side, according to the NHTSA.

Ford issued its first recall for this problem last July, covering 30,735 Mustangs built between Sept. 15, 2022, and Apr. 5, 2023. Those cars were sent back to dealerships to have a software update performed on their power steering control modules. But that software update was done incorrectly on some vehicles, although recall work was recorded as being successfully completed in Ford’s records.

According to the NHTSA report for the current recall, dealers were instructed to complete the previous recall by uploading software using a Ford-specific service tool, which downloads the latest software provided by the automaker. In this case, that tool did not provide the correct software for uploading to the vehicles.

Incorrect software means that, although the recalled vehicles are checked off as being fixed, the phantom steering problem could still occur. Ford told the NHTSA that it still isn’t aware of any crashes or injuries related to this problem though.

Owners will have to take their cars back to dealerships, where the correct software will be uploaded free of charge. Ford plans to notify owners of this by mail starting Mar. 31. Owners can also call the automaker’s customer service department at 866-436-7332 for more information. Ford’s reference number for this recall is 25S11.