While driving my 2024 Ford Maverick on a highway at approximately 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly lost power to the front wheels while passing a slower-moving vehicle. This caused the truck to jerk and decelerate rapidly in the oncoming lane, forcing me to veer back into my original lane abruptly. In doing so, I narrowly avoided a head-on collision, but the sudden maneuver caused the driver behind me to swerve off the road to avoid a rear-end collision. As a result, that vehicle went into a ditch and struck a small embankment. Three people inside suffered injuries, one with a fractured wrist, another with whiplash, and the third sustained a concussion from the impact. Emergency crews responded to the scene, and all injured individuals were transported to the hospital for evaluation. Despite the severity of the incident, there was no physical damage to my Maverick, as I was able to regain control and come to a stop safely on the shoulder. The cause was later determined to be a failure of the front driver-side CV axle and associated drivetrain components. Ford service technicians confirmed the mechanical failure after inspection. There were no warning lights, dashboard alerts, or fault codes prior to the failure. Intermittent clicking sounds during acceleration and turns had been occurring since around 3,500 miles, but the dealership initially dismissed them as normal. The full failure occurred at approximately 4,200 miles. Ford has not issued a recall or technical service bulletin related to this, though the dealer acknowledged similar reports from other Maverick owners. The failed parts remain in possession of the dealership and are available for further inspection.
NHTSA ODI 11666671