Ford F-150 Owner Says “It’s a Joke” After Dealer Declared His 2023 PowerBoost Undriveable from Axle Bolt Recall and Offered a 2020 Ford Escape Loaner for Two Months

There’s something almost special about the full-size pickup truck in America. It isn’t just a vehicle; it’s a handshake with tradition, a symbol of autonomy that’s as much about identity as utility. For decades, the Ford F-150 has carried that flag across job sites, campgrounds, and backroads. 

But in 2025, that trust is being strained by something far more mundane than horsepower or torque figures. The hybrid PowerBoost variant, Ford’s crown jewel of technological ambition, now finds itself in the middle of a recall and parts shortage.

“First world problems over here, but looking for insight - dropped my ‘23 platinum off for an oil change and state inspection on Wednesday (11/5). Service dept calls Thurs to tell me my truck is undrivable due to a broken rear axle bolt. Replacement parts are on back order til January 2026. The service advisor told me he had sales working on trading my truck in and getting me into a new one that day. Sales calls to tell me they can get me into the same truck for $500 more per month. I ask if this is a joke and that they get me a loaner til my truck is fixed. They don’t have any loaners. They call on Friday (11/7) at 3p to tell me they just got a loaner back. It’s a 2020 escape. It’s a really bad SUV and not going to work for me / my family for 2 months. Kinda rely on my truck to get us and our stuff to surf / ski trips on weekends. 

Are the axle bolt recall parts really on back order for that long??  Any suggestions for how to push things along? Or push for a better loaner vehicle? Dealership is linked w a Lincoln store. A navigator would align much closer with what I’m paying for my lease compared to a $15k escape.”

That post, from PowerBoost owner Matthew Eskridge, appeared in the Ford F150 PowerBoost Owners 21+ Facebook group and captured the collective groan of modern truck ownership. What should have been a routine oil change and inspection turned into an odyssey of recall bureaucracy and broken expectations. His frustration was palpable, not because the truck failed, but because the solutions offered were more tone-deaf than technical.

Ford F-150: How It Was Developed 

• The PowerBoost combines a 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 with an electric motor and 1.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, enabling a system output of 430 hp and 570 lb-ft (≈ 773 Nm) of torque. 
• Development emphasised dual functionality: not just performance and towing/payload capability, but also enabling a generator-like “Pro Power Onboard” function (up to 7.2 kW output) using the hybrid system. 
• In real-world testing, the PowerBoost-equipped F-150 achieved 0-60 mph in about 5.3-5.6 seconds (depending on model year/test rig), which is very quick for a full-size pickup. 
• Over its lifecycle, Ford has improved the hybrid system via software updates and simplification (e.g., refining motor-engine blending) to enhance smoothness, reliability, and manufacturing efficiency in later model years.

The issue at hand stems from Ford’s ongoing recall of certain 2021–2023 F-150s over a rear axle hub bolt that can shear under stress. According to NHTSA documentation (Recall No. 24V-523, August 2024), the failure can immobilize the truck or, in extreme cases, affect drivability. For Eskridge, that failure came suddenly, and his dealer’s response, an offer to trade into the same truck for $500 more a month or drive a 2020 Escape loaner, added insult to injury. What’s supposed to be a symbol of independence now sits on a lift, sidelined until possibly 2026.

Online, other owners rallied with advice and sympathy. Spencer Palmer, a fellow group member, noted that under California’s lemon law, any vehicle in the shop for over 30 days could qualify for buyback. He shared his own experience, having successfully lemoned a 2020 Expedition Max and recovered nearly $60,000. Charles Henson, meanwhile, commented that he had already dealt with the issue, opting for a 2025 model with upgraded axles and every recall addressed. His truck, he added, was headed cross-country the next morning, a snapshot of two realities: one owner grounded by logistics, another driving freely toward the horizon.

Michael Rowland added a dose of technical perspective, suggesting that Ford corporate should provide an “equal vehicle” and asking whether Eskridge’s truck had the Max Tow package, since not all 2023 PowerBoosts were affected. That question revealed how complex modern vehicles have become. What used to be simple mechanical variance now lives in a maze of configurations and recall criteria. The modern pickup isn’t just built; it’s coded, optioned, and segmented in ways that make each recall feel like a bespoke problem.

Ford, for its part, has remained quiet about parts availability, and dealers are caught between empathy and corporate policy. Supply chain issues, though less severe than in 2021, still ripple through the industry. Replacement bolts require specialized metallurgy, and when that pipeline slows, the entire service network backs up. The result is a perfect storm where one broken bolt sidelines a $70,000 truck, and a customer who expected power and prestige ends up navigating bureaucracy from the driver’s seat of a compact SUV.

PowerBoost owners traded advice like pit crew members, some citing legal recourse, others offering to loan vehicles or share dealer contacts. The digital campfire was alive with the shared understanding that modern ownership is as much about patience as passion.

For all its trouble, the F-150 PowerBoost remains a remarkable machine, capable, efficient, and deeply American in both ambition and imperfection. Eskridge’s story isn’t about a bad truck; it’s about the fragile human machinery that surrounds it. When a recall stretches into years and a dealership’s compassion gets lost in the paperwork, the promise of progress starts to sound hollow. But if there’s one thing truck owners understand, it’s perseverance. Sometimes, the hardest roads aren’t the ones made of dirt or asphalt, but the ones paved with corporate red tape.

Image Sources: Ford Media Center

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.