Pickup truck recall accidents in the Dallas and Denton area are more common than most people realize. Millions of trucks on Texas roads right now are subject to active recalls, and some of those trucks have already been involved in crashes that hurt innocent people. If a defective pickup truck caused your accident, you may have legal rights against the manufacturer, a parts supplier, or even a dealership, in addition to any claim against the driver. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys, based in Denton, Texas, helps injury victims throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area understand those rights and fight for the compensation they deserve. Contact us at (940) 800-2500 to speak with a member of our team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A recall is issued when a manufacturer or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determines that a vehicle creates an unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet minimum federal safety standards. The NHTSA, which is the federal agency responsible for vehicle safety enforcement, monitors these defects and requires manufacturers to fix them at no cost to the owner. When a crash happens and a recalled defect played a role, the recall itself becomes powerful evidence in your injury claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pickup trucks are among the most recalled vehicle types in the United States. Ford recently recalled over 4.3 million vehicles because the integrated trailer module may lose communication with the vehicle when a trailer is connected due to a software fault, potentially causing a loss of trailer brake and turn signal lights, or trailer brake function. The recall involves 2021-2026 model year F-150 pickup trucks, 2022-2026 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickups and Maverick pickups, 2024-2026 Ranger pickups, and others. That is a massive number of trucks on North Texas roads, including the highways around Denton, I-35, and Loop 288.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ford is also recalling certain 2025 Lincoln Navigator, F-150, Expedition, Bronco, and Ranger vehicles because the Electronic Brake Booster module may malfunction while driving, resulting in a loss of power brake assist. An unexpected loss of power brake assist while driving can extend stopping distance and increase the risk of a crash. When a brake system fails on a heavy pickup truck traveling on US-380 or near the University of North Texas campus area, the consequences can be devastating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The NHTSA requires manufacturers to notify registered owners by first-class mail within 60 days of a recall decision. Repairs must be made free of charge. But many owners never respond, and those unrepaired trucks continue sharing roads with you and your family every day. If one of those trucks caused your accident, that ignored recall notice matters in your case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Texas product liability law holds manufacturers strictly accountable for dangerous and defective products that cause injuries. Under Texas laws, manufacturers are held strictly accountable for dangerous and defective products that lead to injuries. This means that individuals can pursue a product liability claim for an unreasonably dangerous product, regardless of whether the manufacturer acted negligently. That is a significant protection for accident victims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The governing statute is Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 82, which covers products liability actions in Texas. In a products liability action in which a claimant alleges a design defect, the burden is on the claimant to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that the defect was a producing cause of the personal injury, property damage, or death for which the claimant seeks recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Texas, product liability claims can be based on three primary theories. Design defects occur when a product is inherently unsafe due to its design. To prove a design defect, it must be shown that a safer, economically feasible alternative design existed and that the defective design caused the injury. Manufacturing defects arise from errors during the production process that make a product unsafe. In these cases, the defect is typically not present in all units of the product but only in specific items that were improperly manufactured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A recall does not automatically eliminate a manufacturer’s liability. While a product recall acknowledges a defect, it can also serve as a defense for the manufacturer. They may argue that the recall mitigates their liability by demonstrating their effort to warn consumers and remedy the defect. However, this does not eliminate their responsibility for injuries that occurred before or despite the recall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Texas also has a statute of repose under which claims must be filed within 15 years of the product’s original sale. More practically, the standard personal injury statute of limitations in Texas is two years from the date of injury. Waiting too long means losing your right to recover. If you were hurt in a recall-related crash near Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square or anywhere in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, call Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys at (940) 800-2500 right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not all recalls carry the same level of risk. Some involve minor inconveniences. Others involve defects that have already caused crashes, injuries, and deaths. Knowing which defects are most dangerous helps you understand why a recall-related accident claim is different from a standard collision case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brake system failures rank among the most serious defect categories. The Electronic Brake Booster module in certain 2025 F-150 and related vehicles may malfunction while driving or when the driver is utilizing an Advanced Driver Assistance System feature, resulting in a loss of power brake assist. An unexpected loss of power brake assist while driving can extend stopping distance and increase the risk of a crash. A loss of power brake assist while ADAS features are engaged can result in the vehicle not braking as expected, increasing the risk of a crash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Transmission failures are another serious category. A loss of signal between the transmission range sensor and the powertrain control module can cause the vehicle’s transmission to unexpectedly downshift into second gear without driver input. Ford drivers reported that their F-150s unexpectedly downshifted to lower gears while traveling at highway speeds, followed by rapid deceleration, without the driver touching anything or the vehicle displaying any warning. This type of sudden deceleration on a busy Dallas highway like I-35E or the Dallas North Tollway can trigger rear-end collisions or rollovers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Axle and drivetrain defects also appear in recent recall data. Certain 2023-2025 F-150 vehicles equipped with the Trailer Tow Max Duty package have a rear axle hub bolt that may fatigue and break, which can result in damage to the axle hub splines. Damaged axle hub splines can result in a vehicle rollaway when in park without the parking brake applied or cause a loss of drive power, and either of these conditions can increase the risk of a crash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Air bag defects remain a concern as well. The NHTSA is currently investigating air bags illegally imported from China that have been linked to the deaths of at least 10 people across the country. Approximately 67 million Takata air bags have been recalled, and Do Not Drive warnings have been issued for some vehicles that still have these air bags installed. A truck with a defective air bag that fails to deploy, or deploys incorrectly, can turn a survivable crash into a fatal one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Liability in a pickup truck recall accident does not always stop with the driver. Multiple parties across the supply chain can share responsibility, and identifying all of them is critical to recovering full compensation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The truck manufacturer is the most obvious target. When a design or manufacturing defect causes the crash, the automaker bears primary responsibility under Texas strict liability law. But the manufacturer is rarely the only party at fault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under Texas product liability laws, you may also have claims against retailers, distributors, your dealership, and others that failed to protect you from harm. For example, if a dealership in the Denton or Lewisville area was notified of a recall but failed to complete the required repair, and that unrepaired defect contributed to your accident, the dealership may share liability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once a company issues a recall, it is shifting some of the responsibility to the car’s owner. If the owner did not promptly get their vehicle repaired, they may be at least partly at fault for your injuries. Texas follows a proportionate responsibility system under Chapter 33 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. This means fault can be divided among multiple parties, and each party pays damages in proportion to their share of responsibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Component part suppliers are another potential defendant. If a brake failure causes an accident, liability might extend to the brake manufacturer, brake fluid supplier, vehicle manufacturer, and parts distributor. Each defendant may try to shift blame to others, making these cases legally complex. Having an experienced truck accident lawyer<\/a> in your corner means having someone who knows how to identify every responsible party and hold them all accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the recalled truck was a company vehicle, employer liability may also come into play. Employers can be held responsible for accidents caused by their employees driving defective company trucks, particularly when the employer knew about the recall and failed to get it repaired. This is especially relevant for fleet operators, contractors, and delivery companies operating pickup trucks throughout the Dallas-Denton corridor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What you do immediately after a recall-related truck accident directly affects the strength of your legal claim. Evidence disappears fast, and certain actions protect your rights while others can hurt them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, get medical attention right away. Even if you feel fine at the scene, injuries like traumatic brain injuries and internal bleeding may not show symptoms immediately. Seek care at a local facility like Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Denton or Medical City Denton. Your medical records tie your injuries directly to the crash, which is essential evidence in your claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Second, preserve the truck. After a crash, do not dispose of the defective car parts. To prove your product liability claim, your lawyer’s expert witnesses will need to examine and test them. If the truck is towed, make sure you or your attorney can access it before any repairs are made. The physical condition of the vehicle, including the recalled component, is critical evidence.<\/cite><\/p>\n\n\n\n Third, check the truck’s recall status. Use NHTSA’s VIN lookup tool to check for recalls on the vehicle, or search by make and model. NHTSA’s databases also list car seats, tires, and equipment recalled for unreasonable safety risk or failing to meet minimum safety standards. If the truck had an open recall at the time of the crash, that information goes directly into your case file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fourth, get a copy of the official crash report. Under Texas Transportation Code Section 550.065, crash reports are available through the Texas Department of Transportation’s CRIS system. A certified copy costs $8 and is the version used in legal proceedings. This report documents the facts of the crash as recorded by law enforcement at the scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSteps to Take After a Pickup Truck Recall Accident in the Dallas-Denton Area<\/h2>\n\n\n\n