Earlier this year, Ford (F) earned an ignominious distinction after it issued its 89th recall of the year — before July. The Blue Oval shattered General Motors' record from 2014 when it issued 77 recalls during the whole year.
Last month, during its second-quarter earnings call, Ford said that it is taking the issue seriously.
“We are not satisfied with the current level of recalls or the number of vehicles impacted. We are working to reduce the cost of these recalls,” said Chief Operating Officer Kuman Galhorta.
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Ford says that tariff costs will shave about $2 billion off its bottom line this year, but if Ford doesn't get its recall issues under control, its tariff expenses could pale in comparison.
Ford just announced that it is recalling 2021-2024 Bronco Sport vehicles, 2020-2022 Escape vehicles, and 2019-2024 Kuga vehicles due to cracked fuel injectors that could leak fuel into the engine and increase the fire risk.
More than 694,000 vehicles could have the problem, so it's calling for a field service action that will cost Ford about $570 million. This was reflected in its second-quarter results, but won't affect the company's full-year EBIT.
Ford issues recall for popular F-Series models
Ford continued its recall streak after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that Ford is recalling more than 355,00 light truck vehicles across its popular F-series line.
Ford is recalling certain 2025-model F-150s and 2025-2026 model F-550, F-450, F-350, and F-250 Super Duty trucks due to a faulty instrument panel cluster that could go blank at startup.
These are new vehicles, so the panel displays many of the truck's critical information, like the speedometer, warning lights, and warning messages.
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The issue occurs when the vehicle is restarted at a specific point after turning the car on. Ford will mail notices to affected owners the week of September 1, or sooner.
Ford F-Series recall can't be fixed over the air
The NHTSA says that the fix has to be made in person, meaning the issue is not just a simple software fix that can be administered digitally.
Ford says that about a third of its recalls over the past three years have been software-related, and over-the-air recalls cost 95% less than physical ones.
Costs associated with recalls and customer satisfaction claims, what Ford calls field service actions (FSA), account for about 40% of Ford's warranty costs.
“We are not satisfied with the current level of recalls or the number of vehicles impacted. We are working to reduce the cost of these recalls,” said Chief Operating Officer Kuman Galhorta.
Ford recalls another 100,000 Ford F-150 pickups over dangerous axle issue
On August 11, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association announced that Ford is issuing a recall for certain 2023-2025 F-150 vehicles equipped with the Trailer Tow Max Duty package and a 9.75-inch heavy-duty axle with a 3/4 float axle design.
The agency says the rear axle hub bolt may fatigue and eventually break, which could cause the vehicle to roll away, even when in park, if the parking brake isn't also engaged.
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Ford does have a fix for this issue, and owners will be notified of the change via mail in phases beginning August 18, 2025, through May 22, 2026.
Ford's number for this recall is 25S82, which expands the previous NHTSA recall number 23V896.
The Ford F-150 is the country's most popular pickup, but the NHTSA estimates that about 1% of the vehicles have the defect.
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