Ford has had the most recalls of any car company this year. In 2024 alone, they have had 51 total recalls and in some cases these recalls impacted hundreds of thousands of vehicles. Following this string of part recalls, the U.S. government has launched two seperate investigations into Ford’s recall practices. Ford has already been fined $165 million by the government for recall delays, the second-largest fine ever imposed by the Naitonal Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The purpose of the investigations is to examine the effectiveness of Ford’s recall solutions. Let’s dive into the major recalls from 2024 that put Ford under investigation.
Ford Recalls Hundreds of Thousands of Maverick Pickup Trucks
In September 2024 Ford issued a recall on Maverick pickup trucks for a rearview camera malfunction issue. The recall applied to Mavericks model-year 2022-2024. The rearview camera on these models would occasionally freeze while the car was in reverse, causing visibility and safety issues.
Ford also had to recall more than 450,000 Maverick pickups and Ford Bronco Sport SUVs due to sudden power loss. This recall is one of the ones under investigation by the U.S. government because the automaker recieved multiple complaints about power issues after the recall had apparently been resolved. This brought the effectiveness of Ford’s recall solutions into question.
Ford Recalls 2024 Ranger Pickups Over Window Pinching Issue
Another safety recall that Ford announced in August impacted more than 70,000 Ranger Pickups and Lincoln Nautilus vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that some of these models (built in 2024) were forced to be recalled due to the global closing feature on the windows.
With the global closing feature, the windows are meant to stop and reverse if they come into contact with an object. The error was a safety issue that goes again federal regulations for power-operated window systems and could end up in injury for passengers or drivers.
Ford Recalls Expeditions Due to Seat Belt Malfunction
The U.S. government’s second investigation is a result of the 113,000 Ford Expeditions model-year 2019-2020 that were recalled earlier this year. The SUVs had a malfunction in which the seat belts would unexpectedly tighten without warning. The feature is meant to automatically tighten the seat belt in the event of a crash to protect drivers and passengers, but when it occurs without a crash and without warning, it becomes a serious safety hazard.
Despite claiming to impliment fixes, three Expedition owners have reported continued issues and the investigation intends to determine whether an expansion of the recall is necessary.
Ford Explorer Recalls Over Engine Fire Risk
In an announcement in August, Ford recalled about 85,000 Explorer SUVs due to engine fire risk. The recall impacted the SUVs from model-years 2020-2022 that were equipped with 3.3L hybrid gas engines. According to Reuters, the malfunction caused potential for oil and fuel to be released into the engine compartment in the event of motor failure. The created the possibility for ignition sources to catch on fire, resulting in a highly hazardous recall.
Ford is reportedly cooperating with the government on the investigation.
