While Ford may be doing well from a sales perspective this year, there’s another number it can’t be proud of. Detroit’s second-largest automaker launched 89 separate recalls during the first six months of 2025 – surpassing the previous full-year record set by General Motors. And there may be more coming. More from Headlight.News.
The Ford Expedition is one of the many models the automaker has recalled this year.
Half empty or half full? If you’re talking about Ford Motor Co., it depends on what numbers you’re looking at. From a sales and market share standpoint, it’s been a very good year. But what may matter more to consumers is the automaker’s worsening recall count.
All told, Detroit’s second-largest automaker announced 89 separate recalls from New Year’s Day through the end of June. That set a new record – and not just for the first half of the year – topping the 77 recalls General Motors announced for all of 2014.
And the situation seems to be anything but under control. Last Thursday, Ford announced another recall covering 850,000 vehicles due to a fuel pump problem. Some of its most popular SUVs and pickups were covered, including the Ford F-150 and Bronco, as well as the Mustang coupe.
An unwanted record
Ford is launching still more recalls during July, including one covering faulty fuel pumps in models like the F-150.
Ford has had an ongoing issue with initial quality, CEO Jim Farley referring to it is one of the automaker’s most serious challenges. But it’s also got a big problem with safety-related recalls.
Ford had more than four times as many recalls during the first half compared to Forst River, a recreational vehicle company that was second on the list, with 21 callbacks due to safety issues. At this pace, Ford is all but certain to end the year at the top of the recall list. It has been first or second every year since 2025.
Ford officials attempted to put a positive spin on the company’s recall problem. “The increase in recalls reflects our intensive strategy to quickly find and fix any hardware and software issues and go the extra mile to protect customers,” said Kumar Galhotra, Ford’s chief operating officer.
What’s gone wrong
Over 1 million Ford products, like this Mustang Mach-E were recalled due to faulty back-up cameras.
During the first half of this year, Ford’s recalls involved a wide variety of problems, including faulty seats, braking systems, steering controls , backup cameras and other issues.
The biggest recall involved 1,1 million vehicles equipped with faulty backup cameras. According to documentation filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the cameras could freeze up or suffer from latency – with their images unacceptably delayed.
A number of the recalls involve new technology – reflecting data gathered by J.D. Power in its various quality surveys.
But Ford’s problem goes beyond faulty backup cameras and balky infotainment systems. It even had to recall 200,000 Mustang Mach-E EVs in June when owners reported getting locked out of – and, in some instances, locked into – the vehicles when their 12-volt batteries would die. In one instance, rescuers had to smash a Mach-E’s window to gain access to a trapped infant.
More Recall News
- Another Ford Recall for Faulty Fuel Pumps – But There’s No Fix Yet
- Yet Another Tesla Cybertruck Recall
- GM Recalls 700k Pickups, SUVs for Faulty Engines
An industry-wide problem
Ford CEO Jim Farley has repeatedly acknowledged the automaker’s quality problems.
Ford is by no means the only automaker suffering from recall issues. Over the past decade, the number of safety-related service actions has been rising across the industry, based on NHTSA records. There were more than 1,000 recalls in 2024, up from around 800 a decade earlier, noted the Wall Street Journal.
Automakers have come under increasing pressure to catch and fix safety problems as soon as possible, one reason leading to more recalls, according to industry analysts. And NHTSA has been more ready to take action where manufacturers drag out such actions. Ford in January paid a $65 million fine due to delays in dealing with defective backup cameras. The automaker has since then taken steps to track issues and then order recalls more quickly.
What worries safety experts is the fact that many of the recent recalls have been ordered due to problems with previous service actions. That was the case with the fuel system recall Ford announced last week. It will be the third time Ford attempts to resolve an issue with low-pressure fuel pumps that can cause vapor lock and other issues, leading to stalling or a loss of power. In all, nine of the recalls ordered during the first half of 2025 were expansions of earlier recalls.
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