Ford Issues Storm Of Recalls On Maverick, F-150, Expedition, Navigator, Escape, Corsair, Mach E, Lightning, And Ecosport Models

Ford issued an incredible eight recalls in a single day, affecting tens of thousands of vehicles dating back as far as 2020. Five of the eight recalls are aimed at Ford’s diminutive Maverick pickup, though half a dozen other models from Ford and Lincoln are affected as well. Most of the vehicles in the recall are simply getting called into a dealer for a check to some component or another, or an update to the software installed. Ford has made an effort in recent years to reduce quality concerns and require fewer recalls, but it seems the company hasn’t made much progress on that front. All but three of these recalls were issued to fix something that should have been fixed on a previous recall. What’s going on with that?

None of these recalls come with an attached stop-use notice, so they probably aren’t anything to be drastically worried about, but if your vehicle is affected, you should pop into your Ford dealer and get it looked at when you get a chance. OK, let’s dig into these recalls and see where things stand, shall we?

The popular compact Maverick truck was hit with a handful of recalls in this most recent drop, all things that should have been addressed in a previous recall which don’t seem to have been properly fixed. 

A full 933 trucks built between August 2021 and October 2023 potentially have an issue with the instrument cluster failing to display safety-related information. Apparently some of the vehicles which came in for the recall previously did not receive the correct software update, and will now need to return again for the correction. 

A smaller group of 141 trucks from August 2021 to October 2022 didn’t get a proper update from a previous recall for faulty brake lights. It seems that some Maverick brake lights were turning on even if the driver hadn’t applied the brakes. Again, this should be a quick software update. 

The smallest of Ford’s recalls affects just two trucks built in March and April of 2022. Ford says the Powertrain Control Module needs an update to properly monitor 12v battery state of charge. It seems that the truck will fail to recognize a draining battery and fail to kick on the alternator to re-charge it. This could lead to the battery running out of juice and the car just dying while you’re driving. Not ideal!

Ford is also issuing a recall for a couple of its popular electric models. Some 243 examples of its Mustang Mach-E crossover have high-voltage battery connections that should have been fixed at a prior recall, but for some reason were not. There is a potential for these connectors to overheat and possibly fail. 

Meanwhile some F-150 Lightning batteries could be affected by a manufacturing defect in the high-voltage battery cells, potentially causing a short. Ford is advising all owners to limit charging to 80 percent until the issue has been fixed. Just 950 units built between 2022 and 2024 have been recalled, and Ford will contact you directly about it if your truck is affected. If your truck is one of the problem vehicles, your high voltage battery will be replaced free of charge. No, but the pack will then take a full charge… Whatever, you won’t have to pay for it. 

The largest of all of these recalls, however, affects the terrible little crossover runabout known as the Ecosport. Apparently for a little over a year between April 2021 and July 2022, the front axle shafts could be improperly installed. If the axle doesn’t lock into the transmission as deeply as it should, there’s a potential that the car could roll away from a stop, even if it was shifted into park. All vehicles in that timeline will get an inspection and the halfshafts will be replaced if necessary. 

If you have a Maverick Hybrid, Escape Hybrid, or Lincoln Corsair Hybrid, it’s possible that the previous recall to update your Hybrid Powertrain Control Module was not updated correctly. The software in your car could cause it to shift into neutral without warning. Only 207 vehicles across those three product lines are affected.

Here’s a big one. A group of Ford and Lincoln light trucks and SUVs could have an issue with the integrated trailer brake controller module, causing the towed trailer not to brake when the vehicle brakes. Over 10,000 vehicles are affected from 2021 and 2022, so if you have one of those model years, definitely check to see if your VIN is on the list. Ford will update your software free of charge.

Hopefully Ford can get its recalls sorted and fix them the correct way the first time. If it didn’t have to re-do all of this work, the recall list would only be three instead of eight. Think about that, Ford.