Ford's Halloween Surprise Isn't Treats, but Rather Three New Recalls Affecting More Than 114,000 Vehicles | Carscoops

      Faulty transmissions, poorly executed repairs, and trim pieces that come off. Just another day at the Blue Oval.

      19 hours ago

      by Michael Gauthier

      Ford has announced three new recalls affecting 114,262 vehicles.

      Approximately 65,000 Flex crossovers have trim that may detach.

      Additionally, there are issues with faulty transmissions and a recall being revisited.

      Ford is embracing the Halloween spirit by scaring (or perhaps alarming) vehicle owners with three new recalls. This brings their total to 134, significantly higher than General Motors, which ranks second with 113 fewer recalls. In fact, Ford has issued more recalls this year than GM, Volkswagen, BMW, Honda, Mercedes, and Hyundai combined.

      That’s quite an accomplishment, and we'll start with the problems concerning faulty components. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported that 34,481 re-manufactured ten-speed automatic transmissions might not securely hold the vehicle in park.

      These transmissions were used as replacement parts for certain Ford and Lincoln models from 2017-2021. The issue was linked to a missing bearing that could lead to a rollaway situation.

      The safety recall report indicates that the defective gearbox could have been installed in various models, including the F-150, Expedition, Navigator, Ranger, Explorer, Transit, and Mustang.

      Ford learned about the problem this summer following a complaint about a Mustang that "would not hold in park." An inspection uncovered a missing T10 bearing in the transmission, prompting another report soon after.

      Ford has recorded eight warranty claims related to this issue, but no accidents have been reported. As part of the recall, dealers will examine the transmissions on vehicles with up to 8,000 miles (12,875 km) and replace the gearbox if necessary.

      Although this doesn't exactly emphasize high quality, the company defended this intermediate measure, stating that two independent statistical analyses concluded that any potential issues would likely appear within 8,000 miles (12,875 km) if the T10 bearing is absent.

      That being said, you might want to consider using the parking brake, given Ford's history of mishandled recalls.

      Not The Kind Of Flexing You Want

      Next, the second recall pertains to 64,938 Flex vehicles from model years 2017-2019. The trim on the driver and front passenger B-pillar doors may come loose while driving, posing a risk to other drivers.

      The issue stems from multiple factors, including a design alteration that increased outward force on the component, along with factory workers failing to use hand rollers effectively to ensure proper adhesion.

      This recall was partly triggered by a separate issue concerning Explorer trim that could also detach. At that time, Ford had already issued a Technical Service Bulletin for the Flex vehicles experiencing the same problem.

      This situation reflects poorly on the company, particularly since there have been “1,601 warranty claims, 20 field reports, 8 consumer complaints, 8 customer surveys, 1 legal claim, and 13 VOQs regarding front B-pillar trim separation.”

      As part of the recall, dealers will inspect the B-pillar trim and either repair or replace it as necessary.

      Lights Out

      Finally, Ford is recalling 14,843 F-150 Lightning trucks from the 2022 and 2023 model years. This is a case of recall redux, as these vehicles had previously been recalled in 2023 due to potential microcracks in the reversing lamp lens of the rear light bar that could allow moisture to penetrate, leading to flickering or complete failure of the lights.

      This is concerning, as during the initial fix, dealership technicians might not have replaced the original metal fasteners with the required plastic pushpins. The metal fasteners can "transfer stress to the light bar lens and lead to microcracks," thus replicating the issue that led to the original recall.

      The automaker has received numerous complaints related to 47 different vehicles. To address the situation, technicians will inspect and, if necessary, replace the rear light bar and should ensure the correct fasteners are used this time around.

      Owners will be informed in November, although a remedy is not expected to be available until March 2026.