Ford is nicely conscious of its high quality management points, however the firm can not seem to do a lot to repair them. On Friday, Ford was compelled to situation a recall for over one million Ford F-150s, its hottest mannequin, because of a harmful situation that places everybody on the street in danger.
This week, the NHTSA issued a recall for almost 1.4 million model-year 2015-2017 Ford F-150s over the danger of a sudden gear-downshift that might trigger drivers to lose management of their 3-ton automobiles.
I have been masking Ford and different Detroit automakers for a while now, and the difficulty that retains popping up with Ford is high quality management. The information bear this out.
Over the past three hundred and sixty five days, Ford has issued 143 recollects, accounting for 33% of all recollects issued over that interval, in response to the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Administration.
Between January 2024 and mid-2025, Ford initiated 94 recollects affecting almost 6 million automobiles, Indy Auto Man famous. By July, Ford had issued its 89th recall of 2025, simply surpassing GM’s 2014 document of 78 recollects for your entire yr.
The problem has been so dangerous that the corporate addressed high quality management points throughout its third-quarter earnings name.
COO Kumar Galhotra opened his feedback on the decision.
“Improving quality is the single biggest driver to close our cost gap. Better quality
lowers warranty expense and reduces recalls,” Galhotra mentioned. He additionally admitted it might take time for the corporate’s high quality enhancements to point out up in its stats.
“You need time to clear the car park of old issues. It all starts with a clean launch. A bad launch creates years of warranty and recall problems. Over the past two years, we have radically improved our launch quality,” Galhotra mentioned.
Ford compelled to recall F-150 after NHTSA probe
Final March, investigators on the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administrationopened a preliminary analysis into 2015-2017 mannequin yr Ford F-150 pickup vehicles after 138 prospects complained about a difficulty with the truck’s gearbox.
This week, Ford and the NHTSA took motion.
In accordance with the recall, a lack of sign between the transmission vary sensor and the powertrain management module may cause the car’s transmission to unexpectedly downshift into second gear with out driver enter.
Associated: In style Ford pickup faces expanded NHTSA probe over harmful situation
To repair the difficulty, sellers will replace the powertrain management module software program. Letters notifying homeowners of the protection threat are anticipated to be mailed on April 27, and extra letters shall be despatched as soon as a closing treatment is obtainable, anticipated in July.
There are warning indicators that your truck is flawed. In some instances, “a driver may notice an illuminated malfunction indicator light or wrench light in the instrument cluster,” in response to the NHTSA.
Affected homeowners ought to contact Ford customer support at 1-866-436-7332 to test the standing of their automobiles. Ford’s quantity for this recall is 26S28. You can even use your VIN quantity to look the NHTSA web site to see in case your automotive is affected by the recall.
Ford reviewed plant information to find out that the affected vehicles have been constructed between March 2014 and August 2017.
In the course of the investigation, Ford drivers reported that their F-150s unexpectedly downshifted to decrease gears whereas touring at freeway speeds, adopted by speedy deceleration, with out the driving force touching something or the car displaying any warning, in response to the complaints.
Complainants had related tales about their automobiles. Their automobiles would quickly decelerate with out warning, and the rear wheel would both lock up, seize, or skid briefly, inflicting lack of management and rising the danger of a crash.
“The truck automatically shifted from 6th Gear to first gear, nearly throwing me through the windshield” whereas touring 70 miles per hour on the freeway, one criticism learn.
The NHTSA confirmed a security situation with 2015-2017 mannequin yr Ford F-150 pickup vehicles.
Photograph by Invoice Pugliano on Getty Pictures
Ford guarantees recall troubles are prior to now
Ford has addressed its high quality points a number of instances in latest quarters throughout their earnings calls.
CFO Kumar Galhotra recognized 4 areas of focus for the corporate:
- Seamless launch execution
- Minimal defects
- Higher reliability
- Time
Ford says it’s already making progress and is “on track” for best-in-class efficiency throughout six of its nameplates, with three different nameplates within the prime quartile, in response to J.D. Energy guarantee analytics information.
“You need time to clear the car park of old issues. It all starts with a clean launch. A bad launch creates years of warranty and recall problems. Over the past two years, we have radically improved our launch quality,” Galhorta mentioned.
The corporate additionally reported decrease year-over-year third-quarter guarantee prices, down $450 million.
In 2023, Ford spent $4.8 billion fixing buyer automobiles, a 15% improve from the earlier yr. It put aside $1,203 for guarantee repairs on every automotive it bought that yr, in response to Guarantee Week.
A latest examine by iSeeCars.com, analyzing 31 years of recall historical past, discovered that Ford is the least proactive automotive model on the subject of issuing recollects. Fewer than 30% of the automobiles recalled during the last three a long time have been because of an issue Ford discovered by itself.
To treatment this downside, Ford in 2024 initiated a brand new high quality assurance program that comes with “testing vehicles to failure,” operating them “at extremely high mileage” to seek out potential issues earlier than prospects do.
On the time, CEO Jim Farley mentioned the brand new method would “reduce warranty (costs) over time.”
Associated: Ford Motor provides to document it’s embarrassed to carry
