Ford Motor Company has faced an unprecedented number of recalls in 2025, setting a new record for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). By July, the automaker, often referred to as the Blue Oval, had already issued 94 recalls affecting over 6.3 million vehicles. This trend of significant recalls continues with two major issues recently announced, impacting hundreds of thousands of F-150, Super Duty, and Ranger trucks.

One prominent recall addresses a critical safety concern related to the instrument panels in 355,656 vehicles, specifically 2025 and 2026 Super Duty trucks and 2025 F-150 pickups. The issue centers on instrument panels equipped with a remote cluster box, the digital display located between the speedometer and tachometer. These panels have the potential to remain in a standby or blank state after certain ignition cycles. This malfunction occurs when the instrument panel receives a CAN bus signal to wake up during a narrow window of its sleep entry sequence, preventing it from turning on again. The consequence is severe: drivers may be unable to see their speed, warning lights such as the check engine, ABS, or other critical messages, posing a significant safety risk.

Fortunately, the resolution for this instrument panel defect is a straightforward software update. However, vehicle owners may need to bring their Ford trucks in for service if their vehicles are not capable of over-the-air (OTA) updates, or if mobile dealer repair services are unavailable. Due to the inherent danger of driving without a functioning speedometer or warning indicators, Ford advises owners not to drive their affected vehicles to the dealer. Instead, Ford dealers are expected to arrange for complimentary towing services for affected pickups, and both the towing and the recall service will be provided at no charge to the owner. Furthermore, if owners were previously charged for work directly related to this blanking cluster issue, they are encouraged to contact Ford Motor Company for reimbursement, as such repairs should have been covered under warranty.

Adding to Ford's recall woes, another significant campaign targets the 2024–2026 Ford Ranger, impacting a total of 100,900 pickups. This recall stems from a serious defect involving the curtain airbags, a crucial safety component designed to cushion impacts and prevent passenger ejection during a severe crash. The problem was first identified during a safety audit of the 2025 Ford Ranger conducted by NHTSA. Although the Ranger marginally passed a side impact test, further investigation by Ford and a third-party lab revealed a small, 15/32-inch tear in the curtain airbag, caused by an external source. Deeper analysis by Ford uncovered that the inner reinforcement flange for the airbags could also cause similar tears and premature pressure loss, compromising the airbag's effectiveness and its ability to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).

The affected Rangers include all current-generation models built from the start of production on December 9, 2022, through July 29, 2025, when a manufacturing fix was introduced. Rangers produced on or after this latter date are not affected by this particular issue. The corrective action involves adding a protective shield to the curtain airbags to prevent tearing during deployment; the airbags themselves do not need to be replaced. As of this writing, the necessary repair parts are not yet available. Ford anticipates that owners will be notified, and repairs will commence in the second half of December. Currently, owners are not being advised to park their affected Rangers, but they should remain vigilant for future communications regarding the repair schedule.

These recent recalls underscore a challenging year for Ford in 2025, marked by manufacturing defects and vehicle issues that have collectively led to an unprecedented number of recalls in the automotive industry.