Ford has unfortunately earned the title of the top player in vehicle recalls recently, setting a record at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by July 2025, with 94 recalls affecting over 6.3 million vehicles. This trend of significant recalls continues with two more major campaigns announced, further highlighting the challenges faced by the Blue Oval in 2025 due to manufacturing issues or defects.

One of the latest recalls involves 355,656 2025 and 2026 Super Duty trucks and 2025 F-150 pickups. The issue stems from the instrument panels, specifically those with a remote cluster box, which is 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 problem 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. Such a malfunction would leave drivers unable to view crucial information like speed or critical warning lights, including the check engine light or ABS warnings.

Fortunately, the resolution for the instrument panel recall is a straightforward software update. However, vehicle owners might need to bring their Ford truck to a dealership if their vehicle is not equipped for over-the-air (OTA) updates or if a mobile dealer repair service is not available. Given the safety risks associated with driving without a functional speedometer, among other displays, Ford advises owners not to drive affected trucks to the dealership. Instead, the company should arrange for a complimentary tow service for the affected pickup truck, and all recall-related services, including the tow, should be provided at no charge to the customer. Owners who may have previously paid for repairs directly related to this blanking cluster issue should contact Ford Motor Company for reimbursement, as such repairs should have been covered under warranty.

In a separate recall, Ford is addressing an issue with the 2024–2026 Ford Ranger, impacting a total of 100,900 pickups built from December 9, 2022, through July 29, 2025. This significant recall concerns the curtain airbags, a critical 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 the NHTSA. Although the Ranger marginally passed the 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, leading to premature deflation.

Ford's subsequent internal investigation uncovered that the inner reinforcement flange for the airbags could also cause similar tears and result in a loss of pressure. To rectify this, Ford's fix involves the addition of a shield to protect the curtain airbags during deployment, negating the need for airbag replacement. Rangers manufactured on or after July 29, 2025, are unaffected by this particular issue. As of this writing, the necessary parts for the repair are not yet available, but Ford anticipates notifying owners and commencing repairs in the second half of December. For now, owners are not being advised to park their affected Ranger vehicles.