{"id":9656,"date":"2026-06-04T12:30:37","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T16:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/?p=9656"},"modified":"2026-06-04T11:55:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T15:55:36","slug":"ford-multiple-serious-recalls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/ford-multiple-serious-recalls\/","title":{"rendered":"Ford Just Told Owners of Two of Its Newest Models to Stop Driving Them Immediately \u2014 a Ball Joint Can Snap and Take Your Steering With It"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ford is known for being #1 in recalls<\/a>, but we’ve discussed how most of these recalls are just cautionary and not anything to hold against ’em. However, the most recent Ford recalls (if you’re able to even keep up with it) are actually a pretty big deal.<\/p>\n

To put that in perspective, Ford didn’t just lead the industry in recalls last year, it shattered the record. The automaker filed 153 separate recalls in 2025, covering close to 12.9 million vehicles, more than the next nine automakers combined. The catch is that roughly 80 percent of Ford’s 2026 recalls are software glitches it can patch with an over-the-air update, which is exactly why the brand’s recall tally looks scarier on paper than it feels in your driveway. The two below are not that kind. They are physical defects with a real crash risk and a dealer-only fix, the same category that got Ford hit with a $165 million federal penalty in 2024 for dragging its feet on a rearview-camera recall. Avoiding a repeat of that is a big part of why Ford is moving fast on these.<\/p>\n

Ford has issued a recall for nearly 420,000 vehicles due to a seat belt issue. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that the recall impacts Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles.<\/p>\n

The issue? Seat belts could accidentally lock, preventing them from retracting or extending. According to the NHTSA, locked seat belts can cause serious injuries in an accident. This recall expands upon two previous recalls as the issue and claims continue. Ford is aware of one injury related to the seat belt problem.<\/p>\n

At the same time, Ford has announced a “do not drive” warning for about 4,700 Bronco Sport and Maverick vehicles. This also means that dealerships can’t sell, deliver, or even demonstrate these vehicles.<\/p>\n

The suspension issue stems from a manufacturing defect at the assembly plant, where the front lower control arm ball joints may have been installed incorrectly. This could lead to a loss of control, which is pretty scary.<\/p>\n

Both recalls reward a closer look. The seat belt action keeps growing: this is the third time Ford has circled back to the same component, with the new recall replacing and expanding two earlier ones, and it now splits across 342,283 Expeditions and 77,684 Navigators from 2018 to 2022. The fault is in the seat belt pretensioner, the device that snaps the belt tight at the start of a crash. When it deploys on its own, the belt locks up and stops protecting you, and the sudden retraction can be violent enough to cause injury by itself. An airbag warning light may appear on the dash before it happens. Ford’s number for this one is 26S34, and mailed notifications start going out June 8.<\/p>\n

The Bronco Sport and Maverick warning is a different animal. A “do not drive” advisory is the most serious designation the NHTSA issues, reserved for defects dangerous enough that the safest place for the vehicle is parked. The concern here is a front ball joint that can pull apart while the car is moving, dropping the wheel out of position and taking your steering with it. Only 4,653 vehicles built before June 1, 2025 are caught up in it, but Ford is treating it as seriously as the label implies: the repair is free, towing to the dealer is covered so you never have to drive a flagged truck, and anyone who already paid out of pocket can claim a refund if the work was done before June 19. Notification letters were due by June 5, and the recall is filed as 26S36.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
Recall 26S34 \u00b7 Seat belts<\/div>\n
\u2248420,000<\/div>\n
Expedition + Navigator, 2018\u20132022. Pretensioner can lock the belt and stop it retracting. One injury reported. Free dealer fix; safe to keep driving until then.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
DO NOT DRIVE<\/div>\n
Recall 26S36 \u00b7 Front suspension<\/div>\n
4,653<\/div>\n
Bronco Sport 2021\u20132026, Maverick 2022\u20132026. Ball joint can separate and cost you steering. Free fix and free towing. Stop driving now.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Two of the 153 recalls Ford filed in 2025, and two of the few that need a wrench instead of a software patch.<\/div>\n

Is my Ford vehicle impacted by the recent recall?<\/h2>\n

The seatbelt recall involves Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles from 2018 to 2022. Vehicle owners will get a notification in the mail regarding that recall. You can also check the NHTSA website to look up your vehicle by its VIN or year to see if it’s part of the recall.<\/p>\n

The suspension recall involves Bronco Sport vehicles from 2021 to 2026 and Maverick vehicles from 2022 to 2026. Dealers will inspect and repair your vehicle’s lower control arm ball joints for free. You just need to check whether your vehicle is included on the NHTSA website.<\/p>\n

Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 for more information about the recalls.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ford is known for being #1 in recalls, but we’ve discussed how most of these recalls are just cautionary and … <\/p>\n

Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":5547,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9656","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cars","category-news","resize-featured-image"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9656","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9656"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9656\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9667,"href":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9656\/revisions\/9667"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.autonocion.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}