Ford recalls close to 1 million vehicles in a week
The safety story of the week is Ford's cascade. Ford Motor Co. has recalled close to 1 million vehicles in just the week ending July 24, Reuters reported via the Detroit Free Press.
On Monday, July 20, Ford issued a recall for 387,911 vehicles — 227,520 Explorer SUVs from model years 2020-26 and 160,391 Lincoln Aviator SUVs from model years 2020-27 — because certain vehicles may have a defect in second-row outboard seats that "may intermittently bind or become stuck in the down position."
On Friday, July 24, Ford issued a recall for 565,691 Ford Bronco SUVs from model years 2021-26 citing an increased risk of a fire caused by wiring-harness damage in the engine compartment. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cited 15 reports of Bronco engine-compartment fires between Oct. 15, 2024, and June 20, 2026 — seven in Bronco Raptors and eight in base models — with no injuries.
Ford also earlier recalled 110,626 Mustang vehicles in two separate campaigns over malfunctioning windshield wipers and a rear differential pinion shaft that may fracture, per Reuters autos coverage.
Ford said its recall count is improving compared with a year earlier and it is finding fewer problems on newer designs, but the automaker has recalled close to 2 million total vehicles just since the beginning of July.
It's not just Ford
The recall wave is broader. Honda Motor America is recalling 325,588 Odyssey vehicles in the U.S. due to issues with rearview image display, per NHTSA cited by Reuters.
Kia America is recalling nearly 463,000 Telluride SUVs from the 2020-2024 model years that could catch fire while being driven or parked.
Mercedes-Benz cut sales guidance Tuesday amid worsening Chinese-market conditions, The Wall Street Journal reported, joining Audi's guidance cut Monday. Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley has told CNBC the automaker has learned from past quality issues, "which have hurt its earnings and stained its reputation," but Ford's reporting Wednesday will be the tape's read on whether investors buy that.
For consumers, the essential move is checking NHTSA's recall database on any Ford Bronco, Explorer, Mustang, Lincoln Aviator, Honda Odyssey or Kia Telluride in the driveway and scheduling free dealer repairs immediately — several of the defects are fire-related.
