Ford sets record with 103+ safety recalls in 2025, surpassing previous high

Ford Motor Company issued the most safety recalls among automakers in 2025, with more than 103 alerts, according to a report from Kelly Blue Book.

With a third of the year remaining, Ford has already surpassed the previous annual record of 77 recalls, according to the report.

If a vehicle fails to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards due to a safety-related defect, manufacturers are required to notify consumers of the issue. These recalls are intended to address safety problems before they cause harm.

Manufacturers typically initiate recalls to stay ahead of any potential fines and driver-safety issues. However, the federal auto regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is part of the Department of Transportation, can also issue vehicle recalls based on publicly submitted cases of potential safety concerns.

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Brian Moody, executive editor at Autotrader, told FOX Business that he usually says recalls are not a big deal because that’s the system working. Most of the recalls today are voluntary and automakers are very rarely compelled by legal action or the government, he said.  

“However, when an automaker has a record number of recalls that is cause for concern. As increasingly complex vehicles become increasingly “normal,” Ford has stumbled with regard to quality,” he said. 

Moody also pointed to older reports from Kelly Blue Book which showed Ford led the industry in recalls in 2022 and 2023. That following year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration slapped Ford with a civil penalty of $165 million, the second-largest civil penalty in NHTSA’s history.

Ford was hit with the fine after an NHTSA investigation found that it failed to recall vehicles with defective rearview cameras in a timely manner and failed to provide accurate and complete recall information as required by the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act. 

Customers at a Ford dealership in Colma, California, US, on Friday, July 22, 2022.  (Getty Images / Getty Images)

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Ford told FOX Business that its commitment to the quality of its vehicles and the safety of its customers “is paramount.” 

The company said “the number of vehicles recalled reflects our intensive strategy to quickly find and fix hardware and software issues and go the extra mile to help protect customers.” 

The company said it has more than doubled its team of safety and technical experts in the past two years. 

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“We can and do find issues that exist on earlier model years, including ones that have not even been reported,” the company said. “We will not compromise our responsibility to all our customers, not just those buying new vehicles.” 

Kentucky Truck Plant’s advanced manufacturing technologies and tools are helping Ford upskill its workforce and deliver better quality Lincoln Navigators and Ford Expeditions to customers more quickly. (Ford / Fox News)

The company continued saying it believes “this approach will lead to systemic and lasting positive change” and help Ford “reach world-class levels for quality, safety and customer satisfaction.”

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Moody acknowledged that Ford’s more rigorous testing system helps explain the increase, but it’s “not the full story.”

“There’s no possible way that a company like Ford is intending to issue more recalls…the negative publicity alone would make it so that that’s not a reasonable fix,” he said.