Federal Government Launches Investigation into Ford's Recall Procedures

The federal government has initiated two investigations into Ford's recall procedures due to concerns that some recalls were not thorough enough and others did not effectively address the underlying issues.

One of the investigations focuses on a 2019 recall involving Ford Expeditions, while the other pertains to a recent recall of Ford Bronco Sport SUVs. In April, Ford recalled approximately 457,000 Bronco Sport SUVs manufactured between 2021 and 2024, as these vehicles faced an unexpected loss of power.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that several Bronco owners experienced continued power loss even after receiving the recall fix. This raises questions about the effectiveness of the remedy provided.

A similar situation was noted in a previous recall concerning Ford Expeditions. The automaker identified issues with seat belts tightening excessively in around 113,000 Expeditions produced from 2019 to 2020. However, some vehicle owners reported experiencing similar problems despite their cars not being included in the recall list.

This announcement follows closely after the NHTSA disclosed that Ford will incur a penalty of up to $165 million for its slow response to federal recall requirements—the second-largest civil penalty in NHTSA history.