Ford owners got exposed to one dangerous reality that’ll have them racing to dealerships
Ford drivers across America are about to get some unwelcome news in their mailboxes.
The car company just can’t seem to catch a break this year.
And Ford owners got exposed to one dangerous reality that’ll have them racing to dealerships.
Ford recalls over 850,000 vehicles for dangerous fuel pump failures
Ford Motor Company announced a massive recall of 850,318 Ford and Lincoln vehicles because of a fuel pump defect that could leave drivers stranded on the highway—or worse.
The recall affects popular models like the Ford Bronco, Explorer, F-150, Lincoln Aviator, and Navigator from recent model years between 2021 and 2023.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the low-pressure fuel pump in these vehicles can fail without warning.¹
When that happens, drivers could lose fuel pressure and flow from the fuel delivery system, causing the engine to suddenly stall while driving.
An engine stall while cruising down the highway at 70 mph isn’t just inconvenient—it’s downright dangerous.
The risk of a serious accident skyrockets when a vehicle suddenly loses power in traffic.
Ford estimates that roughly 10% of the recalled vehicles actually have this fuel pump problem, but there’s no way to know which ones until they fail.²
"Fuel pump failure is more likely to occur in low fuel or warm weather and hot fuel conditions in the fuel tank," Ford noted in the recall report.³
That means summer road trips could turn into nightmares for affected Ford owners.
Drivers might notice warning signs before complete failure, including poor engine performance, misfiring, rough running, reduced engine power, or a "check engine" light.⁴
But many drivers could experience total engine failure without any advance warning.
Ford’s recall crisis reaches historic proportions
This latest recall adds to Ford’s growing list of quality problems that have made 2025 a disaster year for the automaker.
Ford has now issued 89 recalls in just the first six months of 2025—more safety recalls than any other car company has ever issued in an entire calendar year.⁵
That breaks the previous record of 77 recalls set by General Motors back in 2014 during their ignition switch scandal.
At Ford’s current pace, they’re issuing a recall every 2.12 days on average.⁶
The recalls have affected more than 5 million Ford vehicles so far this year, with backup camera problems leading the charge.
One recall alone affected 1.1 million vehicles for faulty rearview cameras that could freeze, delay, or not display at all.⁷
Ford’s recall bonanza includes everything from seat belts that come loose to doors that won’t open to electrical systems that fail.
The company’s electrical systems have been responsible for 17 different recall campaigns this year alone.⁸
This marks a dramatic reversal for Ford, which surpassed its total 2024 recall count of 67 by early summer.
No fix available yet as Ford scrambles for solution
Here’s the kicker—Ford doesn’t even have a fix ready for the fuel pump problem yet.
The company plans to send notification letters to affected owners starting today, July 14, but admits the "remedy is under development."⁹
That means Ford is essentially telling hundreds of thousands of customers, "Hey, your car might strand you on the side of the road, but we don’t know how to fix it yet."
Ford will send a second letter once they figure out a solution, but there’s no timeline for when that might happen.
The automaker says they haven’t received reports of any crashes or injuries related to this fuel pump issue, but that could change quickly once more drivers hit the road.¹⁰
Previous Ford recalls this year have affected nearly every model in their lineup, from the budget-friendly Maverick pickup to luxury Lincoln SUVs.
The company paid a $165 million penalty in 2024—the second-largest in NHTSA history—for failing to recall defective rearview cameras in a timely manner.¹¹
Ford CEO Jim Farley admitted three years ago that fixing the company’s quality problems would "take several years," and he appears to have been right.¹²
What this means for Ford owners
Ford owners should take this recall seriously, even though a fix isn’t available yet.
The company recommends drivers watch for warning signs like engine misfiring, rough running, or reduced power.
If any of these symptoms appear, owners should get their vehicle to a Ford dealer immediately.
Affected owners can contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 using recall number 25S75.
They can also contact the NHTSA safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or visit www.nhtsa.gov to check if their vehicle is included using NHTSA recall number 25V-455.
The recall covers certain 2021-2023 Ford Broncos, Explorers, F-250/F-350/F-450/F-550 Super Duty trucks, and Lincoln Aviators.
It also includes select 2021-2022 Ford F-150s, Mustangs, and Lincoln Navigators, plus some 2022 Ford Expeditions.
Ford continues to lead the auto industry in recalls, with more than the next five automakers combined.
The company sold nearly 2.08 million vehicles in the U.S. last year and has seen over 1.1 million sales in the first half of 2025.¹³
But with recalls affecting millions of vehicles, Ford’s reputation for reliability has taken a serious hit.
Drivers considering a Ford purchase might want to think twice until the company gets its quality control problems under control.
For now, affected Ford owners will have to wait and hope their fuel pumps don’t fail at the worst possible moment.
¹ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "Ford Recall 25V-455," July 8, 2025.
² CBS News, "Ford recalls over 850,000 fuel pump failure 2025," July 10, 2025.
³ Ibid.
⁴ NBC News, "Ford recalls over 850,000 cars in the U.S. due to potential fuel pump failure," July 10, 2025.
⁵ CBS News, "Ford recalls more than 850,000 vehicles over faulty fuel pump," July 10, 2025.
⁶ autoevolution, "Ford Breaks Recall Record in 2025, Has More Than the Next Five Automakers Combined," July 12, 2025.
⁷ CNBC, "Ford recalls nearly 1.1 million vehicles over rearview camera software issue," May 28, 2025.
⁸ Carscoops, "Ford Already Topped Last Year’s Recall Numbers And It’s Only June," June 2025.
⁹ Fox Business, "Ford and Lincoln vehicles recalled for fuel pump issue causing stalls," July 10, 2025.
¹⁰ Consumer Reports, "Ford and Lincoln Recall for Fuel-Pump Failure," July 2025.
¹¹ The Truth About Cars, "Ford Has Issued More Recalls So Far in 2025 Than Any Other Automaker in a Full Year," July 11, 2025.
¹² Autoblog, "2025 Is Turning Into A Recall Disaster For Ford," June 2025.
¹³ Fox Business, "Ford and Lincoln recall over 850K cars, trucks and SUVs over potential fuel pump failure," July 10, 2025.
