During this week’s second-quarter conference call to discuss Ford financial results, the automaker was bound to get a question from a financial analyst about the sheer magnitude of recalls – 61 of them so far this year, way in front of No.2 Stellantis (with 24), General Motors (19), Hyundai (17), Toyota (16), and several with 11 or 12. Ford accounts for 28% of US recalls, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
2026 Lincoln Aviator rear 3/4 angle in gray while parkedLincoln
Most of Ford’s recalls this year have to do with powertrain, visibility, electrical glitches, backover prevention, structure, exterior lighting, and seats, such as this week’s recall of nearly 80,000 Ford Explorers and Lincoln Aviators from model years 2026 and 2027 for driver’s seats that suddenly recline.
Ford says recalls are down this year, and that’s true. Last year there were 94 recalls compared to 61 at this point in the year. And while three top executives at Ford answered the analyst’s question about recalls, NHTSA’s extensive data provides direct counterpoints to the automaker’s claims.
‘Relentless About Building Top Quality’
Even before the Q&A, CEO Jim Farley said in his opening remarks that for more than three years the automaker has been “relentless about building top quality,” reflected in Ford finishing No.1 among mainstream brands in JD Power’s 2026 Initial Quality Study, which tracks customer satisfaction during the first 90 days of ownership.
The Ford Explorer is a powerful SUV, and a popular interceptor option for law enforcement agencies.Ford
“We see this win as a first down payment on a much more consequential virtual circle, going from initial quality to long-term durability, lowering our warranty costs even further, fewer recalls, stronger customer loyalty,” Farley said. “Ford’s quality renaissance goes hand in hand with our equally intense drive to improve our cost structure.”
“We have significantly reduced our warranty and material costs since 2024.”
The analyst’s question was open-ended, asking for an update on quality and warranty claims and how those should impact Ford’s bottom line in 2027 and beyond.
2026 Ford Bronco Sport front 3/4 angle in blue while driving on a dusty trailFord
10 Powertrain Recalls This Year
Farley was the first to answer, and he noted that recalls are not all the same. “A software recall and a powertrain recall are quite different things.” While software glitches can often be fixed with an over-the-air update, powertrain recalls are among the most financially draining for automakers. Ford has already faced 10 powertrain recalls this year, more than any other category, according to NHTSA data.
Ford Chief Financial Officer Sherry House said warranty claims against the automaker improved by $1 billion year-over-year, while Chief Operating Officer Kumar Galhotra said Ford has stepped up focus on long-term durability. “That will turn into eventually lower recall costs as well,” said Galhotra, who is Ford’s top-ranking executive overseeing quality.
So far this year, Ford has recalled about 12 million vehicles, he said, “but the number of recalls is down very substantially from last year,” about 40%.
Ford
NHTSA Data Says Something Else
True, 61 recalls this year – so far – is 40% lower than the 153 recalls in all of 2025. As of July 30, 2025, Ford had 94 recalls. But what Galhotra said next is not supported by NHTSA data, on two fronts.
“We are seeing substantial improvements in our newer model years, both in numbers of recalls and recall volumes, and of course warranty.”
–Ford COO Kumar Galhotra
Recall volumes have not improved for Ford. The automaker recalled 12.9 million vehicles in all of 2025, and the automaker has already surpassed 12 million vehicles recalled this year, with five more months to go. Through July 30, 2025, Ford recalled 5,985,717 vehicles in total. So Ford recall volume is outpacing last year by two to one.
A pair of 2026 Ford Escape models in red and gray front angle while parkedFord
Ford Has Recalled 8.1 Million ‘Modern’ Vehicles in 2026
As for “substantial improvements in our newer model years,” NHTSA data says otherwise, as recalls this year include the 2026 Escape and Lincoln Corsair (roll away risk), 2025 Bronco Sport and Maverick (block heater overheating), 2024-2026 Ranger (sun visor fire), 2024-2027 Nautilus and Explorer Hybrid (no pedestrian warning sound), and 2026-2027 Ford E-350 and E-450 (backup alert fail). And there’s a whole lot more from the past four model years.
NHTSA data shows Ford has recalled 8,119,802 “modern” vehicles this year through July 30. That includes vehicles as far back as 2021 and is well above the 6 million vehicles Ford had recalled, in total, at this point last year. This year’s tally includes the massive 4-million-unit recall of the 2021-2026 F-Series, Maverick, Ranger, and Expedition, and other vehicles for defective trailer brakes and trailer lights.
2025 Lincoln Navigator rear 3/4 angle in gray while parkedJared Rosenholtz/CarBuzz/Valnet
Analyst Sam Abuelsamid said Ford’s absolute number of vehicles recalled looks bad. “But perhaps if they are reducing the total number of unique issues, they have freed up time to look at smaller issues that may still be affecting large numbers of in-service vehicles and getting those fixed, too,” said Abuelsamid, vice president of Telemetry Insights.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
While Galhotra insists Ford wants to “do absolutely what’s right for the customer,” perhaps an honest assessment is in order, rather than touting JD Power results. Clearly, newer vehicles are very much in the mix among the latest Ford recalls, despite what Ford said this week.
And if you need more data points on recalls going back much, much further, NHTSA records show that among Detroit automakers, Ford is now the all-time leader, with 237 million vehicles recalled since 1966, compared to 205 million for General Motors and 148 million for Chrysler/FCA/Stellantis.
