If you’ve recently bought one of Ford’s best-selling vehicles, like the wildly popular Bronco, the workhorse F-150, or the family-hauling Explorer, the company has some unsettling news for you. Ford is recalling a staggering 850,318 of its most iconic models worldwide, including 844,098 in the U.S. alone, from the 2021-2023 model years due to a defect that can cause the engine to suddenly stall while driving.
But the real kicker in this massive safety recall isn’t just the danger of your engine cutting out on the highway. It’s that Ford has admitted it doesn’t have a solution yet, and has ordered its dealers to immediately stop selling or even demonstrating the affected vehicles. “The remedy is under development,” the company plainly states in several documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
According to an urgent “DELIVERY HOLD” notice sent on July 8 to all U.S. dealers, the problem lies with a faulty low-pressure fuel pump that can fail unexpectedly. The consequence is blunt and dangerous: “An engine stall while driving increases the risk of a crash.”
The notice warns dealers they could face civil penalties of up to $27,168 per vehicle if they deliver an unremedied car. The list of affected vehicles, now frozen on dealership lots, reads like a who’s who of Ford’s modern lineup:
- 2021-2023 Ford Bronco
- 2021-2023 Ford Explorer
- 2021-2022 Ford F-150
- 2021-2023 Ford F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550 Super Duty trucks
- 2021-2022 Ford Mustang
- 2022 Ford Expedition
- 2021-2023 Lincoln Aviator
- 2021-2022 Lincoln Navigator
For current owners, the new documents provide critical information about what to watch for. Ford says that before a total failure, a driver might experience poor engine performance (like misfiring or running rough), a check engine light, or a sudden reduction in engine power. The failure is reportedly more likely to occur in “warm weather” or when the vehicle has a low level of fuel.
For the nearly one million owners of these vehicles, the path forward is frustratingly unclear.
Ford plans to send out initial notification letters to owners around July 14, 2025, to inform them of the safety risk. However, a second letter will have to be sent once an actual fix is engineered and available. This leaves hundreds of thousands of drivers in a state of limbo, aware that their vehicle has a potentially critical flaw but with no immediate action to take.
This recall represents a significant blow to the automaker, highlighting a critical failure in a component used across its most profitable and popular vehicles. For now, concerned owners can contact Ford’s customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or visit the NHTSA website for updates, but the only real answer they’re looking for—how to fix it—is one Ford can’t yet provide.
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