- Ford and FCA issued several recalls in the first two weeks of August.
- Both companies have 41 recalls through 2024, averaging 1.28 per week.
- Ford has far more vehicles affected; 3.7 million cars compared to 2.6 million at FCA.
According to the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles are having a very rough year for recalls. Both companies have 41 recalls through mid-August—more than double third-place BMW. At this rate, the Detroit brands are averaging 1.28 recalls per week. And the year is far from over.
On August 9, Ford issued four recalls covering nearly 45,000 vehicles. The biggest addresses malfunctioning windshield wiper motors on 37,371 vehicles. Specifically, the motors on some Mavericks, Bronco Sports, and Mustang Mach-Es could experience water intrusion and fail. Next is a recall for the 2024 Ford Mustang, issued because 4,595 cars could have bad knuckles on the suspension, causing them to fail. 1,902 Ford Transits are under recall for steering columns that could separate due to a bad bolt in the shaft. And 757 Mavericks have been recalled to fix an electrical issue not handled during a previous recall.
Meanwhile at FCA, two Jeep recalls were issued on August 8. These are much smaller in scope but still critical for safety. They include 243 Grand Cherokee Ls recalled for insufficient welds on child seat tethers and 27 Jeep Wranglers were recalled for having incorrect taillights obscured by the spare tire. Three other recalls dropped on August 1—2,852 Dodge Challengers and 898 Chargers could have seatbacks that don't lock in the upright position. Jumping back to Jeep, 94 Wranglers and Gladiators were recalled again to fix a power-loss problem from an earlier recall.
Of the two automakers, one could argue Ford is in worse shape. During a financial conference call in July, the company said its recall and warranty costs topped $2.3 billion in just the last three months. That averages out to $25 million per day. And though both brands have the same number of recalls, Ford's recalls affect 3.7 million vehicles, versus just 2.6 million at FCA. It's also worth pointing out that FCA consists of numerous brands, whereas Ford is just Ford and Lincoln.
Ford CEO Jim Farley pledged to address quality issues not long after assuming the company's top spot, but that appears to still be a work in progress. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares recently voiced concerns about FCA's struggles, telling media and investors that addressing North American problems was a priority while hinting that some unprofitable brands could be shut down if they can't turn things around.
