Ford Recalls Nearly 20M Vehicles, Nearly 5 Times More Than Others in Past Year Study Finds

A new study from iSeeCars is putting hard numbers behind something many truck and SUV buyers have already noticed: Ford recalls are a big problem. So much so it leads the industry by close to 5 times as many and has recalled 20 million in just the past year.

Analyzing decades of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, the study found Ford vehicles are recalled far more frequently than competitors, making it the worst-performing automaker overall for recall rates.

The gap isn’t small. While the industry median sits at roughly 3 to 4 recalls over a vehicle’s lifetime, several Ford models, especially trucks and SUVs, are projected to see five to six times that number.

ISeeCars states, “Ford Motor Company recalled nearly 20 million vehicles over the past year, far more than the second-highest brand, Toyota, with just over 4 million recalled vehicles. Ford and Toyota are among the highest-volume brands in the U.S., which contributes to both brands’ potential for recalls.”

Maverick and Bronco Show Just How Big the Gap Is

Two of Ford’s top sellers, the Ford Maverick and Ford Bronco, highlight just how wide the disparity has become for recalls and predicted safety recalls based on past history.

The Maverick is projected to exceed 20 lifetime recalls, while the Bronco is projected at roughly 17 recalls.

That’s not just above average, it’s a lot more than the norm. For comparison, many competing vehicles may only see a handful of recalls over decades of ownership. Ford’s high-volume trucks and SUVs are landing in a completely different range.

It’s Not Just Ford, Its SUV Ecosystem Is Also Hit

The issue extends beyond the blue oval.

Luxury SUVs like the Lincoln Aviator and Lincoln Corsair, both built on Ford-derived platforms, rank among the most recall-prone vehicles in the entire study.

The Lincoln Aviator from the chart above is expected to have 94.2 recalls! That’s an amazingly high number.

That level of disparity suggests the issue isn’t isolated to a single model or component, it’s systemic across platforms shared between Ford trucks and SUVs.

It is something we have been covering for years and it is startling to see it presented in this new way.

What This Means for Truck and SUV Buyers

For truck and SUV buyers, especially those towing, hauling, or traveling long distances, this disparity has real implications.

More recalls mean increased downtime, more dealership visits and potential safety concerns tied to critical systems. Like our long-term review truck, the 2024 Ford Ranger Lariat is on its 4th recall in the past 15 months. It has been to dealership more often than any other truck we’ve ever owned.

Modern trucks are more complex than ever, with turbocharged engines, hybrid systems, advanced driver assistance features and over-the-air updates. That complexity can increase the likelihood of defects, but this study suggests some automakers are managing that complexity far better than others.

Ford may lead in many areas including F-Series truck sales, the number of recalls certainly has to catch up to it at some point. And future truck and SUV shoppers should be aware of this information before making a new or used Ford or Lincoln vehicle purchase.

How iSeeCars Conducted the Study

To reach its conclusions, iSeeCars analyzed recall data reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, covering vehicles from the 1985 through 2025 model years.

The study evaluated millions of vehicles and calculated the average number of recalls per model. It then projected how many recalls a vehicle is likely to experience over a 30-year lifespan based on historical recall trends.

Importantly, the analysis focuses on recall frequency per vehicle rather than total recall volume, which helps normalize the data across brands with different sales volumes. That means high-selling models like trucks and SUVs are evaluated on how often they are recalled—not just how many units are on the road.