Vehicle recalls are an important part of ensuring that an automobile company maintains public safety and consumer trust. When vehicles are released for distribution for consumers, vehicle companies like Ford take care to monitor how their models are performing on the road. This ensures that they can pick up on any production problems which may have been missed. While some recall problems are related to minor issues, others can be more serious and can endanger the lives of road users if not addressed.
Holding automobile companies accountable for faults
When it comes to recalling vehicles, another piece of significance they hold is that they hold automakers accountable for the quality and safety of their products. When a company is proactive in recalling their products, it highlights to consumers that they can trust that their vehicle provider has their safety and best interests a priority.
Frequent recalls result in less trust in the brand and lower sales
However, this can sometimes have the reverse effects if consumers see that their products are undergoing too many vehicle recalls. This can cause a consumer to doubt the production procedure an automobile developer undergoes and may cause them to switch brand loyalty instead of having increased confidence in the commitment of the brand towards their consumers.
Ford issues recall over software update: Ford Transit Connects affected
Recently, American automobile company Ford issued a recall for select 2019-2020 Ford Transit Connect models. The recall concerns software-related problems within the vehicle which is causing the engine to possibly overheat. This is a concern, as an engine that is not cooled correctly increases the risk of a fire starting within your vehicle.
The affected models are for the 2019-2020 Ford Transit Connects which were built between models which were built between September 6, 2018, and June 22, 2020. 152 models are affected under this recall.
Ford owners affected under the recall will have to take their vehicles in to a dealership
If you are an owner of a vehicle which has been affected by this recall, you will have to take your vehicle into a dealership to have your powertrain control module software updated to fix the problem. This will be done by Ford at no additional cost to consumers. Affected owners will be notified by Ford from April 28. Currently, no incidents have been reported regarding this software issue.
Significant recall for thousands of Ford vehicles: Broncos and Mavericks affected
While this recall only affects a small number of Ford models, Ford has previously announced this year a vehicle recall for 270,000 of their Broncos and Mavericks models over manufacturing defects in the vehicle’s batteries. Recalls like this are a much larger concern for automakers as they not only affect a significant numbers, but it also points to a distributor and provider problem instead of a manufacturing error.
Ford has previously been fined by the US government for failing to address safety related concerns in their vehicles. Recently, in November 2024, Ford agreed to pay a $165 million civil penalty with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over failing to recall vehicles with defective rearview cameras in a timely manner.
Ford is being praised for attention to environmental concerns
Despite criticisms for Ford’s recent recalls, the company has received praise for their continued efforts towards achieving carbon neutrality. In 2023, the company used renewable sources for over 50% of their manufacturing processes, highlighting how the company is transforming all aspects of their vehicle production process and not just the models themselves. Ford plans to achieve full carbon neutrality across all aspects of the production process by 2050.
For more information about this recall, you can check the 25V-196 recall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Association.
