This particular Super Duty campaign marks Ford’s 77th recall this year.
If it feels like there are a ton of vehicle recalls these days, you aren’t wrong — and I’ll get into more detail on that in a moment. Many of the more recent issues have to do with software problems rather than actual mechanical faults, though that is not the case here. In fact, Ford issued a safety recall for 2,345 Super Duty trucks (ranging from F-250 through F-550) over the potential for a sudden and unexpected loss of braking ability. And again, if that sounds like a serious issue, it obviously is. So much so, in fact, that the automaker included a “Do Not Drive” warning to those impacted owners.
Specifically, the recall report published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says the brake pedal assembly on affected trucks may have been improperly assembled without a retaining spring. That spring secures the brake booster pushrod to the brake pedal, and without it those two parts can detach from each other. Naturally, if you lose the brake booster, it can “result in a loss of braking function while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.” Not that you couldn’t work that out already.
This issue most heavily affects the F-250, though Ford worked out through reviewing assembly station camera images how many of each model to include in the recall:
- F-250: 1,304 units
- F-350: 807 units
- F-450: 132 units
- F-550: 102 units
All trucks under this recall were manufactured at the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville between March 19 and May 4, 2025.
Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG) first caught wind of the problem on May 22, when it was reported by the truck plant’s manufacturing team. The CCRG then reviewed a May 5 pre-delivery inspection report, where a dealer technician flagged a 2025 F-350 Super Duty as having no braking force when driving the trucks at parking lot speeds. In that case, the brake pedal was swinging freely. The technician subsequently found the brake booster pushrod has disconnected from the brake pedal assembly. Another technician reported the same issue during a pre-delivery inspection of a second 2025 model year F-350 on June 3.
Ford told safety regulators that it determined the retaining spring installation on both these trucks was supposed to be performed by a new operator who was in training during the suspect period. As it looked deeper, the CCRG also noted the camera system that’s supposed to catch errors in the manufacturing process for this part were either down entirely, or didn’t provide sufficient clarity to determine whether the operator actually installed the retaining spring on the affected trucks.
To date, Ford says it’s aware of three field reports and one warranty report related to the concern, but none of those included an accident or injury.
How and when will Ford fix it?
Ford first notified dealers of this braking recall on June 13. Fortunately, while automakers can take their time actually getting notifications out to owners, the company isn’t taking their time with this one. At least according to what Ford told the NHTSA, letters are already on their way to impacted owners starting this Wednesday, June 18, and is expected to go through June 23.
Owners will be advised not to drive their trucks unless the presence of that brake booster pushrod retaining spring is verified. The company says customers will then be instructed to “work with their Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the brake pedal assembly inspected and repaired, as necessary”, at no charge.
In its notice to all U.S. Ford and Lincoln dealers (Note: clicking this link will download a PDF version of the notice to your device), the automaker instructs service departments to proactively contact owners in the recall population, and arrange to perform a mobile repair for inspection and brake assembly repair, or tow the vehicles to the dealership. If necessary, Ford also authorizes a rental and tells dealers to re-deliver the owner’s vehicle after the recall has been completed, if it was towed to the dealer.
Owners can search the NHTSA recall website (recall number 25V-401) for more information, or search their VIN through Ford’s recall website (recall number 25C26).
Ford is the recall leader so far this year, and it’s not even close.
Earlier in this post, I mentioned this particular campaign is Ford’s 77th in calendar year 2025. And bear in mind, we’re only about halfway through the year so far. That is according to information provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s data hub, which compiles the NHTSA’s recall information over the past several decades. Another recall involving the Mustang Mach-E brings the total up to 78 (or 39% of all 2025 NHTSA-listed recalls among manufacturers), at time of writing.
Behind the Blue Oval, RV manufacturer Forest River Inc. has the next greatest number of recalls, at 18. As far as conventional automakers are concerned, the third and fourth most-recalled are Volkswagen and FCA (Chrysler/Stellantis), with 15 each. Mercedes-Benz rounds out the top five with 13 recalls. General Motors, for its part, has 12 recalls to its name, tied with Honda.
While it is a serious safety issue, this recall campaign is not nearly as widespread as some others, at just 2,345 trucks. However, when you stack it up behind at least a dozen other recalls for the fifth-generation Super Duty since its introduction in 2023 — with one of the most recent being its inclusion in a 1.1-million-strong rearview camera recall impacting several Ford models (and more camera recalls besides) — it’s indicative of a broader quality issue.
And the company brass know it’s a serious problem. Last year, CEO Jim Farley acknowledged Ford’s build quality issues to investors. “I think we all have regrets and that’s a big one for me,” he said at the time (quote from Axios). In December 2024, Ford announced it was appointing a new head of quality, replacing Jim Baumbick, who formally moved out of that role in 2025 and is now VP of advanced product (EV) development and cycle planning. The company is further using AI in its factory to lift quality control.
Nevertheless, Ford has reclaimed the dubious honor of most-recalled automaker, which it held in 2022 and 2023, after FCA edged out the lead last year. Between January 1 and June 20, Ford’s recall campaigns affect as many as 4,077,623 vehicles* (*some vehicles may be included in multiple recalls, and would then be included in this total figure more than once.)
Ford seems to have caught this particular issue early, which is great news and why this system exists — so problems are addressed ideally before people are injured or killed. Hopefully for consumers’ sake, these campaigns will serve as encouragement to continue addressing quality concerns so we won’t see as many recalls in the second half of 2025 and beyond.
