10 Serious Ford Problems You May Not Know About

Nov 27, 2023

Ford is mainly focused on building everyday vehicles, so safety is a number one priority. However, certain models have some serious problems.

Sure, Ford is one of the most established carmakers around today. It's a proud American carmaker, just like General Motors. Not to mention, it's been recognized for several reliable car models. These include the F-series trucks and the Explorer and Expedition.

However, despite all its success over the years, it can't be denied that Ford has also had its share of glaring problems. As you may know, there have been reported problems concerning its pickup trucks. Meanwhile, Ford has also suffered some issues with its Ford Mustang. To make matters worse, there are other serious Ford problems, including the following:

This problem affected the 2000 Ford Focus. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) further stated, "Certain passenger vehicles equipped with Zetec engines, loose or broken attachments, and misrouted battery cables could lead to cable insulation damage."

Moreover, as the battery cables short, it might sustain "heat damage." In addition, it may cause the "check engine" light to illuminate and the car would "fail to start, or smoke, melting, or fire could also occur." More than 290,000 units were estimated to be potentially affected by this problem.

According to Ford, they first became aware of the issue in February 2007 after they started investigating reports of underhood fires in certain vehicle models after receiving more and more reports.

According to Ford's defect and non-compliance notice, "The reports appear to relate to long term durability performance of the Texas Instruments switch which may result in leakage causing increased electrical resistance within the leaking switch, and the potential for an unattended vehicle fire." The affected vehicles include certain year models of the F-Series trucks, Explorer, Ranger, Taurus, and more.

RELATED: Here Are The Glaring Problems With Toyota's Sports Cars

According to Ford's dealer bulletin, "The evaporative emissions Canister Purge Valve (CPV) may develop an internal leak which, under certain circumstances, can allow excessive vacuum to build in the fuel tank. Repeated cycles of this condition may cause a crack in the fuel tank, resulting in a fuel leak or fuel odor."

Even worse, a fuel leak can become a source of ignition. Hence, it may cause a fire. The affected vehicles include the 2010 to 2011 Fusion with both 2.5-liter and 3.0-liter engines.

The problem was detected in certain model years of Ford models such as the EcoSport, Edge, Escape, Expedition, Explorer, Focus, Fusion, and many others. Typically, the MyFord Mobile/Ford Pass/Lincoln Way mobile application would allow the driver to use the remote start feature twice before it would fail.

According to the manufacturer communications, "If a third remote start request is received, a Vehicle Failed To Start message will be displayed quickly in the mobile app. Once the vehicle is driven, the remote start counter is reset and will allow remote start commands to be sent from the mobile app."

RELATED: Tesla Having Problems With Model Y Production

This problem was found to be present in 2013 F-150 units that were manufactured in Ford's Dearborn and Kansas City plants during specific periods from 2012 to 2013.

According to a copy of the manufacturer's notice to its dealers, "Depending on vehicle speed at the time of the downshift, an abrupt wheel speed reduction may occur, which could cause the rear tires to slide or lock up until the vehicle speed slows down. This condition could result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash."

The problem affected 2001 to 2008 models of the Ford Escape, as well as 2001 to 2008 models of the Mercury Mariner.

According to the carmaker's notice to dealers, "If the shift control lever bolt becomes loose, the shift control lever may disengage from the transmission without warning and the transmission may not respond to operator gear selection. This can result in possible vehicle roll-away, increasing the risk of an injury or crash." According to Ford, it is not aware of any accident or injury caused by this issue.

RELATED: 15 Biggest Problems With Porsche's Cars Today

A petition filed to the Department of Transportation against Ford alleged that in certain vehicles manufactured from 1997 to 2004, "the spark plugs and the cylinder heads which hold them contain less than half the threads used previously in automobile engines…."

It is, therefore "insufficient to retain the spark plugs in the cylinder heads for the life of the plug unless periodically inspected." It further explained that the blowouts would occur once a car has run 50,000 miles. Property damage was also reported due to this issue.

According to a safety recalled report submitted last February 10, as many as 211,207 vehicles are potentially affected by this problem. These mainly include 2013 to 2018 Ford Flex units and Taurus police vehicles.

The report explained, "Under high-stress conditions that exist during full rear suspension articulation (jounce and rebound), toe link fractures can occur inboard of the turnbuckle resulting from fatigue introduced by reverse bending." If this happens, there would be a drastic change in the car's handling, increasing the risk of an accident.

RELATED: Here's The Most Common Problems With The Jaguar F-Type

This problem was found to be present among certain units of the 2019 Ford EcoSport. According to Ford's press release, "Ford is issuing a safety compliance recall on certain 2019 Ford EcoSport vehicles with an insufficient weld between the side member and A-bracket on the front seatback.

A seatback with an inadequate weld may have reduced strength that may not meet the seat back strength requirements of FMVSS 207/210, potentially increasing the risk of injury in a crash." Fortunately, no accidents were reported as a result of this issue.

This happens to be among the recent issues that are affecting a significant number of Ford vehicles today. These include 48,855 F-150 pickup trucks and 5,271 Ranger trucks manufactured earlier this year. The problem also extends to 43 Expedition SUVs that come with the Police Package option.

Consumer Reports further explained, "A part within the shifter assembly may have been improperly installed and would allow the shifter to move into a position that's different from the one that's displayed on the dashboard." A recall was already issued.

NEXT: 15 Alarming Problems With Tesla's Cars