Sunita Somvanshi
Ford Motor Company has announced two major safety recalls affecting more than 148,000 vehicles in the United States, as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The larger recall involves 123,611 vehicles from the 2017-2018 model years, including Ford F-150 pickup trucks, Ford Expeditions, and Lincoln Navigators equipped with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 engine. These vehicles have a potentially serious brake system defect where contamination of the brake fluid could “interfere with rear cup seal function or, to a lesser extent, rolling of the rearmost cup seal in the master cylinder,” allowing brake fluid to leak from the front wheel circuit into the brake booster.
For affected drivers, this means reduced braking performance with increased stopping distances. Warning signs include an audible chime, message center alerts, a red brake warning indicator, and a noticeable change in brake pedal feel requiring more force to stop the vehicle.
Ford has confirmed 90 warranty claims related to this issue but reports no accidents or injuries so far. The component supplier for the faulty brake master cylinder is Hitachi Astemo Americas.
The second recall affects 24,655 of the 2025 Ford Explorer models equipped with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine. These vehicles have a software problem in the powertrain control module (PCM) that can cause unexpected resets while driving.
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This software glitch creates two distinct risks: damage to the vehicle’s parking system if the park pawl attempts to engage at speeds above 10 mph, and potential temporary loss of power. Ford says you could experience a temporary loss of vehicle acceleration or a loss of motive power if the car experiences “8 consecutive resets in the span of 18 seconds.”
The fix for the brake fluid issue involves replacing the master cylinder and, if it’s leaking, the brake booster as well. For the Explorer PCM problem, dealers will update the software and inspect transmissions for any damage, making necessary repairs free of charge.
Ford will notify owners by mail about both recalls in the coming weeks. Notification letters for the brake fluid leak recall are expected between April 28 and May 2, 2025, and for the Explorer PCM issue by May 26, 2025.
These recalls add to Ford’s quality control challenges in 2025. The company has also issued a re-recall for 1,168 units of the 2024 Ford Ranger and Lincoln Nautilus due to improperly installed window pinch control fixes that were previously recorded as successfully repaired.
Owners can check if their vehicle is affected by using their Vehicle Identification Number on the NHTSA’s website.
