❓WHAT HAPPENED: Ford Motor Company has issued a recall for 115,539 vehicles in the U.S. due to a steering defect that could lead to the detachment of the steering column’s upper shaft.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Ford Motor Company, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the affected models’ owners.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The issue was first reviewed on June 26, 2025, and the recall involves vehicles produced at the Kentucky Truck Plant before October 1, 2020.
🎯IMPACT: Vehicle owners will receive notifications starting October 6, 2025, with remedies expected in December. No accidents or injuries have been reported related to the defect.
The Ford Motor Company has announced a recall for 115,539 vehicles in the United States, prompted by concerns raised by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) over a steering defect. The defect, if present, could cause the upper shaft of the steering column to detach, significantly increasing the risk of a crash.
The recall affects the 2020-2021 Ford F-Super Duty trucks, including the F-250, F-350, and F-450 models. Concerningly, this could impact upwards of between 10 percent and 15 percent of F-series trucks sold by the automaker over that year—marking a signficant recall measure.
According to the second-largest automaker in the United States, Ford dealers will inspect and—if necessary—repair or replace the steering column’s upper shaft free of charge to vehicle owners. NHTSA noted that vehicle owners will be notified of the issue starting October 6, 2025, with a second round of notifications expected in December once a definitive remedy is in place.
The issue was first reviewed by Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group on June 26, 2025. Investigations revealed changes in the manufacturing process, with a second staking method introduced in February 2021 to improve the upper shaft’s design. Vehicles produced at the Kentucky Truck Plant before October 1, 2020, were found to have potentially defective parts. However, no accidents or injuries have been linked to the defect so far.
This recall follows several others by Ford in recent months, including one earlier in the month for 1.45 million vehicles over a defective rear-view camera system and another in August involving 355,656 light trucks with faulty instrument panel displays.
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.