Ford recalls 312,000 vehicles as product cycles speed up

To fix the EBB issue that caused the recall, Ford is offering a free software update for the EBB system, available over-the-air or through dealers.

The recall is the latest of many for Ford, having recalled more than 850,000 vehicles in the US and Canada in July over concerns about potential failure of low-pressure fuel pumps which could cause an engine to stall while driving.

The carmaker issued 88 different safety recalls by the end of June, more than any other OEM has ever issued in a calendar year. 

In a statement, the OEM’s chief operating officer Kumar Galhotra said the increase in recalls reflects its “intensive strategy to quickly find and fix hardware and software issues and go the extra mile to help protect others”.

It added: “Ford has more than doubled its team of safety and technical experts in the past two years and significantly increased testing to failure on critical systems in current Ford vehicles such as powertrains, steering and braking. Insights from this testing are being incorporated into current production." 

While Ford may be pulling ahead in the number of recalls this year, it’s not the only OEM that has had to issue them. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, JLR and Nissan have also issued recall notices for models due to issues including potential electrical connection failures, airbag and engine problems, and potential electrical malfunctions.

While increasingly frequent recalls of vehicles may be because of rising safety standards or more capable software to spot potential problems, it could also be a symptom of a wider industry trend, as product cycles get more compressed and markets fluctuate more quickly alongside changing trade tides.

Recent data from AI platform for mobility, Upstream, shows that 70% of all recalls, and 90% of all EV recalls, could have been detected earlier using connected vehicle data and AI.

To improve risk management, OEMs can use digitalisation to shift from reactive investigation to proactive, scalable quality monitoring by harnessing real-time vehicle signals and diagnostic trouble codes.

This is something Ford is planning to do more of, according to Galhotra. “We are making progress on software quality, using an enhanced software validation process to help ensure the right software is present on vehicles and using over-the-air updates to address potential warranty issues before they become customer issues,” he said. “Modern digital safety systems require new talent, tools and standards. Ford has deeply invested in those capabilities like connected data signalling and dramatically increased testing on all new products across broad variations in customer use.”

Automotive supply chain leaders will be discussing how they are proactively managing risks and increasing levels of unpredictability together with partners at this year's Automotive Logistics & Supply Chain Global conference, taking place in Detroit on 23-25th September. There's still time to register and secure your place here.