Automotive
Ford recalls nearly 160,000 vehicles over potential drive power loss
Two separate recalls address a wiring harness issue in Mustangs and a manufacturing defect in 2.3-liter EcoBoost engines.
The short version
- Ford has issued two unrelated recalls covering nearly 160,000 vehicles that are at risk of losing drive power.
- The larger recall affects over 148,000 Mustang models from 2024 to 2026 due to a wiring harness ground issue.
- The smaller recall affects approximately 10,000 vehicles from 2026 due to potential piston failures in 2.3-liter EcoBoost engines.
- Ford is notifying dealers and owners, with remedies including wiring harness eyelet replacements and potential engine block replacements.
Key facts
- The first recall covers 148,663 Mustang muscle cars from the 2024–2026 model years because wiring harness ground eyelets can fracture from vehicle vibration, potentially causing total power loss or secondary electrical failures.[Car and Driver]
- For the Mustang recall, Ford will replace the wiring harness ground eyelets with a revised design, with owner notifications planned to finish mailing this week.[Car and Driver]
- The second recall covers 10,001 vehicles from the 2026 model year—including Bronco, Bronco Sport, Explorer, Ranger, and Mustang models—due to possible piston failure in the 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine.[Car and Driver]
- The piston issue stems from a supplier manufacturing defect where a loose machining tool nut caused crater cracks in the piston's intermetallic bond.[Car and Driver]
- As of August 12, Ford was aware of 22 engine failures at its plants and two failures in the field that could be linked to the piston issue.[Car and Driver]
- Ford's remedy for the piston recall involves inspecting vehicles and replacing the engine long block on any vehicle that fails inspection, with remedy notifications expected to be mailed in late December.[Car and Driver]