Ford Motor Company has issued what may be one of the biggest recalls in recent history, launching a major safety recall into the marketplace involving 115,539 vehicles in the United States due to an alleged critical defect in the steering column that has the potential for complete loss of steering control. This recall was announced on September 23, 2025, and targets a specific range of 2020-2021 Super Duty trucks, adding to Ford’s unfortunate history of having had one of the most intense years of safety recalls.
Affected vehicles and timeline
The recall impacts three models of Super Duty trucks manufactured from February 19, 2019, to September 30, 2020:
- 2020-2021 Ford F-250 Super Duty
- 2020-2021 Ford F-350 Super Duty
- 2020-2021 Ford F-450 Super Duty
Ford, however, believes that only about 1 percent of the total population of affected vehicles has this defect; nevertheless, the company is recalling that entire population of potentially affected trucks as a precautionary measure. Because these trucks were not manufactured in VIN sequence, it is very important for owners to check with Ford’s customer service or the nearest dealership to ascertain whether their vehicle is affected.
Safety risk and technical details
Basically, the defect is that the upper shaft of the steering column could separate without any warning from the steering column. In its report, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states: the upper shaft of the steering column “hard slider does not satisfy anti-pull apart load specifications”. This means that due to this technical defect, the component has inadequate strength to hold its connection during normal operation.
If the upper shaft of the steering column were to separate, a driver would lose all ability to steer, and this would greatly increase the chances of a serious accident occurring. The defect is even scarier because there are no messages sent to the cluster or other warnings that may alert a driver of an issue with the steering column. The separation could, therefore, occur suddenly without the driver receiving any advance warnings.
Ford’s investigation and the timeline
The Ford Critical Concern Review Group first became aware of this issue on June 26, 2025. The company’s investigation confirmed that the primary method used to stake affected vehicles in the anti-pull-apart force operation had been in place since the start of the 2020 model year till February 2021, when a second staking was applied to improve the design.
The analysis traced Ford’s records and all known customer reports were from vehicles built in March 2020 or earlier. From a statistical standpoint, Ford also confirmed that vehicles built after March 2020 were very much superior in terms of pull-apart force, hence coming up with the actual date of production on which the recall is based.
As of September 11, 2025, Ford had received a total of 17 reports potentially related to this concern, including three Vehicle Owner Questionnaires, seven warranty claims, three field reports, and four reports from the customer hotline. These incidents involved eleven unique VINs reported between September 15, 2020, and April 7, 2025. Crucially, Ford is unaware of any accidents or injuries connected to the steering column defect.
The repair and notification process for owners
For no charge, Ford dealerships will inspect the steering column and repair or replace the upper shaft, as necessary at no cost to vehicle owners; for vehicles that pass the initial inspection, dealers will modify the component to improve pull-apart retention such that it meets proper specifications.
The notices are expected to follow this schedule:
- Notification to dealers: September 23, 2025
- Interim owner letters: Expected to begin mailing October 6, 2025
- Final letters: Expected to begin mailing December 26, 2025
Vehicle owners can also check with Ford at 1-866-436-7332 and refer to recall number 25S94, to find out if their particular vehicle is affected. They may also visit a local Ford or Lincoln dealer, where a verification check can be conducted using Ford’s online Automotive Service Information System (OASIS) database.
Record-breaking recall year for Ford
The steering column defect is just the 115th safety recall Ford has undertaken in 2025, setting a record for any manufacturer in the history of the automobile for that number of safety recalls to be issued in one year. The previous holders of that record were significantly weaker than this, with Chrysler at 33 recalls, Forest River at 18, and Volkswagen at 20 recalls at their peaks.
These recall actions account for an estimated 9.5 million vehicles affected as a result of Ford’s recalls in 2025, with major recalls being initiated for 1.45 million vehicles for faulty rearview cameras and over 355,000 trucks for dashboard display issues as detailed here, Ford to recall more than 355,000 trucks due to instrument panel issue – These are the models and years of manufacture affected by the recall. These numbers show a crisis type situation regarding safety recalls that highlight continued struggles with quality, across many aspects for the manufacturer out of this recall.
Warning signs and practically immediate actions
While the steering column defect can occur without warning, drivers are advised to observe for any symptoms that can manifest as problems with the steering system. Possible signs include a strange noise coming from the steering column area, unusual amounts of play in the steering wheel, an inability of the steer to return to the center after a turn, or any sort of grinding or clicking noises when turning.
Given the severe safety ramifications of the defect involved, owners of affected vehicles should immediately get in touch with Ford to check if their truck is statutorily recalled and have repairs made as needed. The possibility of a complete lack of steering control makes this recall all the more critical for vehicle safety and public road safety.
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