Ford's recalls actually helped the brand climb to its highest reliability score in years

Did you know that all of Ford’s recalls actually helped the brand climb to its highest reliability score in years?

Ford had a record-breaking 2025, and it was not the kind any car maker wants on a billboard.

The company issued 153 recalls covering almost 13 million vehicles, nearly double the previous industry record – yikes.

But Ford insists that the recall surge is exactly why its reliability numbers are finally heading in the right direction.

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Ford’s recalls caused a bounce back

Ford is arguing that a high car recall count does not automatically equal bad quality.

According to the brand, the spike is about being aggressive and transparent with issues instead of hiding them or reacting late.

The company says it doubled its safety team, expanded testing, ran deeper software checks, and started identifying and fixing faults faster than ever.

The goal is to catch defects early, long before they turn into lawsuits, fires, or go viral.

That strategy is also why the number is so extreme: Ford’s recalls totaled 153 in 2025, beating the previous record of 77 recalls set by GM in 2014.

The number could grow because the number was published on the 23rd of December, so there are still eight days of potential recalls to work through.

Ford COO, Kumar Galhotra, has framed the approach as proof that Ford stands behind its products and that the company will act quickly when something goes wrong.

The comeback kid

A huge part of Ford’s recall situation comes down to software, not broken parts.

Around 40 of the recalls were caused by Ford reissuing updates after realizing it did not have a reliable way to confirm that earlier fixes had been installed correctly; basically, in other words, it had to recall the recall.

But the messy reset might be working, as Ford says US warranty costs are falling, which usually happens when vehicles are breaking down less and repairs are becoming less frequent.

Executives also claim initial quality for 2025-built vehicles is among the brand’s best ever.

Consumer Reports even pushed Ford into the top half of its reliability rankings for the first time in years, even if Ford still sits below average overall.

Not everyone is thrilled, though, especially since dealers have packed service bays full of recall jobs, and some new cars have even been held back from delivery until fixes are completed.

The automaker is betting the short-term disaster of Ford’s recalls will translate into long-term trust; only time will tell if that bet pays off.

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