The 2023 Ford F-150 has 17 recalls, the most serious involving steering loss, rollaway risks, and a fire hazard on Lightning models from loose or missing nuts in the high-voltage battery pack.
Several recalls share a rollaway theme: rear axle hub bolts on trucks with the Trailer Tow Max Duty package can fatigue and break, cutting drive power or allowing the truck to roll when parked, and a loose transmission bolt can prevent the truck from actually latching into park even when the shifter shows it has. On certain single-exhaust trucks, damaged parking brake wiring can trigger the electric parking brake unexpectedly while driving. On 4WD models, a front axle pinion can fracture and lock the front wheels. Lightning models have a separate suspension concern: front upper control arm ball joints can separate from the steering knuckle and cause total loss of steering.
On the safety equipment side, a weak weld in the steering wheel clock spring can disable the driver's frontal airbag, and the passenger-side instrument panel cover can block the front passenger airbag from deploying in a crash. Trailer lighting and brakes can also stop functioning on trucks equipped for towing. Rounding out the list, the rearview camera can freeze or go blank when reversing, the moonroof wind deflector can detach and become a road hazard, and on Lightning models the cabin heater and windshield defroster may not work properly.