Summary
The Ford F-53 has 5 recalls spanning 2011 through 2026, with the most serious being a 2013 model year steering gear defect where incorrect fasteners on the steering adapter plate can allow the steering gear to separate, causing a complete loss of steering control.
The 2025 and 2026 model years have two related brake light issues. On 2025 vehicles, an incorrectly installed switch can cause the brake lights to either illuminate when the driver is not pressing the pedal or fail to come on when they are, either way leaving following drivers without a reliable signal. On 2025-2026 vehicles, the brake lights can stay on continuously regardless of pedal input, masking any actual braking signal to traffic behind. Going back to 2016, an incorrect shift cable bracket and improper cable adjustment can allow the transmission to be shifted out of park without the brake pedal being pressed, meaning the vehicle can roll unexpectedly. On the earliest production years, 2011-2012 models have a gear selector cable that can break at its attachment to the steering column, causing the instrument panel to show an incorrect gear position and leaving the driver uncertain whether the vehicle is in park or reverse.
