Summary
The Ford Maverick has 55 recalls spanning the 1975 through 2026 model years, with the most serious recent issue being a 2025 engine block heater that can overheat while the vehicle is parked and plugged in, creating a fire risk.
The 2025-2026 models carry several additional concerns. The front passenger seat sensor can misclassify an adult occupant and suppress the front airbag in a crash, and the instrument panel cover may break apart and send pieces toward occupants when the airbag fires. Moonroof-equipped 2025-2026 vehicles have a bonding defect that can let the glass panel detach and become a road hazard. A small number of 2025 models also have an electric brake booster that can overheat and reduce both brake assist and stability control, raising stopping distances. On 2025 vehicles, the airbag indicator light can come loose in the dash, leaving occupants unaware that the airbag has been deactivated.
The 2022-2024 model years carry the heaviest recall load. Hybrid models from 2022-2024 have a powertrain control module software defect that can unexpectedly shift the transmission into neutral and cut drive power, and prior repair attempts on this issue did not fully resolve it across multiple service campaigns. The 12-volt battery on 2022-2023 models can degrade and fail suddenly, cutting power to hazard lights and potentially stalling the vehicle, and the control modules on 2022 models went through repeated repair attempts before properly detecting low battery states. Fuel system issues on 2022 vehicles include tanks damaged either during factory assembly or during bed-liner installation, both of which can allow fuel to leak and increase fire risk, and 2024 models have a separate fuel tank seam defect with the same consequence. The rearview camera on 2022-2024 models can freeze or fail to display when reversing. Lighting problems on 2022-2024 vehicles include tail lights that can shut off while driving, brake lights that can illuminate without the driver pressing the pedal, and turn signals that fail to increase flash rate when a bulb burns out, with prior repair attempts on several of these issues requiring follow-up campaigns. The side curtain airbags on 2022 models may not deploy correctly in a crash. On 2022-2023 Hybrid models specifically, the instrument cluster can go dark, hiding the speedometer and warning lights. The 2023 model with the trailer tow package is missing an electrical circuit that leaves trailer tail lights dark while towing. Tires on certain 2023 vehicles were manufactured incorrectly and can cause a loss of handling. The 2024 model also has improperly threaded rear child seat tether anchors that can give way in a crash.
On 2022 models equipped with a 2.5L hybrid or plug-in hybrid engine, an engine failure can release oil and fuel vapor near hot exhaust components, which can ignite an engine compartment fire. This same risk applies to 2020-2023 Escape and 2021-2023 Corsair variants sharing that engine.
Going back to the original Maverick generation, the 1977 model has a manual steering gear defect where internal balls can fracture and cause steering to hang up and eventually fail entirely. The 1977 model also has a left front door lock that can release while driving. A speedometer gear error on certain 1977 automatic-transmission models caused readings lower than actual speed. The 1975 model has an emissions-
