Ford is making headlines again with a major recall of its popular Ranger pickup trucks. This is the company’s third big safety recall of 2025, affecting about 100,900 Rangers built between December 2022 and July 2025.
The issue? Side curtain airbags may tear when they go off, making them less able to protect people during a crash. The defect was caught during federal safety tests and is expected to cost Ford hundreds of millions to fix.
With over 4 million Ford vehicles recalled this year, the Ranger’s troubles highlight major quality problems at a time when the truck holds a big slice of Europe’s market for pickups.
Flood of Recalls Hurts Ford’s Reputation
Ford’s recall problems in 2025 are bigger than ever. The company has issued 109 safety recalls, involving almost 8 million vehicles worldwide. This is way above the industry average and costs Ford around $5 billion this year, twice as much as its rivals in total revenue.
Past recalls, like the Takata airbag fiasco, already cost Ford hundreds of millions, and last year the company was fined $165 million by safety regulators for not handling recalls properly.
As Ford pushes ahead with its new electric vehicles, these repeated quality lapses threaten its image and competitiveness.
Flaw Discovered During Crash Safety Test
The latest airbag problem was found in June 2025 during routine government safety tests. Inspectors noticed the Ranger’s side curtain airbags nearly failed an important rule called FMVSS 226, which is about ejection protection in a crash.
Technicians looked closer and found a 12-millimeter tear at the top of the airbag’s cushion, hidden behind interior trim beside the front seat.
It turned out that the airbag fabric could snag on a sharp edge inside the truck during deployment, causing the tear and letting air out too fast, which would lower passenger protection in a side impact or rollover.
Affected Models and Changes to Production
Ford’s internal review found this problem affected all Rangers built between December 9, 2022, and July 29, 2025, at its Michigan Assembly Plant.
On July 29, the design was changed to add a protective shield so new trucks coming off the line won’t have this issue.
The recall covers the most popular Ranger styles and trims sold in the U.S. and exported worldwide. Fixing the trucks already on the road will take longer, requiring new parts and lots of dealer appointments for affected owners.
What’s Really Wrong With the Airbags
The main problem is that the airbag hits a stiff part of the truck’s side (the B-pillar reinforcement flange) when it deploys, which can cut the airbag and let air out too soon.
This weakens the bag’s protective “curtain” across the window, putting people at greater risk in a crash—especially if the truck rolls over. While no accidents or injuries have been reported, experts point out this isn’t like the Takata rupture crisis.
Instead, it’s a slow leak problem, but it still means some airbag systems in recalled Rangers might not fully protect passengers in a nasty crash.
What Owners Need To Know (and Do)
About 100,900 Ranger drivers across the U.S. received letters in early September 2025, telling them about the airbag problem and what to expect.
Owners were advised to contact their dealer, but a complete fix won’t be available until late 2025 because the parts need to be manufactured and distributed.
The recall affects many people and includes both SuperCab and SuperCrew versions. Ford says owners don’t have to stop driving their truck, but they should bring it in for the repair as soon as they’re notified it’s ready.
Global Recall Reach and Extra Defects Emerge
The Ranger recall isn’t just affecting American customers. Over 5,600 Rangers were recalled recently in South Africa for a different brake defect.
Ford’s plant in Pretoria produces thousands of pickups yearly and exports them to dozens of countries.
Since the Ranger is a global model with a huge European market share, any serious safety issue has ripple effects for customers and regulators worldwide.
The recall comes when competition from Toyota and new Chinese brands is heating up.
Recalls Threaten Ford’s Comeback
This recall is happening just as Ford’s Ranger has been making a comeback, with strong sales growth and excitement over new designs.
However, industry experts say big safety recalls can hurt resale values, shake consumer confidence, and cause slow development, especially when buyers can easily switch to Toyota, Chevy, or other competitors.
On top of that, Ford’s profits are already squeezed by growing electric vehicle losses and these costly fixes, making each recall a serious business setback.
Why This Airbag Fix Matters
Crash safety researchers explain that side curtain airbags are a last defense in keeping people from being thrown from vehicles during a rollover—the deadliest accident.
If the airbags don’t work right, survivors of what should be less severe crashes might face much higher odds of death or serious injuries.
The fact that this defect was caught by a routine safety test instead of in a real crash is a strong warning for Ford.
It may prove that regulators are watching automakers more closely after the infamous Takata scandals.
Quality Control Crisis Across Ford Models
The Ranger airbag recall is just one piece of Ford’s bigger quality control puzzle in 2025. Other ongoing recalls, including transmission and electrical flaws, show the company is battling reliability problems on several fronts.
Customer complaints, warranty costs, and declining ratings in consumer surveys like J.D. Power add up to Ford’s worst quality period in years.
These issues hurt relationships with buyers and could affect Ford’s reputation worldwide.
How Ford Plans to Fix Things
To solve the airbag problem, Ford will install special shields that prevent the airbag from hitting the metal edge inside the pillar.
Dealerships already have instructions and diagnostic tools to get ready, and Ford has set up help lines and free towing for any worried customers.
Although the fix isn’t ready yet, Ford promises there’s no immediate driving danger, but urges owners to install the new shields as soon as parts become available in late 2025.
How Much Will This Cost Ford?
Industry analysts believe Ford could spend hundreds of millions fixing recalls across all its models, with the Ranger airbag recall being one of the costliest.
High recall expenses hurt Ford’s profits, drove its stock price, and forced the company to shift money away from developing future cars.
Meanwhile, Ford is also dealing with government fines, legal bills, and the loss of some buyers as news of these recalls spreads.
Ford Makes Changes on the Assembly Line
Ford’s engineers acted quickly after the defect was found, redesigning the airbag system so all Rangers built after July 29, 2025, have the protective shield already installed.
This means new trucks coming out of the factory don’t have the flaw, though all the earlier models on the road still need the fix.
Ford will cover the cost of repairs for owners and says the new shield design should finally resolve the side airbag issue.
The Challenge of Getting Repairs Done
Ford plans to start fixing affected Rangers in late 2025, but with so many trucks needing new shields, there could be long lines at dealerships.
Many Ford dealers are already busy handling other recalls, so everyone may take weeks or months to get the fix.
Still, Ford wants to move quickly to help owners and restore trust in the Ranger and their other vehicles.
New Rules and Regulators Watching
Government agencies, especially NHTSA, monitor Ford’s recalls and repair progress.
After the global Takata airbag disaster, car companies are under more pressure than ever to fix safety issues right the first time.
Congress may step in if Ford’s fixes are too slow, and new industry regulations could be written if more defects slip through safety testing in the future.
This creates even more stress for Ford’s leadership.
Investigations and Legal Fallout Pile Up
Recent attention from lawmakers has led to proposed new laws requiring stricter testing and independent approval of safety systems like airbags before cars hit the road.
The U.S. Department of Justice and attorneys general from several states are also investigating whether Ford reported its quality issues quickly or gave customers proper warning.
Ford may face more fines, legal settlements, or even court-mandated changes to how it designs and builds vehicles.
Wider Industry Effects
While Ford struggles with recalls, rivals such as Toyota, GM, and Stellantis are promoting their own better reliability records in ads and at auto shows.
Car parts suppliers and insurance firms are also watching Ford closely—some are raising premiums on specific models or demanding more safety testing before delivering components.
Recalls like this force everyone in the car business to review their quality control, as a defect in one global model can disrupt supply chains everywhere.
Consumer Outrage and Misinformation Spread
On social media, angry Ford owners share frustrations about repeated recalls and slow repairs. Hashtags like #FordRecalls are trending, with some posts claiming Ford is hiding even more problems.
This has forced Ford to boost its customer communication and fight online rumors.
Consumer groups are joining calls for government investigations, and trust in Ford is slipping, making it harder to convince buyers to choose a Ford next time.
Past Scandals Show How Hard It Is To Recover
Ford’s recall problems remind many people of previous disasters, like the Firestone tire scandal and the Takata airbag crisis.
Those events cost Ford and other automakers billions of dollars and led to significant changes in safety laws. It took years for Ford to repair both its cars and its reputation.
The same could happen this time, especially if new problems surface or repairs take longer than expected.
Fixing Quality to Survive
The Ford Ranger recall highlights deep, ongoing problems with quality control at one of America’s oldest car companies.
If Ford can’t fix these flaws and restore confidence, it could lose customers and billions more in the years ahead. Ford must invest in better manufacturing, stronger safety checks, and honest communication with buyers.
How well it handles this recall may decide whether the company remains a leader or falls behind rivals who put reliability first.