Ford Issues Emergency Warning for Van Owners
Ford has issued an urgent “Do Not Drive” warning for owners of certain 2025 Transit van models in the United States. Such language is not typical for automakers. While recalls have become routine, an order for customers to immediately garage their vehicles indicates the seriousness of the situation.
The problem is as follows: in certain Transit models, the cotter pin that secures the brake vacuum booster pushrod to the brake pedal may not be installed. Without it, the pushrod can completely detach from the pedal. If this happens, the driver may suddenly lose the ability to brake, posing a direct safety threat.
According to Ford, the cotter pin was not installed at the manufacturing plant. The subsequent quality control step, which involved adding a secondary retaining clip, also failed to detect this defect, allowing the vans to leave the factory with a critical flaw.
Scale of the Problem
A total of 15,965 vehicles manufactured between January 21 and April 25, 2025, are subject to the recall. Ford estimates that approximately 1 percent of the recalled vehicles have this defect.
How the Fault Was Discovered
The issue came to light in December when employees at the Kansas City plant discovered a 2025 Transit van missing the brake booster pushrod cotter pin. An investigation quickly uncovered three more reports of in-service Transit vans also missing this part. On a positive note, Ford reports no accidents or injuries related to this problem.
Owners of the affected 2025 Ford Transit models will receive recall notifications between March 2 and 6. They will be instructed to bring their vehicle to the nearest Ford or Lincoln dealer for inspection of the brake vacuum booster assembly and repair if necessary. Until the brake system inspection is performed, the company strongly advises owners not to drive these vehicles.
This case serves as a reminder of the importance of multi-stage quality control systems on modern production lines. A defect that passed through two inspection stages points to potential weaknesses in the process. For owners, especially those using vans for business, such a stoppage can mean serious logistical problems and financial losses, once again underscoring the manufacturers’ responsibility for the safety of every unit of equipment that comes off the assembly line.