New Ford and Lincoln recalls: roof and transmission issues
Ford has announced another massive recall campaign. This time, over 16,000 vehicles from the Ford and Lincoln brands are affected. The recalls involve two separate issues related to different models.
Ford Bronco roof problem
The campaign related to the Ford Bronco is the most concerning. The company found that hardtops installed on most three-door and five-door Bronco models from 2021-2022 can crack or delaminate on the outer layer. According to Ford representatives, this “could lead to parts of the outer roof panel separating from the vehicle.” Pieces of the roof tearing off at high speed is a risk no one would want to test in practice.
Ford blames the supplier, stating that its “processes and parameters were not optimized.” This means the roofs can degrade after prolonged exposure to weather conditions. The recall includes three-door models built from September 23, 2020, to January 13, 2022, as well as five-door Broncos built from September 23, 2020, to October 22, 2021. In total, this affects 16,200 SUVs requiring attention.
Ford launched an investigation after complaints were filed with the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) by owners. The company is aware of 25 warranty claims, 2 field reports, and 2 customer complaints regarding the roof issue. Importantly, there have been no reports of accidents or injuries so far.
Owners will be notified of the recall starting May 27 and will be asked to deliver their vehicle to a dealer for inspection. However, since replacement hardtops still need to be manufactured, owners will have to wait at least until November before new roofs can be installed.
Lincoln Corsair and Ford Escape recall
The second recall involves five Lincoln Corsair vehicles built from October 27, 2025, to November 17, 2025, and 203 Ford Escape vehicles built from October 27, 2025, to December 9, 2025.
Ford states that affected vehicles may have a transmission issue that fails to engage in “Park” mode. This could cause the Corsair and Escape to roll more than the permitted 150 mm on a 10% slope if the electronic parking brake (EPB) is not activated. Normally, the EPB should activate immediately after selecting “Park” mode, but the malfunction may prevent this.
An over-the-air software update is being developed to fix the issue. Owners will be notified of the recall starting June 29. They will be able to install the software update at home or visit a Ford or Lincoln dealer.
These incidents highlight systemic quality control issues at Ford, which have led to massive recalls year after year. While the company responds promptly to complaints, delays in manufacturing spare parts, as in the case of the Bronco roofs, may cause additional dissatisfaction among owners. At the same time, the use of over-the-air update technology to fix the transmission problem shows Ford’s intent to speed up and simplify the defect resolution process, even though not all issues can be resolved remotely.