Ford Recalls More Than 270,000 Broncos, Mavericks Due to Possible Battery Failure Issue

A Ford 2021 Bronco SUV on the assembly line at Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne on June 14, 2021. Rebecca Cook/Reuters

Ford Motor Co. is recalling 272,817 Bronco Sport SUV and Maverick pickup trucks due to a battery issue that may cause a loss of drive power and increase the risk of crashes, the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Thursday.

The recall impacts model year 2021–23 Bronco Sports and model year 2022–23 Mavericks manufactured by Ford, according to an NHTSA notice.

The vehicles are being recalled over issues related to the 12-volt battery which is made by Camel Battery of China, according to a report from NHTSA. The battery has “internal manufacturing defects,” including weld failures and failures of the battery’s cast-on strap that could lead to sudden battery degradation while driving, the report states.

The issue could leave vehicles unable to restart after an auto stop/start event or cause them to experience a stall while coming to a stop at low speed, thereby increasing the risk of a crash, according to the report

“Battery failure can result in a loss of electrical accessories, including the hazard lights, or cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash,” the recall notice states.

The vehicles were made between February 2021 and October 2023, when Ford stopped using those specific batteries. The defects are thought to affect only 1 percent of the vehicles equipped with the batteries.

Reports of loss of vehicle power owing to the battery issue are higher in warmer weather states, the report states. There have been no reports of accidents, fires, or injuries attributed to the issue.

NHTSA Fines Ford Over Recall Process

Notification letters will be mailed to owners in early February. The letters will instruct owners to take their vehicles to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have them inspected. If necessary, dealers will replace the 12-volt battery, free of charge.

Ford recalled more than 550,000 of its 2014 model F-150 pickup trucks in the United States and Canada in June 2024 because of a transmission problem.

Before that, the company issued a recall on 243,000 Maverick pickups in the United States because the tail lights may not illuminate.

In November 2024, Ford was hit with a civil penalty of $165 million by the NHTSA after an investigation found it “failed to recall vehicles with defective rearview cameras in a timely manner” and did not “provide accurate and complete recall information as required by the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.”

The fine, issued under a consent order, amounted to one of the largest civil penalties in NHTSA’s history.

Ford agreed to review and improve its recall decision-making process and allow an independent third party to oversee and make recommendations regarding its recall performance for three years.

The Epoch Times reached out to Ford Motor Co. for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.