Ford issued the recall for certain Maverick pickups and Bronco Sport SUVs, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. The recall affects Bronco Sport models from 2021-2023 and Maverick models from 2022-2023.
The issue stems from a manufacturing defect in 12-volt batteries made by Camel, according to Ford. Internal weld and cast-on-strap failures could cause the battery to degrade suddenly while it's in use.
This defect may result in vehicles stalling at low speeds, failing to restart after an auto stop/start event, or losing power to essential electrical systems, such as hazard lights. Those issues can increase the risk of a crash.
The affected batteries were installed in vehicles produced between Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, and Thursday, Oct. 20, 2022. To address the problem, Ford dealerships will inspect and replace the faulty batteries for free.
Owners will be notified via mail starting Monday, Feb. 3. For more information, you can call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332, using recall number 25S02.
You can also contact the NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or by visiting the agency's website.
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