Ford Motor Co. is recalling 110,626 Mustang vehicles in the United States in two separate campaigns covering windshield wipers and rear differential parts, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Tuesday. The recalls address potential safety risks where windshield wipers may malfunction in cold temperatures or rear differential parts may fracture, leading to a loss of drive power or unintended vehicle movement. Dealers will repair or replace damaged parts free of charge.

Recall Details

The larger recall covers 67,842 Mustang and Mustang GTD vehicles. In certain cold temperatures, the windshield wipers may operate only at high speed and the washer system may not work properly, the agency said.

Ford is separately recalling 42,784 Mustang Mach-E vehicles because the rear differential pinion shaft may fracture. That could cause a loss of drive power or allow the vehicle to move unintentionally if parked without the parking brake applied.

Quality Control Challenges

The recalls add to Ford’s long-running quality-control challenge. The automaker logged a record 153 safety recalls in 2025, affecting nearly 13 million vehicles, up from 67 in 2024, affecting more than 4.7 million vehicles. As of early July, Ford had issued 53 recall campaigns this year covering more than 12 million vehicles, far ahead of Stellantis-owned Chrysler’s 19 campaigns.

Despite these issues, Ford ranked as the top mainstream brand in J.D. Power’s 2026 U.S. Initial Quality Study, suggesting newer models are showing measurable improvement even as defects in older vehicles continue to trigger recalls.

Sales Performance

The latest safety actions come days after Ford reported a mixed second quarter in the U.S. Sales fell 10.3% from a year earlier to 549,200 vehicles. F-Series sales dropped 11% to 195,479 units after fires at a key aluminum supplier worsened shortages. SUV sales fell 15.5%, though Explorer sales rose 13.7%.

Ford’s electric-vehicle slump was sharper. Pure EV sales fell 40.7%, with Mustang Mach-E down 30.9% and F-150 Lightning down 58.6%. Ford said lower volume also reflected planned phase-outs of lower-margin models, including the Escape and Lincoln Corsair. Even so, Ford said its estimated June U.S. retail market share rose to 12.3% as it retools factories for an affordable electric pickup.

Ford Motor Co. reported total second-quarter sales of 522,811 units, a 10% decline from the 580,763 units sold in the same period last year. The drop reflects broader challenges for legacy US automakers, including General Motors Co., amid weak demand. Year-to-date sales stood at 956,516 units, down 9.6% from 1,058,323 units in the first half of 2025. Following the report, Ford shares fell 2.1% to close at $13.36 on Thursday.

Electric vehicle sales fell sharply by 40.7% year-over-year to 9,746 units in the second quarter, compared to 16,438 units in Q2 2025. Year-to-date EV sales reached 16,606 units, a 37.4% decrease from 38,988 units in the prior year. The Mustang Mach-E sales dropped 30.9% to 7,032 units, while the F-150 Lightning EV pickup truck sales plummeted by over 58% to 2,421 units from 5,842 units.

Sales Performance Breakdown

Strategic Developments and Challenges

Ford is preparing to launch a $30,000 EV pickup truck based on its Universal EV Platform in 2027 to compete with growing Chinese market influence. However, the company faces ongoing quality control issues, recently recalling over 777,000 vehicles due to rollaway and fender problems. Additionally, Ford rehired more than 300 engineers after an artificial intelligence integration strategy failed to meet quality targets. Ford's VP of Vehicle Hardware Engineering, Charles Poon, noted that the reliance on AI and design adjustments alone did not yield the expected high-quality product.