Ford recalls 148,663 Mustangs and other models due to defective wiring and pistons

The American concern Ford, which left the Russian market, launched a recall campaign covering 148,663 Ford Mustang units of the 2024–2026 model years. The reason was a possible break in the grounding contacts in the wiring harness of the engine compartment, which can lead to a number of malfunctions, writes Carscoops.

Depending on which contact fails, the car may lose power, one or both headlights, the windshield washer pump, the air conditioner, or the engine cooling fan may stop working.

The source of the problem is heat-shrink adhesive, which, due to a manufacturing defect, is able to penetrate into the bolt gap area in the metal grommet. This leads to deformation of the part during assembly and a decrease in its strength: vibrations gradually destroy the connection. Before serious problems occur, the driver may notice an illuminated check engine light, warning messages on the instrument panel, or hear a beep. The company discovered the problem when two broken terminal connectors caused a loss of power in testing of the 2027 Mustang.

At the same time, Ford initiated another recall covering 10,001 vehicles from the 2026 model year. The list includes 237 Mustangs, 1,062 Broncos, 3,071 Explorers and 432 Rangers equipped with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine, as well as 5,199 Bronco Sport crossovers with the 1.5-liter unit.

In this case, the problem is related to the possible cracking of the piston domes at the junction of the nickel-containing ring with the aluminum. This can lead to engine destruction and sudden loss of power. The cause was a loose locknut on the supplier's processing equipment; the tool was intermittently hitting the insert and damaging the connection. Additionally, the ultrasonic tester may have missed cracks because the parameters of the replacement sensor were not updated.