Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa has issued a recall for over 21,000 vehicles, including the Ford Ranger, Everest, Mustang, EcoSport, and Transit Custom, due to a variety of serious safety concerns. This is a large-scale recall with multiple, distinct issues.
Here are the key details of the recall:
1. Infotainment and Camera System Issues (2021-2025 models):
- This is the largest part of the recall, affecting over 20,000 vehicles in South Africa.
- Problem: The infotainment screen in some vehicles may freeze, go black, and then reboot. If this happens while the vehicle is in reverse, the rearview camera image could be frozen, missing, or delayed.
- Safety Risk: A frozen or absent camera image can create a false representation of the vehicle’s surroundings, increasing the risk of an accident while reversing.
- Affected Models:
- Ford Ranger: 16,820 units in South Africa.
- Ford Everest: 3,199 units in South Africa.
- Ford Transit Custom: 674 units in South Africa.
- Remedy: Ford is working on a software update to fix this issue. The fix is expected to be available in the third quarter of 2025.
2. SYNC System Instability (2018-2023 models):
- This recall affects a smaller number of vehicles.
- Problem: Repeated short ignition cycles can cause an error in the SYNC infotainment system, leading to instability. This may cause a blank or frozen rearview camera image when reversing, or the image may remain on the screen after the vehicle has been taken out of reverse.
- Safety Risk: A frozen camera image can mislead the driver about their surroundings, increasing the risk of a collision.
- Affected Models:
- Ford Mustang: 30 units in South Africa.
- Ford EcoSport: 1 unit in South Africa.
- Ford Ranger: 1 unit in South Africa.
- Ford Everest: 1 unit in South Africa.
- Remedy: A software update is being developed to resolve this issue and is also expected in the third quarter of 2025.
3. Transmission Issue (2025 Ford Ranger):
- This recall affects a very small number of brand-new vehicles.
- Problem: The transmission’s main valve body may not meet engineering specifications. This can result in the vehicle not having a reverse gear. In some cases, the vehicle may move forward when the driver puts it in reverse or neutral.
- Safety Risk: This unexpected vehicle motion significantly increases the risk of an accident.
- Affected Models: Eight 2025 Ford Ranger vehicles in South Africa.
- Remedy: Ford is sourcing the necessary parts for a repair, which are anticipated to be available by October 2025.
What owners should do:
To check if your specific vehicle is affected by these or any other recalls, you can visit the official Ford South Africa website and enter your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) in the provided tool.
