Ford recalls 4.3 million cars, admits trailer module malfunction triggers safety risk

JAKARTA - The American automotive manufacturer, Ford Motor Company, is back in the spotlight after announcing a massive recall of millions of its vehicles. This time, the number is not trivial, reaching 4,380,609 units.

The figure even far exceeds Ford's total sales in the United States last year, which was recorded at 2,204,124 vehicles. As an illustration, its flagship pickup line, the F-Series, sold 828,832 units throughout 2025.

In this recall list, a number of affected models include the E-Transit of 2026 production, Expedition 2022-2026, F-150 2021-2026, to F-250 2022-2026. In addition, Maverick 2022-2026, Ranger 2024-2026, and Lincoln Navigator 2022-2026 are also included in the list of vehicles that must be recalled for repair.

Based on information from the local government, the problem stems from an integrated trailer module that has the potential to lose communication with the vehicle. If this interference occurs, the trailer can lose braking functions as well as turn signals and brake lights.

Launching from Carscoops, Saturday, February 28, the condition is considered to make vehicles not meet the applicable federal safety standards. Ford first detected this potential problem in October last year.

At the time, the company discovered that software errors could occur randomly in the control logic of the integrated trailer module, resulting in the module losing communication with the vehicle.

In the early stages, Ford assessed that the risk was still under control because the disruption occurred when the vehicle was turned on and the system would display an alert message on the instrument panel.

However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a different view. The US road safety authority highlights the "importance of trailer lighting" and insists that the potential failure of the system could make vehicles violate federal safety standards.

After receiving pressure from regulators, Ford finally decided to officially recall. This case adds to the long list of product recalls involving Ford in recent times.

However, the company revealed that it had received more than 400 warranty claims related to the disruption. Technically, this problem is suspected to have arisen due to a gap in the software that allows for a condition of competition between the integrated trailer module and the CAN Standby Control bit.

In certain situations, the module remains lit but fails to communicate with the vehicle system. Ford estimates that only about 1 percent of the total vehicles recalled actually have a defect, or the equivalent of 43,806 units.

To overcome this problem, the company will carry out software updates on the integrated trailer module. The repair process can be carried out through the official dealer network or through over-the-air (OTA) updates.