A promise made by the Ford CEO to shareholders is being tested by its latest recall.

Ford Motors has issued a recall of its 2025 Bronco and Ranger SUVs. The vehicles in question have driver’s seats with loose or missing bolts. Around 41 units of the Ranger and 5 units of the Bronco are reportedly affected by the issue. Their manufacturing dates fall between February 20 and February 23, 2025.

The company hasn’t revealed the affected trims or variants of the vehicles.

Assembly Errors Lead to Quality Issues

Ford’s latest recall is due to improper repair procedures at its assembly plant in Michigan. Some vehicles that left the factory didn’t have seat bolts affixed to specification.

An internal review revealed that the quality team installed temporary seats. This was due to a shortage of bolts. They should’ve replaced the seats with a production version. But Ford’s offline repair process didn’t have a validation step. There was no confirmation that all bolts were properly installed.

The issue was first brought to the company’s attention in April. A dealership sent a report about a loose driver’s seat. They discovered during pre-delivery inspection that two bolts were missing. The oversight caused the seat to sway while the vehicle was in motion.

Ford’s Next Steps

The lapse in process has stakeholders questioning Ford’s commitment to quality. Especially as CEO Jim Farley emphasized that quality is the company’s number one job.

The good news is that there haven’t been any reported injuries or accidents related to the issue.

Ford is advising vehicle owners to head to the nearest dealership. Technicians will check if the bolts are complete and correct. The bolts should have the part number W505276-S451XD. They will install any missing bolts free of charge.

Ford started notifying affected customers on May 23, 2025.