What's Behind Ford's Recall of Nearly 109K Escape Vehicles?

Ford Motor Company F is recalling 108,762 vehicles in the United States because a liftgate hinge cover may not be properly secured and could detach, per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The recall applies to specific 2020-2022 Escape models as well as the 2025 Escape. 

Per autoevolution, 6,412 units from the 2025 model year are affected, along with 102,350 vehicles from 2020-2022. The production periods span Dec. 2, 2024, to April 1, 2025, for the 2025 models and Nov. 13, 2018, to April 5, 2022, for the earlier model years. All North American Escape units are assembled at Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky.

Ford first examined this issue in July 2021 but closed the inquiry early, believing few vehicles were at risk. The company reopened the investigation in May 2025 after a separate recall involving 2016-2017 Explorers. Per NHTSA, dealers will check, reinstall or replace any missing liftgate hinge covers at no cost.

Per a Reuters report published on MSN, Ford is also recalling nearly 12,000 Lincoln MKT vehicles from model years 2016-2019 because the B-pillar door trim for the driver and front passenger can come loose, raising the risk of a crash. F carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Recent Recalls by Other Automakers

Stellantis N.V. STLA recalled 72,509 Ram models in the United States because a software malfunction can cause the instrument cluster display to go dark, per the NHTSA. This comes after Stellantis’ November recall of 112,859 U.S. vehicles due to potential engine failures or engine-compartment fire risks. Stellantis' November recall covered 2023-2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4XE and 2024-2025 Jeep Wrangler 4XE plug-in hybrids.

Rivian Automotive, Inc. RIVN also recalled 34,824 electric delivery vans in the United States because a defect in the seat belt system could prevent it from properly restraining the driver, posing a higher risk of injury in a crash, per a filing with the NHTSA. To address the issue, Rivian rolled out an over-the-air software update that automatically detects improper seat belt use.

F’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates  

Ford has outperformed the Zacks Automotive-Domestic industry year to date. Its shares have gained 31.6% compared with the industry’s growth of 16.2%. 

 
From a valuation perspective, F appears undervalued. Going by its price/sales ratio, the company is trading at a forward sales multiple of 0.32, lower than the industry’s 3.42. 

 
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for F’s 2025 and 2026 EPS has moved down 2 cents and moved up a penny, respectively, in the past 30 days. 

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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