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Ford lemon law
If your Ford keeps going back to the dealer for the same problem, your state's lemon law may make the maker buy it back or replace it, and pay your lawyer when you win. Here is what Ford owners report to the federal government, and how to check your own car.
What Ford owners report most
| Problem area | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Transmission, drive shafts and axles | 2,877 |
| Wiring, battery, lights and electronics | 2,714 |
| Engine | 1,799 |
| Brakes | 1,094 |
| Fuel system, or the battery and motor of an EV or hybrid | 816 |
| Automatic emergency braking and collision warning | 769 |
A complaint can name more than one area. 1,764 complaints name none.
Models with the most complaints
- F-150 2,364
- Bronco Sport 1,399
- Explorer 999
- Bronco 992
- Maverick Hybrid 874
- Escape 793
Latest Ford recalls
- Seats, October 6, 2026: 2027 F-150, 2026 F-150, 2025 F-150, about 2,276 vehicles.
“An improperly secured seat may not adequately restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V655000 - Electrical System, October 6, 2026: 2026 F-750 SD, 2026 F-150, 2025 F-250 SD, 2026 F-250 SD, about 102,159 vehicles.
“A speedometer that fails to display accurate vehicle speed can increase the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V653000 - Exterior Lighting, September 22, 2026: 2026 F-450 SD, 2026 F-350 SD, 2026 F-250 SD, 2027 Expedition, about 41,748 vehicles.
“A loss of exterior lighting can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V606000 - Back Over Prevention, September 22, 2026: 2026 Ranger, about 11,405 vehicles.
“A rearview camera image that does not display reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V605000 - Seat Belts, September 9, 2026: 2027 Transit, 2026 Transit, about 1,945 vehicles.
“A faulty seat belt status indicator may fail to alert occupants to an unfastened seat belt, increasing the risk of injury.”
NHTSA recall 26V579000
Check your own car by its VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup. Recall repairs are free at any Ford dealer.
Recalls, repairs and the lemon law
A recall alone does not make a car a lemon. What counts is a defect the dealer cannot fix: most states presume a lemon after 3 or 4 repair attempts for the same problem, fewer for a defect that could cause a crash, or about 30 days in the shop, inside the first one to two years. A recall repair for a defect that keeps coming back is a repair attempt like any other, so keep the repair order from every visit.
In California, Ford Motor Company opted in to the state's new lemon law process on April 25, 2025. Owners send the written demand to llnotice@ford.com at least 30 days before suing. How the new process works
How a Ford lemon law claim and buyback work
Keep the repair order from every visit, then write to Ford, not only the dealer, at the customer relations address in your owner's manual or warranty booklet, and ask for a buyback or a replacement. In a buyback Ford refunds the price, taxes and fees and costs like towing, minus a deduction for the miles you drove before the first repair, and pays off the loan.
The steps · Letter template · Buyback or cash and keep · Estimate a buyback
Ford lemon law in your state
The rules depend on the state where you bought or leased the car:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Questions about Ford lemons
How many complaints have Ford owners filed with NHTSA?
12,509 for 2021 to 2027 model years, received through October 22, 2026. The most reported area is transmission, drive shafts and axles.
How many Ford recalls are there?
379 safety recalls cover 2021 to 2027 Ford models, for about 33,634,325 vehicles in all.
Is a recall enough to make my Ford a lemon?
No, not on its own. But if a defect keeps coming back after repairs, recall repairs included, each visit can count as a repair attempt under your state's lemon law. Keep every repair order.
How do I start a Ford lemon law claim?
Keep every repair order, then write to Ford at the address for customer relations in your owner's manual or warranty booklet, asking for a buyback or replacement under your state's lemon law. Send it by a tracked method and keep a copy.
Does Ford have to buy back a lemon?
Yes, when your state's lemon law rules are met. The maker must buy the car back or replace it, and most states let you choose. The rules differ by state: see your state guide.
Did Ford opt in to California's new lemon law process?
Yes. FORD MOTOR COMPANY opted in on April 25, 2025. California owners send the written demand to llnotice@ford.com, at least 30 days before suing.
About the data
From NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation files (complaints received 2020 to now, and recalls), counted for 2021 to 2027 model years and filed under the make FORD. Read on October 26, 2026. Complaints are what owners report, not findings, and big sellers get more of them: a count is not a defect rate, and it says nothing about your car. We keep no complaint text or personal details.
Is your Ford a lemon? Find out free
Free, about ten taps. You see what your state's law says first. If you want a lawyer, we find a lemon law firm in your state that takes cases like yours, and they contact you.
Your state: Ohio
What model year is it?
Who pays the lawyer? In Ohio, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.* * So most lemon law lawyers ask nothing up front. Some charge costs, or a share of a settlement: ask before you sign. You never pay us. More