The company was reportedly aware of a water leak, but closed their original investigation without issuing a recall
Ford’s recall bonanza continues as the automaker is recalling 105,441 Mustangs over water intrusion that can knock out some exterior lights. This means the company has recalled a staggering 1,274,247 vehicles in the past few days for five separate issues, including nearly half a million SUVs for a brake fluid leak.
More: Ford’s 98th Recall Could Leave Mustang Owners In The Dark
The latest problem impacts the 2024-2025 Mustang and the government says “water may enter the body control module and cause a loss of communication with the exterior lighting.” This can prevent the license plate light, side markers, and taillights from illuminating.
From Headlight Quirk to Full Recall
Ford originally noticed a problem in April when one of their development teams came across a Mustang with a headlight issue. The automaker opened an investigation, which found an increasing number of warranty claims “alleging interior/exterior lighting and battery drain concerns resulting from water intrusion.” The company also found leaks at “multiple locations due to improper application of sealer.”
Despite the fact that Mustangs were getting soaked and causing issues, Ford closed their original investigation. That’s as ridiculous as it sounds, but the company argued the vehicles met safety standards and there was a low occurrence rate of water intrusion. In effect, only a few cars had leaks, so they felt “containment actions” were good enough.
That doesn’t sound like “quality is job one,” but Ford eventually reopened their investigation once it became clear water intrusion could happen quicker than expected and may impact their compliance with safety standards. This eventually led to today’s recall and the automaker said they’re aware of 69 warranty claims and 17 field reports related to the issue.
The problem was traced back to “improperly sealed body seams at the vehicle’s cowl top and lower windshield corner resulting from inconsistent robotic and manual sealer dispensing and skiving operations.” This allows water to get into the body structure and then head to the vehicle’s body control module.
Once there, this can cause a host of issues including flickering side markers and taillights. The lights may also remain on after the car is turned off, draining the battery.
What Owners Can Expect
To address the issue, dealers will inspect and seal the body seams as necessary. Dealership techs will also examine the body control module for corrosion and replace it, if needed.
Owner notifications are slated to go out in early September, but there’s no fix at the moment. However, one is expected in the first quarter of 2026 and a second letter will follow when the remedy is available.
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