Ford Tells Bronco Sport and Maverick Owners to Stop Driving Over a Suspension Defect

Ford has told thousands of Bronco Sport and Maverick owners to stop driving their vehicles immediately because a front suspension part can come apart and take away the driver’s control of the car. The do not drive warning covers 4,653 vehicles across the 2021 through 2026 Bronco Sport and the 2022 through 2026 Maverick. It is one of the most serious instructions an automaker can issue, well beyond the usual recall notice that lets you keep driving until a repair is scheduled. If your vehicle is on the list, Ford wants it parked now.

The reason is a front lower control arm ball joint that may have been installed or repaired incorrectly at the assembly plant. The ball joint is what connects the control arm to the wheel. If it fails, the control arm can separate from the front wheel knuckle, and a driver can lose the ability to steer the vehicle. A failure like that at any speed can cause a crash, which is why Ford is not asking owners to wait.

Which Vehicles Are Affected and How Many

The recall is small in number but high in risk. It covers 2,357 Maverick compact pickups built between March 5, 2021 and March 25, 2026, and 2,296 Bronco Sport SUVs built between March 11, 2020 and April 28, 2026. The build date ranges are wide, but only a fraction of vehicles made in those windows actually carry the defect, which is the suspect ball joint work. That is why the total sits in the low thousands rather than the hundreds of thousands.

Because the flaw traces back to how a specific part was fitted or serviced rather than a problem on every unit, owning a Bronco Sport or Maverick from these years does not automatically mean your vehicle is included. The only way to know is to check your vehicle identification number against the recall list. Ford is contacting affected owners directly, and dealers have been instructed to arrange a mobile service visit to assess the vehicle where it sits, or to tow it in at no cost, so owners do not have to drive a potentially unsafe car to the dealership.

What a Do Not Drive Warning Really Means

Most recalls come with a reassuring line that says it is safe to keep driving until the repair is available. A do not drive warning is the opposite. Automakers reserve it for defects where a failure could happen without warning and could immediately endanger the people in the car or those around it. Losing steering control because a suspension joint separated is exactly that kind of defect. Driving the vehicle even short distances carries real risk.

The practical effect is that affected owners should treat the vehicle as parked until Ford completes the inspection and any needed repair. That is inconvenient, but the alternative is gambling on a part that the manufacturer has flagged as potentially unsafe. Ford’s instruction to use mobile service or free towing exists precisely so owners are not forced to choose between ignoring the warning and getting their car fixed. Owners can reach Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 to arrange next steps, and the repair itself is free.

A Rough Stretch of Recalls for Ford Owners

The suspension warning is not the only recall hitting Ford owners this spring. Ford is separately recalling 163,256 Bronco Sport SUVs from the 2021 through 2023 model years over front seats that may have a loose or dislodged height adjust pivot bolt. A seat with a dislodged bolt may not properly restrain an occupant in a crash, raising the risk of injury. Owner notification letters for that issue went out in late May, with the final remedy expected later in the year.

On top of that, Ford has recalled 56,841 Lincoln Aviator, Lincoln Corsair, and Ford Explorer SUVs from the 2025 and 2026 model years over windshields that may have air bubbles or may not have been bonded to the vehicle correctly. A poorly bonded windshield can reduce visibility and, in a serious crash, could detach. Taken together, the recalls are a reminder that even popular, well reviewed models can carry manufacturing defects, and that staying on top of recall notices is part of owning any modern vehicle.

Ford is far from alone. Federal regulators have logged a heavy run of recalls across the industry this year, touching brands from Honda to Subaru. You can see the scale of one of the largest in our report on Honda’s recall of more than 880,000 Pilots, Ridgelines and Acura MDXs over rear suspension rust.

What To Do If You Own a Bronco Sport or Maverick

Start by checking whether your specific vehicle is included. Enter your 17 character vehicle identification number at nhtsa.gov/recalls, which pulls up every open recall tied to that exact vehicle, or call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236. Your VIN is printed on the lower corner of the windshield on the driver’s side and on your registration and insurance documents.

If your Bronco Sport or Maverick is covered by the do not drive warning, stop driving it and contact Ford or your dealer to arrange a mobile inspection or a free tow. Do not run errands in it, and do not lend it to a family member, in the meantime. If your vehicle is included only in the seat bolt or windshield recalls, those do not carry a do not drive instruction, but you should still schedule the free repair as soon as parts are available. Keep the notification letter Ford mails you, since it will confirm which recall applies and what the remedy involves.

Finally, register for recall alerts. The federal recall database lets you sign up to be notified automatically when a new recall is issued for your vehicle, so you are not relying on a letter that can be delayed or lost. For a defect that can take away your steering, a few minutes spent checking your VIN is the cheapest insurance there is.

How a Ball Joint Failure Happens

To understand why this recall carries a do not drive warning, it helps to know what a ball joint does. The front suspension uses a control arm to hold each front wheel in place while letting it move up and down over bumps and pivot when you steer. The ball joint is the flexible connection between that control arm and the wheel assembly, working much like the ball and socket in a human hip. It bears constant load and motion every time the car moves, so when it is fitted correctly it is one of the most durable parts of the suspension. When it is fitted incorrectly, it becomes one of the most dangerous.

If the joint works loose and separates, the control arm is no longer connected to the wheel. The wheel can splay outward, the corner of the car can drop, and the driver suddenly cannot steer that wheel at all. Unlike a slow leak or a warning light, this kind of failure can happen without notice, which is why manufacturers do not let owners drive on a known suspect joint. The good news is that the repair is straightforward for a dealer once the vehicle is inspected, and Ford is covering the cost of the inspection, the parts, the labor, and the towing or mobile visit to get the car there safely.

If you bought your Bronco Sport or Maverick used, this recall is a reminder to check the vehicle history for open safety recalls whenever you buy any car. A recall repair belongs to the vehicle, not the original owner, so a free fix is available to you even if you are the second or third person to own it. Running the VIN through the federal recall database before and after a used purchase is a free habit that can catch exactly this kind of unresolved safety issue.

Sources:

• The Detroit News, Ford recall tells owners not to drive certain Bronco Sports, Mavericks: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/ford/2026/06/04/ford-recall-bronco-sport-maverick-steering-control-do-not-drive/90406496007/
• The Fast Lane Truck, Ford issues do not drive warning for 4,653 Maverick and Bronco Sport owners: https://tfltruck.com/2026/06/ford-maverick-bronco-sport-ball-joint-recall-do-not-drive-warning-news/
• Fox Business, Ford and Lincoln recall details: https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle
• NHTSA recall lookup: https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls