Ford faces $165M penalty, NHTSA recall investigation on some Kentucky-made vehicles
In November, Ford Motor Co. received a $165 million civil penalty from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stemming from a 2021 recall investigation, the second largest civil penalty ever doled out by NHTSA.
One day later, a subsequent, yet unrelated, investigation by the NHTSA was opened into some models of the 2019-2020 Ford Expedition, a large SUV in the company's portfolio that is assembled at the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville.
Here's a look at both of these recent NHTSA announcements and what it means for Ford:
Ford, NHTSA reach mutual agreement on civil penalty
The civil penalty is the result of a 2021 NHTSA investigation into 14 vehicle models including the Kentucky-produced Ford Escape, Expedition, Super Duty trucks, and Lincoln Corsair that dealt with rearview camera recalls.
NHTSA found Ford, "failed to recall vehicles with defective rearview cameras in a timely manner and failed to provide accurate and complete recall information as required by the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act."
The two parties have "mutually agreed" to the consent order, a legally binding agreement, despite Ford having "disagreed with these assertions" made by NHTSA.
The investigation indicated that Ford moved too slowly in its recall of more than 620,000 vehicles.
"Timely and accurate recalls are critical to keeping everyone safe on our roads," NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman said in a release from Nov. 14. "NHTSA is committed to ensuring manufacturers comply with the laws designed to keep our roads safe. When manufacturers fail to prioritize the safety of the American public and meet their obligations under federal law, NHTSA will hold them accountable."
Ford is expected to produce an upfront payment of $65 million with an additional $55 million deferred and another $45 million to be used on things such as safety data analytics, a test lab for additional in-house testing measures, VIN-based traceability technology, and more.
Ford and NHTSA will meet quarterly to review the automaker's progress.
"We appreciate the opportunity to resolve this matter with NHTSA and remain committed to continuously improving safety and compliance at Ford," Ford quality control spokesperson Maria Buczkowski told the Courier Journal. "Wide-ranging enhancements are already underway with more to come, including advanced data analytics, a new in-house testing facility, among other capabilities."
Ford Expedition investigation in early stages
On Nov. 15, NHTSA opened a separate investigation into the 2019-2020 models of the Ford Expedition.
The investigation is looking into the seat belt retractor pretensioner — a mechanism intended to tighten and lock automobile seatbelts in place in the event of a crash or hard braking.
The investigation is reviewing allegations that the seat belt retractor pretensioner inadvertently deployed in some vehicles, which resulted in the loss of seat belt pretensioner protection and allowed the seat belt to remain in a locked position.
This issue was initially brought up in a February recall “which included 2018-2020 Ford Expedition and 2018-2020 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with driver and front passenger seat belt retractor pretensioners built between October 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019.”
In February, Ford issued a recall notice for approximately 77,574 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator models manufactured between 2018 and 2020 due to issues with the driver and front passenger seatbelts tensing and locking in place at inappropriate times, USA Today previously reported.
Next year, Ford is expected to launch the all-new 2025 Ford Expedition. Buczkowski was clear that the 2025 model is not part of the investigation.
Buczkowski said the investigation is solely "related to making sure all impacted vehicles are included in the recall scope," as NHTSA looks to determine if "some additional units from 2018-2020 Ford Expedition and 2018-2020 Lincoln Navigator should be included."
The investigation into older models of the vehicle is ongoing and has not yet produced a final report.
"We are working with NHTSA to support its investigation," Buczkowski said.
Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @oliviamevans_.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Ford faces $165M penalty, investigation into 2019-2020 Ford Expedition
