I suppose it has been a while since we last discussed a recall at legacy automaker Ford (F). Well, like the signs that say “Days Since Last Accident,” we will have to wipe the board clean and put in a big zero once more. Ford launched a recall on multiple thousands of vehicles over instrument panel issues. The news hurt shareholders, though not much, as shares slipped fractionally in Wednesday afternoon’s trading.
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Around 230,000 vehicles, mostly Bronco and Bronco Sport models released in 2025 and 2026, have the issue in question, a software flaw in the instrument panel. With the flaw in place, information ranging from warning lights to the vehicle’s current speed may not show up on the display.
The good news about a flaw like this is that the recall is comparatively simple. While drivers can certainly bring their vehicles back to the dealership for a software update, the update can also be delivered by over-the-air update. Right now, only 12 warranty claims have been found that are potentially related to the software flaw.
“It’s Earned Its Retirement.”
But while tales of recalls flood our perspective, sometimes, Ford gets a story about a model that got one right in a very big way. That particular story goes to a Ford Escape that came into a junkyard with an absolutely staggering history. The biggest point was the vehicle’s mileage. The odometer declared the vehicle had over 586,000 miles on it.
The car was apparently used as a ridesharing vehicle, used with both Uber (UBER) and Lyft (LYFT) services. And though the Escape rolled onto the junkyard lot black in color, a look at the inside of the car’s body revealed its original paint color: white. But it did not go from white to black; reports noted that the vehicle had been repainted several times, including yellow and bright green, as evidenced by the inner door jamb. But the key takeaway here was the sheer amount of driving that had been done with this vehicle, which survived all the while, suggesting that Ford really can make a durable vehicle.
Is Ford Stock a Good Buy Right Now?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on F stock based on two Buys, nine Holds and two Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 21.34% rally in its share price over the past year, the average F price target of $12.14 per share implies 5.93% downside risk.
