Braking News: Ford Recalls 274,000 SUVs in Latest Stop-and-Check Saga

By Nik Miles | Test Miles

Ah, the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator—vehicles so large they make your driveway feel like Heathrow’s Terminal 5. But today, these full-size land yachts are making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Again.

What happened this time?

Ford is recalling 273,789 of its 2022–2024 Expeditions and Navigators for—brace yourselves—a potential brake failure. Yes, the very system tasked with turning two tons of patriotic sheet metal into a controlled stop may now do the automotive equivalent of politely asking gravity to take over.

According to the recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), front brake lines in these SUVs might come into contact with a part of the engine’s air cleaner. And when metal rubs metal in the wrong places, you don’t get sparks—you get leaks. Specifically, brake fluid leaks. Which, in case it’s not obvious, is bad.

“Is this the same as last month’s recall?”

Ah, you’ve been paying attention—gold star. Last month, Ford issued a separate brake-related recall for 2017–2018 models due to a master cylinder defect. This month’s version? Same play, different act. This time, the defect stems from mechanical interference rather than a faulty component. But the net result is equally unpleasant: diminished brake performance and an increased risk of not stopping when you’d rather like to.

Only 1 percent of the affected vehicles are estimated to have the fault, which sounds reassuring—until you remember that 1 percent of 274,000 is still over 2,700 SUVs. That’s enough brake-challenged Navigators to gridlock a small city. Or at least the Costco parking lot.

“What sets this recall apart?”

Besides its impeccable timing—right before Memorial Day travel kicks in—it highlights a troubling pattern: high-volume, high-stakes quality issues on flagship vehicles. The Expedition and Navigator aren’t obscure fleet cars. These are Ford’s crown jewels of full-size SUV-dom, with price tags soaring well past $90,000 when tarted up.

So when your luxury barge might lose its brakes on the way to soccer practice, it becomes more than just a mechanical hiccup—it’s a brand perception problem. Again.

“What’s Ford doing about it?”

To their credit, Ford isn’t ignoring the issue. Dealers have already been notified. Owners will begin receiving their “lovely bit of mail you don’t want” by May 30. Vehicles will be inspected at no cost, and if either the brake line or the air-cleaner outlet pipe shows signs of wear, they’ll be replaced. Free of charge.

Now, let’s hope the repair doesn’t require waiting three months for a part stuck in shipping purgatory.

“Does this affect me as a driver?”

If you drive a 2022–2024 Ford Expedition or Lincoln Navigator, absolutely. Even if your brakes feel fine, this isn’t something to ignore. A leaking brake line isn’t like a faulty cupholder—it doesn’t just make things mildly inconvenient; it makes stopping optional.

If you’re a dealer, prepare for a fresh influx of cautious customers asking “just to be sure” checks. And if you’re a rival automaker, well, this might be the moment to highlight how your luxury SUV knows how to stop.

“So, is this just another recall or a bigger issue?”

Here’s where the Pushing Pistons element kicks in: it’s easy to treat this as another routine recall. But in the grander narrative, it adds to a growing dossier of quality control questions. Between chip shortages, supply chain messes, and now back-to-back brake issues, one begins to wonder if the bigger risk to American SUVs isn’t fuel prices, but the assembly line itself.

Ford is hardly alone in this. In recent years, Toyota, GM, and Stellantis have all had their fair share of recall drama. But two brake recalls in one model family in as many months? That’s a trend line, not a blip.

Bottom line?

Recalls happen. But when the same system on similar vehicles continues to misbehave, it’s not just about faulty parts—it’s about institutional quality assurance. The kind that consumers notice. The kind that makes people start Googling “2025 Tahoe reliability” when they should be scheduling their next oil change.

So yes, if you own one of these beasts, call your dealer. Get it checked. Because stopping isn’t optional, even if your SUV thinks it is.

Enjoyed this article? Stay in the driver’s seat with more automotive insights!

Follow @NikJMiles and @TestMiles on social media for the latest news, reviews, and behind-the-scenes exclusives. Don’t miss out—join the conversation today!