What 144 owners told NHTSA about the 2022 Ford Maverick Later Release

I am filing a formal safety defect complaint regarding a severe catastrophic transmission failure on my 2022 Ford Maverick ( 2.0L EcoBoost 8f35 8 speed transmission ) that poses an immediate safety hazard to occupants and sharing traffic. Upon inspection a heavy volume of metal shavings flakes were discovered also the code PO73D unable to engage in neutral came up. The safety risk of this specific failure is extreme because the vehicle is physically unable to respond to a neutral command the driver cannot clear or cut engine power to the drive wheels during an emergency mechanical malfunction or a potential unintended acceleration event. Furthermore because the metal debris the truck exhibits severe erratic shifting behavior and a persistent risk of sudden high speed wheel lockup drivetrain binding or stalling inactive traffic. Ford motor company is fully aware of this component failure despite my vehicle exhibiting the exact failure mode the exact code PO73D and metal debris found has refused financial responsibility I urge the NHTSA to upgrade this known issue to a mandatory safety recall

NHTSA ODI 11746600

Transmission started slipping. Not wanting to pull in drive or reverse

NHTSA ODI 11741076

Ford has 25N09 addressing the axles for the 2022 Ford Mavericks built later in the 2021 year, but mine was built in September of 21. I have axle issues as well, and this is the first vehicle I've ever had that's this new and has clunking in the CV axles. Mine clunks loudly, and the truck has 114k on it.

NHTSA ODI 11740369

When we brought it in for first oil change at the dealership ; when we got it back it had a broken axle which they tried to say we just needed new tires , after contacting service manager and he and I go for a ride in it they kept it for several weeks and put over 300 miles on it and got ford engineering involved to determine the cause was broken axle. It has been replaced again since then supposedly by a recall but it feels like it is broken again ! Ford took some shortcuts and used inferior parts, infrastructure etc , we had tremendous problems with the battery to which they said their shouldn’t be any reason for this be happening loss of power loss of electrical display and distribution finally I just had to replace the battery on my own because they refused to accept responsibility 4-6 months later a recall for the batteries was issued. The axles on the truck are not sufficient and they are not taking care of it properly! I would also like to report that they cut so many corners on the Maverick that the tailgate just drops no shock absorber nothing just slams on the bumper very dangerous! & They also chose to leave many open” holes” where mud rocks , leaves etc get into the front quarter panels from the hood area at the corner of windshield . So this wet material gets trapped in there n I’m sure will eventually affect the structural integrity of the panel - maybe rust through! Same thing happens with the tailgate fills with debris from bed , rear wheel wells also have a whole. I just wish ford would go back to how Henry Ford ran the company ! Help NHTSA

NHTSA ODI 11736807

Vehicle started experiencing loss of power while driving on the highway. After having it towed to the local Ford dealership, we were informed that our transmission was shot and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had 62k miles on and no dash light warning and no ford pass warnings about the issue. It cost us $7k to replace and 4 months without the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11733606

There is a Ford Customer Satisfaction Program, 25N09 issued September 2025 which covers half shaft replacement for Mavericks manufactured from 12/01/21 through 11/23/22. The upgraded beefier replacement half shafts were not available until late 2024. The program states that if the half shafts on one side fails that that both half shafts are to be replaced. My 2022 Maverick was manufactured 11/21/2021 (the second month of production), a mere 10 days before the initial date of coverage. The half shaft on one side was replaced on 01/10/25 with the upgraded version of the half shaft under warranty. They did not replace the other side. If the beefier replacement half shafts were not available until late 2024 how am I to believe that my Maverick does not have the same under engineered pieces in the other 68,000 2022 Mavericks?

NHTSA ODI 11728142

My 2022 Ford Maverick (EcoBoost AWD) experienced a sudden transmission failure at approximately 73,000 miles. The dealership diagnosed the issue as coolant contamination entering the transmission due to a failed heat exchanger/transmission cooler. The dealer stated that engine coolant mixed with the transmission fluid, which destroyed the transmission and required replacement of the transmission, replacement of heat exchangers, and flushing of the cooling system. The repair estimate is 11,324.39. Ford acknowledged the issue and provided partial goodwill assistance of 3,079, leaving more than 8,000 out of pocket for the repair. This failure occurred without warning and resulted in complete transmission failure. The dealer indicated that coolant contamination is the cause and referenced Ford service guidance addressing this failure scenario (SSM 53465). I am concerned that a failure of the transmission cooler/heat exchanger can allow coolant to contaminate the transmission and cause catastrophic drivetrain failure at relatively low mileage.

NHTSA ODI 11724131

When driving at normal speed, my truck completely shut down with no warning. The instrument panel went dark and the engine shut off. I do not believe I was able to steer, though I think the brakes allowed me to slow the vehicle to a stop. I was near an intersection, so I was lucky to not have been hit from the rear or run in to traffic in front of me. The vehicle was unresponsive and would not turn back on. I was stuck blocking 1 lane of traffic for an hour because the vehicle could not be steered or taken out of gear to push it to the side of the road. I inspected the battery connection and nothing seemed out of place or degraded while trying to get the car out of the road. Highway Patrol also looked, but only was able to offer a tow truck as a solution. My truck has been at the dealer service for almost 2 days awaiting inspection at this point so I have no additional information on what caused this dangerous situation. There had been no indication prior, the truck had started and run normally and all scheduled services had been carried out by the dealer up to this point.

NHTSA ODI 11720345

Clunking in the front end around 20,000 miles. Brought to multiple dealers and they all said no problem found yet clearly hear clunking both sides front going over bumps or steering back and forth quickly. Finally I just replaced them and noise gone. Second thing is headliner is completely ruined from moisture intrusion and can visibly be seen but dealer states no leaks present yet my headliner is water stained looking like those wet tiles in a school. Third is my transmission. It is very erratic when shifting and sometimes flares when downshifting. Dealers state no problems exist. Operates as designed, yet I have driven other mavericks and they do not have the same issues as myself. I have changed the fluid with genuine ford ulv transmission fluid from dealer at about 50k miles. I change my oil every 3k, changed my differentials and transfer case all with genuine fluid. I am an AAS Automotive Technology graduate and currently ASE certified and have worked in multiple dealerships replacing transmissions, engines, almost anything since I have started. I need to gather my records as I have kept receipts and records as I do all my own maintenance and repairs. I have replaced the downstream oxygen sensor twice. Yesterday morning I got a frozen throttle body and limp mode and if I did not have my scan tool I would have been stranded as it would not let me drive due to the stuck closed codes. All codes since I owned the vehicle with 3 miles on it are stored in my ford app and on my scan tool with vin. I have tried calling ford, email, different dealerships and they deny me or want me to pay out of pocket when I have warranty.

NHTSA ODI 11712273

The vehicle begins to vibrate in the front end when accelerating and reaching 80 km/h. It becomes extremely unstable. The dealership was unable to find the cause of the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11694006

The rear drive unit (rdu) begin to shutter and lock rear tires at low turning speeds. The vehicle was out of warranty with 85k miles. I paid a Ford dealer to replace the rdu and 2 weeks later the same issue was occurring.

NHTSA ODI 11693794

I was at a stoplight, when the light turned green I went to press the gas and the whole car lost power and died. The car stalled and would not turn over again. The vehicle had power but would not start the engine. All the alerts were flashing on the dash and the car would not go into neutral, so I was stuck in the middle of the roadway. I followed the procedures to activate the manual override and place the car into neutral and the vehicle would still not move. The electrical brake would not allow the vehicle to move. We tried repeatedly to put the car into neutral to move out of an active roadway and would be able to push the vehicle about an inch before the electrical break would kick in again. The vehicle would not start regardless of what was attempted. We even disconnected the battery in hopes of either getting the vehicle into neutral (which did not work either) or restarting whatever was wrong with the electrical system and be able to start the truck. Nothing worked and the vehicle had to be hoisted by pulley onto a flat bed tow truck. Then required to be "shaken" off of the truck when it arrived at the Ford dealership.

NHTSA ODI 11683189

The vehicle vibrates or surges rapidly when accelerating or going up a steep hill. I have been advised that it is due to defective axles which are currently on backorder with no expected ETA.

NHTSA ODI 11680918

No warning transmission went out while driving on freeway. Lost all power and vehicle would not engage into gear again.

NHTSA ODI 11680573

The transmission is occasionally without any warning disengaging while driving. You must then try to get off the road turn the truck off put the key back to run with engine off, shift it to park, start it again and then you can drive it again until it does it again.

NHTSA ODI 11680521

While exiting highway (removing foot from gas) vehicle thumped. The a “ Powertrain Malfunction / Reduced Power” message came up on dash.

NHTSA ODI 11677161

At 70,000 (stock truck) truck began shaking under load/ acceleration. Both front CV axles have failed.

NHTSA ODI 11657819

At 61,000 miles on the odometer and the Cv shafts have to be replaced. Ford has no supply on hand and is on a global back order until the end of April. Part adviser said that this is a consistent issue with mavericks.

NHTSA ODI 11651414

My truck's CV axles broke around 20,000 miles. Replacement parts weren't available. This was a safety issue because I expected a new truck with low mileage to be reliable. If I wasn't technically inclined, I might not have understood the danger. The dealership replaced them under warranty, but they didn't inspect the broken parts. The truck shook badly when accelerating, which was the warning sign.

NHTSA ODI 11647390

CV axles failed at around 28k. Replacement parts not available nationwide. Ford has recognized an engineering flaw in the axles, but have not issued a recall. I was informed it was dafe to drive while waiting for new cv axles.

NHTSA ODI 11647410

Cv axles bad went out at 29000 miles could break and your truck could roll

NHTSA ODI 11646408

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Maverick. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle failed to accelerate as designed. The powertrain message was displayed. Additionally, the WRENCH symbol was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The Ford Pass App alerted the contact of the failure. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Loudon Motors Ford LLC (3476 Union Ave SE, Minerva, OH 44657); where it was diagnosed that the throttle assembly had caused the failure. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 11641628

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Maverick. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 70 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly shifted out of drive. The contact pulled over; however, the transmission failed to shift to park(P). The contact activated the parking brake and disconnected the battery to park the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted; however, the transmission failed to shift into park. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission jumped out of gear, and the contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure milage was 126,000.

NHTSA ODI 11636047

Front CV axles. Front end shakes really bad at 30-50 mph. Dealer changed front passenger side CV axle but it still shakes really bad. I'll be bringing it back to the dealership, but warranty expires soon they need to have a recall and a better replacement part for this fix. I am not the only one with this problem.

NHTSA ODI 11634785

Was not able to put the car in reverse. Had to be pulled out of driveway by another truck. When driving forward the engine was very loud RPMs were in the beginning of the red zone. Took car straight to dealer. Told the transmission fluid sensor was broken.

NHTSA ODI 11634353