Home · 2023 Ford Maverick Later Release · Complaints

What 262 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 Ford Maverick Later Release

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (262)Crash / fire / injury (10)Transmission & drivetrain (93)Electrical system (77)Engine (69)Brakes (30)Speed control (28)Driver assistance (24)Suspension (15)Fuel system (14)Backup camera & sensors (13)Body & structure (11)

93 of 262 complaints match · Transmission & drivetrain · clear filters · page 3 of 4

May 2, 2024Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemDriver assistance

I was on a freeway cruising around 85 mph when all of a sudden my truck lost power and went into limp mode. I had 3 dash warnings about powertrain malfunction, front end collision being unavailable, and something about engaging gear at low speeds. This has happened once before. Same three messages. The vehicle loses power and speed FAST. Luckily both times I was able to pull over and turn the vehicle off and back on and it just has a check engine light and drives normal again. I have had one software recall completed on my truck and I have 17,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11586472

Apr 30, 2024Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlEngine

Approximately around [XXX] a.m, [XXX], I was on my way to on the [XXX] . I was going driving around 75-78 mph when all of sudden my 2023 Maverick drop in speed and power suddenly. I looked at my dashboard and saw mph dropped to around 50. I had no knowledge of what was taking place at the time. I tried to press my acceleration pedal and the mph still was dropping, so I managed to get over to the far right lane so I could get to the shoulder. During this event several warning lights flashed, such as check engine soon, crash assist not available, power train malfunction ect. I turned the vehicle off and back on - it still had the same messages- I managed to drive the 5-10miles I had left on my route to work @ 33mph. Once at safe location I contacted a tow truck to haul my vehicle to Hennessey Ford for diagnostic and answers. I've never had any of these issues to take place since owning my truck. Never experienced Loss of power ever in my life. This is truly a event that has left me stunned and wondering will this truly be taken care of and addressed. It's a constant reminder in my head and and it also has prompted me to thank God for my life as well as others because if I hadn't left home to go to work about 30mins earlier than normally due to the traffic which would be pretty thick I may not be here today to tell this story, because there was no warning whatsoever. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11586002

Apr 30, 2024Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine

After having recall 23E09 performed the vehicle loses power and shifts to Neutral while driving. When this happens I am unable to shift back to Drive. The display reads “Gear Selected will Engage at Low Speed.” The "D" in the gear shift flashes. Once speed is reduced to around 5 MPH, the parking brake turns on automatically. The check engine light turns on, a "gear light" on the dash board is on, along with traction control light. The display then reads, “Shift to Park,” “Service AdvanceTrac,” “Hill Start Assist Not Available,” “Pre-Collision Assist Not Available,” and “Service vehicle soon.” After turning the vehicle off and back on again, the vehicle will drive normally with a check engine light still present. The check engine light eventually turns off until the cycle repeats itself and the same issue occurs again. Code: U1011 - Invalid Internal Control Module Monitoring Data Received from ECM/PCM Code: U1028 - ABS Control Module Received Invalid Data from ECM/PCM 'A' Code: U1010 - Invalid Internal Control Module Monitoring Data Received from Hybrid Powertrain Control Module These codes are present each time this issue occurs. This vehicle is unsafe to drive as it loses power on the freeway without notice. This has happened to me 5 times since having recall 23E09 performed on [XXX]. Many other Ford Maverick owners are reporting the same issue on online forums after having this recall. Ford needs to take action before this kills somebody. I have taken the vehicle to Tri State Ford in Amarillo, TX and they say that they are unable to replicate the issue and that they cannot reprogram the PCM & SOBDMC until Ford releases an official fix. The odometer readings when the vehicle has lost power have been 2135, 2437, 3130, 3201, and 3864. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11586236

Apr 22, 2024Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlDriver assistance

While driving, the vehicle will suddenly flash a message about gear selection being unavailable until speed is reduced, followed by error messages about collision-assist disabled, ESC disabled, hill-start assist disabled, and service messages. Check engine light and service lights also come on. No response to throttle inputs, once vehicle decelerates to around 1-2 mph electronic parking brake is automatically applied leading to an abrupt stop. Parking brake can then be removed and vehicle put back into drive, however all drive mode selection is disabled and again there is no response to throttle inputs - truck will accelerate on its own up to above 30 mph (do not know top speed as all areas this occurred were 30mph or less, had to ride brakes to maintain speed limit as vehicle was attempting an uncontrolled/uncommanded acceleration). This has happened 3 times, and first occurrence happened after recalls 23E07, 23E09, and 23C41 were completed. Any attempts to clear faults or exit this limp mode condition fail unless the vehicle is turned off and allowed to sit for 5-10 minutes, at which point faults still remain in system however vehicle is no longer in limp mode with functionality now restored to previously disabled systems. Recorded faults from last occurrence on April 05 2024: SOBDMC DTC U1011:86-AF SOBDMC DTC U1028:00-26 PCM DTC U1010:00-AF OBDII DTC U1011-P ABS DTC U0401:00-2F ABS DTC U0131:00-2E ACM DTC U0255:00-28 IPMA DTC U0418:86-AF In my situation all 3 failure events occurred in a low-traffic, low-threat environment. 1st happened when turning onto a 30 mph road and accelerating in low traffic, able to safely pull over. 2nd happened when turning out of my driveway and began to accelerate, again able to safely pull over. 3rd happened when leaving spot in parking lot, able to safely pull over into another spot.

NHTSA ODI 11584377

Apr 21, 2024Transmission & drivetrainEngineDriver assistance

The powertrain suddenly stopped and did not allow for acceleration. I was put in Risk because this was during a drive in the streets and it happened all of a sudden. I have seen this problem reported multiple times on Reddit.

NHTSA ODI 11584304

Apr 20, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

While driving vehicle at highway speed, error message stating “Gear Selected will Engage at Low Speed” and the vehicle lost all ability to drive at highway speed. Note: no buttons had been unintentionally selected, and it happened twice within a short period of time. Pulling to a safe location while in a rolling deceleration, the vehicle slammed on its brakes at about 5mph. It then showed error messages related to “advancetrac” “front collision avoidance” and “hill start not available” the vehicle would also only move in all electric mode. After turning off the vehicle and it sitting for a few minutes, it cranked and drove normally other than check engine light is still on. Same incident occurred ~1000 miles previous to this incident

NHTSA ODI 11584239

Apr 19, 2024Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlEngine

Vehicle lost power while driving at highway speed. Pulled over and restarted vehicle. Vehicle proceeded to accelerate without driver input. Multiple warning lights/systems activated including: POWERTRAIN MALFUNCTION / REDUCED POWER; SERVICE ENGINE SOON WARNING; PRE-COLLISION ASSIST NOT AVAILABLE. Similar to issue described in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V267000

NHTSA ODI 11584080

Apr 18, 2024Transmission & drivetrainEngine

Travelling around 60-70mph on the highway when a warning appeared saying there is a powertrain issue and engine issue. This forced my truck into low gear and I lost the ability to accelerate. This forced me to pull to the side of the highway with no acceleration capabilities which is highly dangerous. Multiple warning lights remained on the dashboard. This first event occured on Mar 10 2024, then happened AGAIN on April 12 2024.

NHTSA ODI 11583813

Apr 17, 2024Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine

I had 2 recalls fixed about 3 weeks ago. Today I was driving & my Maverick malfunctioned. (Maybe it's what they call Limp mode.) Many alerts & icons started flashing, I was prompted to pull over & call a dealer. I pulled over, was able to take some pics but some icons were no longer showing. I tried restarting the vehicle after a couple mins = same thing. I shut if off waited a few minutes & it worked. Well, check engine is still lit & some of the safety features won't turn on. I have copilot 360, lane keeping, etc, but most of those features are still affected. I called the dealer & am waiting for a call back. Many other Maverick hybrid owners have told me this happened after their recall fix. I wish I didn't get the recalls fixed.

NHTSA ODI 11583541

Apr 16, 2024Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine

On [XXX] at approx. 9:30PM I was traveling on [XXX] in Garland, TX, at 70mph when my vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power, with speed immediately dropping to about 35-40mph. Cluster showed prompts saying 1) cannot use selected gear at this speed (light under "D" was flashing), 2) pre-collision not available; 3) Airbags sensor bad; 4) power-train warning; and, several others before telling me engine needed service. When I tried to accelerate it would go no faster than 25mph. When I applied the brakes and released them it would then accelerate to 35-40mph on its own. Engine light started flashing. When able to do so I pulled over and turned vehicle off. I started it back up and engine light stayed lit, but it continued to experience loss of power and go no faster than 25mph. Again, when I applied the brakes and released them it would accelerate to 35-40mph all on its own. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11583215

Apr 16, 2024Transmission & drivetrainEngine

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Maverick. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the "Service Advancetrac", "Service Engine Soon", "Power Train Malfunction" "Reduced Power", "Pre-collision Assist Not Available" and "Hill Assist Not available" messages were displayed, and the vehicle decelerated to approximately 28 MPH. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated that he was able to continue driving; however, the vehicle failed to exceed 28 MPH. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving on another occasion. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 11583277

Apr 16, 2024Transmission & drivetrainEngineDriver assistance

I was driving on the interstate and the gear shift light started blinking. Then I started getting warning lights on the dash: - Gear Selected Will Engage at Low Speed - Powertrain malfunction/reduced power - Pre-collision assist not available - Service engine soon warning - Hill assist not available The car then abruptly slowed down to 35 mph and continued driving at 35 mph even when applying gas. The vehicle would slow down when the brake was applied, however releasing the brake, caused the car to accelerate to 35 mph. The vehicle was inspected by a Ford dealership, however it was the next day, after the car had been turned off for multiple hours. The dealership did not find any active codes, so there was no "fix". Abruptly coming to a stop on the interstate is scary and life-threatening. Ford needs to fix this issue as there could have been a catastrophic accident, had other motorists not been paying attention!

NHTSA ODI 11583362

Apr 16, 2024Transmission & drivetrainEngineDriver assistance

Driving no more than 40 mph, suddenly “gear shift will engage at low speeds” pops up. At this point there is no acceleration. Then when I get to stop at about 1mp it jerks me into an e-brake, immediately prompting “powertrain error”, “check engine”, “hill climb assist not available”, “collision warning not available”. This all started after the last recall was performed. This is now the second time this has done this. I am lucky it did not do this on the highway itself.

NHTSA ODI 11583399

Apr 10, 2024Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlEngine

When driving down the road at approximately 35-40mph, the accelerator pedal stopped working and a variety of warning messages and lights popped up on the dash. Some of those messages included "gear selected will engage at low speed", "powertrain system fault", and "pre-collision assist not available". Because the vehicle suddenly became undriveable, it rolled to a stop in the middle of the road. After coming to a stop, I put it in park (I may have restarted the vehicle, but am not entirely sure) and I was able to get the vehicle off the road, albeit with reduced power. Warning messages and lights (check engine, wrench) remained on the dashboard. There were no warning signs prior to this happening The vehicle was towed to a local Ford dealership and has been there for 13 days. I have not heard from them about identifying the problem. The uploaded photo is a screenshot on my phone of the warning messages through my FordPass app.

NHTSA ODI 11582049

Apr 10, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

I took my 2023 Ford Maverick to the Dealership- Larry H Miller Lakewood CO. to get outstanding recalls address on [XXX]. Recalls handled were for Reprogram powertrain control module, turn signal outage detection failure, and software calibration update. I had no issues or concerns with my new vehicles performance or safety up to that point. [XXX] I was driving with my 2 children in the truck on the highway. Going 75 miles/hour uphill near the junction of [XXX] and [XXX] the truck suddenly started reporting errors on the digital display and dropped into limp mode leaving me stuck between 25-35 mph max speed on a busy highway causing a dangerous and unpredictable situation. I was able to exit the highway and navigate side roads to my dealership not far. They cleared the error and reset and were unable to replicate the issue at that time. On [XXX] the issue replicated. Heading south on [XXX] at 75 mph on the highway with my children in the truck, the power train module error once again appeared, check engine light came on and the digital display cycled through a series of errors the same as it had the prior time. Vehicle dropped to limp mode with a max speed of 35 on a busy highway. It once again caused a dangerous and hazardous experience trying to exit the highway at the next available opportunity. On the exit the truck shut off completely. Obstructing traffic. I was able to restart and navigate to a safe spot where I was able to contact Ford Roadside assist and get my truck towed to my same dealership once again. My truck has been at the dealership for 3 weeks now but on [XXX] they reported there were some new updates that might address the issue. They ran those updates and so far have been unable to replicate the problem. There is no solid confirmation from Ford that these updates will resolve the unsafe issue from happening again. We are uncertain at this point as to whether utilizing the vehicle will once again jeopardize our safety driving it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11582250

Apr 10, 2024Transmission & drivetrainFuel systemDriver assistance

Vehicle lost power in traffic. Error messages on instrument clusters "Pre-Collision Assist not available Service AdvanceTrac Service vehicle soon Hill Start Assist not available Pre-Collision Assist not available" Shut off vehicle. When I restarted it everything returned to normal except check engine light was on

NHTSA ODI 11582258

Apr 9, 2024Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine

Vehicle was traveling at 35 MPH. Vehicle shuddered and lost propulsion. Dash displayed following message: "Gear Selected will Engage at Low Speed" The "D" indicator on the shift knob was flashing. Vehicle was able to be pulled to side of road at very low speed. The following error messages were displayed in sequence: "Hill Start Assist Not Available" Pre-Collision Assist Not Available" "Service AdvanceTrac" Additionally, the following error light were iluminated: Check Engine Service Engine Soon Tranction Control Off 12 volt battery error Vehicle was turned off and restarted. The same error messages were displayed. Ford dealer was contacted to schedule a service visit. After a five minute wait, vehicle was able to start and drive, though performance was not as it had been. This morning, error lights remain on

NHTSA ODI 11581886

Apr 9, 2024Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine

On the freeway all of sudden the “D” icon on the gear selected started flashing and then I started to receive multiple check engine light error messages one after the other, including: •Gear Selected Will Engage at Low Speed •Powertrain malfunction/reduced power •Pre-collision assist not available •Service engine soon warning •Service AdvanceTrac •Hill assist not available The truck then proceeded to switch into neutral all on its own and upon me trying to move the gear selector back into drive the car had zero power when applying the gas. I had to try to avoid traffic to get to the emergency lane with zero power just coasting to the side of the highway. Based on other Ford Maverick owners' testimony it seems Ford Maverick Hybrids getting a recall update to their Powertrain Control Module are then experiencing unpredictable and recurring instances of their truck suddenly having these check engine and random shutdown issues. It seems this has happened to dozens of owners, often at high speeds in the middle of the interstate. It begins with a sudden cascade of alerts (like 5 different malfunctions and systems shutting down). My Ford Maverick was towed and is currently being inspected at the Ford dealer.

NHTSA ODI 11581982

Apr 9, 2024Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemBrakes

Received multiple error messages while driving including: -Pre-collision assist not available -Service engine soon -Powertrain malfunction/reduced power -Drive mode selection disabled. The “D” on the gear shift was also flashing. I slowed down and the parking brake automatically engaged while still driving, which caused the truck to stop hard. I was able to drive it to a parking lot, but it felt like it was in between gears. I turned the truck off in the parking lot for a few minutes, and then successfully started it and made it to the dealership with warning lights on. This likely would have caused a wreck if it happened on a busy road at higher speeds. It sounds like many Maverick owners are experiencing this same issue after the last recall. I don’t feel safe driving my vehicle until this is resolved.

NHTSA ODI 11582014

Apr 8, 2024Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine

Driving on highway whent alerts all at once, including * Gear Selected Will Engage at Low Speed * Powertrain malfunction/reduced power * Pre-collision assist not available * Service engine soon warning * Service AdvanceTrac * Hill assist not available. Vehicle lost power on road and almost got hit.

NHTSA ODI 11581643

Apr 8, 2024Transmission & drivetrainFuel systemDriver assistance

Was driving my Maverick in a 35mph area an it felt like it had a 'sloppy" transmission shift and immediately lost power. It did not shut down, but with the gas engine running it had a top speed around 35mph and extremely slow acceleration, I had to use my 4way flashers. When it went into electric mode (hybrid) it would accelerate without any pressure on the throttle. Very dangerous. Check engine light, transmission light (wrench), and front collusion light all came on. When I got home and turned it off, then on again, it seemed to run like normal again, although the check engine light is still on.

NHTSA ODI 11581743

Apr 5, 2024Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlEngine

Vehicle lost power while driving and has many warning notices. Pulled over but when I tried to drive again it accelerated on its own. Pulled over again and turned the vehicle off a few times and then it drive normally but with the check engine light on. Had happened 3 times. Took to Ford dealer 2 times and dealer could not reproduce the issue and gave it back to me.

NHTSA ODI 11581275

Apr 5, 2024Transmission & drivetrain

On Friday, March 29, 2024 my Ford Maverick Hybrid lost power. When I started the engine it seemed sluggish but did reach about 40mph as I entered the I-215 freeway on ramp. Instrument panel warning lights did not appear until the problem began. By the time I came to the freeway itself the power was failing, and the truck slowed to only about 15-20mph. This was a highly dangerous position. I stayed on the shoulder and limped along with 4-way flashers on to the next exit, about one mile, where I was able to drive into a parking lot and call AAA road service. The truck was taken on a flatbed tow truck to the Ford dealer, about 15 miles away. It has been at the dealer now for a week. I was told the problem has to do with the computer that controls the drivetrain, and that Ford has not yet sent a solution to the dealer. I was also told that my truck is the fourth one with similar problems to arrive at the dealer, all in the same few days.

NHTSA ODI 11581338

Apr 5, 2024Transmission & drivetrainDriver assistance

While driving at highway speed, for no reason, the vehicle signals AdvanceTrac error and signals that the vehicle cannot go into the gear selected. The vehicle immediately slows to a protective reduced power (limp mode) with a max of about 30 mph. My safety was at risk because of the sudden and unexpected deceleration from highway speed. The dash indicated that multiple alerts, most alarming was that Pre-Collision Assist is not available. After turning the vehicle off for a while it would become drivable. The dealer inspected the vehicle and stated they could not detect anything wrong. This has happened to me twice on March 20, 2024 and again on March 28, 2024. I had no problem whatsoever until the dealer reprogrammed a computer module associated with a recall. The programming change caused me to have issues when none existed prior. The dealer refused to restore the programming to the original configuration. I read of many that had the same circumstances with their Ford Mavericks on various internet community boards. This is very dangerous and Ford need to develop a fix quickly! I will make my vehicle available to government agency or Ford Motor Company teams for inspection or diagnostics.

NHTSA ODI 11581451

Apr 1, 2024Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemDriver assistance

I took it to the dealer for a recall with a PCM programming. After that, I drove it for a few days and the car came to a sudden halt on the freeway. Luckily the cars behind me did not hit me but it is a safety concern and the dealerships are not able to find the problem

NHTSA ODI 11580482

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Working with the data? Download all 262 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 18, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2023 Ford Maverick Later Release verdict →