Ford’s ongoing quality control troubles continue to make headlines, as the company has now logged 98 recalls in less than nine months a staggering number that further erodes consumer confidence. The latest issue affects some of Ford’s most important models, including the 2025 Mustang, Mustang Mach-E, and Lincoln Nautilus. Altogether, 21,765 vehicles are being recalled due to a problem with their LED Driver Modules, which could potentially compromise essential lighting functions.
The defect centers on burnt diodes inside the LED modules. If a diode fails, several crucial lighting systems may stop working, including the headlights, daytime running lights, front position lights, and turn signals. In the case of the Lincoln Nautilus, the problem can escalate further, potentially disabling the rear taillights, rear position lights, and rear turn signals. This not only raises safety concerns for night driving but also significantly increases the risk of accidents by making the vehicles less visible to other road users.
The timeline of events traces back to March 2024, when the first issue was detected at Ford’s Changan Hangzhou plant in China. During a standard inspection, a Nautilus was found to have a faulty headlight assembly that did not operate as intended. Later that same month, inspectors uncovered eight more vehicles with similar issues. An internal investigation followed, leading engineers to conduct detailed teardowns of the affected lighting systems. The culprit was identified as burnt Schottky diodes within the LED Driver Modules. Although Ford is still investigating the root cause of why these diodes are failing, the company opted to launch a formal recall as a precautionary measure.
So far, the automaker has logged nine plant reports and eight warranty claims related to Nautilus models in China. Interestingly, no confirmed cases have yet been reported in the United States involving the Mustang or Mustang Mach-E. However, given the shared components, Ford isn’t taking chances. If the problem occurs while driving, customers may notice a warning message reading “Advanced Front Lighting Feature Temporarily Unavailable.” Additionally, the turn signal indicator on the dashboard would blink rapidly, signaling that the lighting system isn’t functioning correctly.
The recall procedure will vary slightly by model. Nautilus and Mustang Mach-E owners will be asked to visit dealerships, where technicians will replace both the right- and left-hand LED Driver Modules entirely. Mustang owners, on the other hand, will have their vehicles inspected first; technicians will check the module serial numbers to determine whether replacements are required.
While Ford has yet to finalize the underlying engineering fix, this recall adds to the growing list of setbacks for the automaker. For customers, the hope is that Ford can address the diode issue quickly before the company’s reputation for quality suffers further damage.