Ford is facing a new federal investigation into a potential braking problem affecting 82,040 2024 Ford Maverick Hybrid vehicles, after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation received a petition alleging an intermittent loss of anti-lock and regenerative braking.

NHTSA Investigates 2024 Ford Maverick Hybrid

The investigation was opened after the ODI received a petition on July 20, dated July 7, requesting an investigation into an alleged intermittent loss of anti-lock and regenerative braking associated with certain fault codes. The petition said the issue led to a crash.

One incident has been recorded so far. No injuries or fatalities were reported, although the investigation remains in its early stages and multiple repair attempts have reportedly failed.

The investigation could eventually determine whether the affected vehicles are safe or whether a repair should be provided through a recall.

Owner Reports Repeated Repair Attempts

The petition came from a 2024 Ford Maverick Hybrid owner who alleged that the braking problem continued after four repair attempts. According to the petition, the vehicle had been out of service for more than 50 days.

The petitioner also alleged that 2024 model-year vehicles were improperly excluded from related Ford brake-control software recalls.

Only one incident has been reported so far, despite the 2024 Maverick Hybrid having been in circulation for some time. The limited number of reports is part of what makes the investigation important, as an intermittent braking problem can be difficult for technicians to reproduce during repair attempts.

Ford Faces Another Quality Challenge

The investigation comes as Ford continues efforts to improve vehicle quality, including hiring an NHTSA veteran to help address its recall record.

For now, only the 2024 model year is under investigation. The reported issue could ultimately prove to be limited to a single vehicle, but the NHTSA’s ODI and Ford will now have an opportunity to examine the alleged braking problem more closely.

Ford’s overall reliability record is also described as better than some of its peers. However, with the automaker on course to break its own recall record again in 2026, the new investigation adds another challenge to its ongoing quality efforts.