Loud Knocking from engine, CEL illuminated flashing, loss in power and had an active misfire in cyl #2. Upon inspection cyl #2 Spark plug electrode broke off/melted into the cylinder causing a gauge in the cylinder. Vehicle is being dropped off to the dealer for most likely an engine replacement.
Ford Maverick check engine light comes on
10 of the 341 owner complaints about the Ford Maverick describe check engine light, most of them for the 2022 model year.
- owner complaints
- 10
- worst model year
- 2022
Is there a fix? There are 4 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20252
- 20241
- 20231
- 20226
Often reported together
What owners say
"Powertrain System Fault" was given from App, "service engine soon" on dash along with check engine light and "wrench". Dealership said Hybrid battery needs replaced. Dealership said "We don't know what the battery issue will effect if it does go bad." Corporate says "wear and tear item after 36000 miles or 3 years". I have also had to replace the 12V battery this year. I do not see how both batteries can "go bad" within 4 years of manufacturing... Online says truck could go into limp mode with no warning. Truck is available for inspection upon request. If truck will go into limp mode with no warning, could cause many safety issues. Problem initially occurred 3 days ago. Dealership cleared codes and has not happened again. Vehicle has only been inspected by dealership Only issue with electrical before EV battery was the 12V battery that went bad and had to be replaced. Went to start up the truck one afternoon (had been driving all day before this) and the lights on the dash popped on and the "Service Engine Soon" popped up and beeped. Drove it home that Saturday and did not drive it until dropped it off at dealership Monday morning. There must be something electrically causing problems since I just replaced my 12V battery about 6 months ago and now the EV battery is "bad". I've never heard of a Ford 12V battery not lasting at least 8 years. Multiple people I know have original 12V batteries in vehicles 2018 and older... Batteries should not be considered a "wear and tear item" batteries should be covered under their own warranties. Having basically no warranty on batteries poses a severe health risk with the disposal and creation of the old and new batteries.
The vehicle is a 2025 Ford Maverick. The engine experienced a major internal failure that was later diagnosed by the dealership as a gouge in the #4 cylinder wall. This defect caused significant engine malfunction and required major repair/replacement. This issue which triggered a CEL created a serious safety concern because a failure of this type can result in sudden loss of engine power while driving, which increases the risk of a crash, especially when traveling at highway speeds or when attempting to merge into traffic. Loss of propulsion can place the driver and other motorists at risk. The problem was confirmed by an authorized Ford dealership, which inspected the vehicle and documented the gouged cylinder wall in cylinder #4. Repair documentation from the dealership is available.
The throttle body component of the vehicle failed at approximately 40,000 miles. While this is an engine component that experiences normal wear and tear, throttle body valves fail anywhere between 75,000 and 100,000 miles. I have owned previous vehicles, each crossing the 100,000-mile mark, with no replacement or concern with the throttle body. My concern with this vehicle's throttle body relates to the outdoor weather conditions when the vehicle reported an issue. The outside air temperature was 3 degrees Fahrenheit with moderate winds and a wind chill of approximately -10 degrees Fahrenheit. Researching online, this appears to be a recurrent issue among other owners of this particular vehicle. When started, the vehicle appeared to misfire, potentially entering limp mode. An amber wrench light illuminated, indicating to have the vehicle serviced, and the engine light illuminated, indicating a problem with the emissions system. Additionally, the vehicle pushed a notification to my smartphone that stated the following: "The engine control system has detected the electronic throttle body is not responding as commanded and requires service." The vehicle was turned off and sat for 15 minutes. When the vehicle was restarted, the wrench light turned off, but the engine light remained on, not flashing. The vehicle operated normally, with no misfire. The failure of the throttle body in adversely cold conditions may cause the engine to stall or misfire, decreasing driver control and increasing the potential of a crash. It is of concern that this component seems to have failed early compared to other vehicles currently on the market. I believe the weather to be a contributing factor. The servicing dealership has confirmed that the throttle body must be replaced and has the appropriate part on back order. As this vehicle was not involved in an accident, no police reports or insurance claims have been filed. I plan on reaching out to the manufacturer to address these concerns.
Vehicle lost power and service engine light came on, transmission speed sensor, powertrain control system, PCM communication error, the second time it said pre-collision assist and powertrain malfunction reduce power. The first time it happened they replaced the transmission, the second time it completely stalled, and they could not duplicate the problem. Returned the vehicle to me without repairing anything. All codes showing on my Ford app were no longer in the computer on vehicle.
My husband was driving on a highway going 55 mph when the engine light came on and then the car completely shut off and died and would not start. It left him stranded on the highway with no shoulder at -35F. Ford now tells me they cant even look at the vehicle to see what is wrong until April 2025.
The service engine light turned on. Observed the outside temperature displayed was incorrect at 189 degrees in the winter. The heat stopped working and front window defroster stopped working.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Maverick. The contact stated that the vehicle would not properly accelerate from a stationary position and the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the EVP Emissions Control System and the purge valve were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 43,000.
I bought a 2022 Maverick on 12 JAN 2022. The car broke down on the highway six months after (23 JUL 2022). Ford service department claimed it was a fuel injector issue and by replacing the part, the truck should be as good as new. Fast forward to Sat 30 DEC 2023 and the truck breaks down on the highway again with the engine light flashing. Ford service department informed me that the engine has to be replaced because several parts are broken/shattered and they do not know how. I am inclined to believe that the issue was never fixed to begin with and Ford put my safety and the lives of the people I care about at risk. I was sold a lemon with major engine issues and I am terrified of driving the truck again. All the service reports are currently at the dealership; I can acquire copies when needed.
Engine shut down at speed. Power totally went off. No power steering. Service engine light came on. I was able to restart vehicle but it kept shutting off. Vehicle starts with engine warning light but cannot be derived without shutting down. this has happened twice. Once with about 200 miles and the second time with 3,500 miles
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: emission control: gas recirculation valve (EGR valve)
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Ranger, Lincoln Nautilus, Mustang, Maverick, Explorer, Escape, Lincoln Corsair, Bronco Sport, and Bronco vehicles. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve may fail, resulting in an unexpected loss of drive power.
- Risk
- An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the EGR valves, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 31, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S10. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on March 4, 2026.
Recall number 26V122000 · Recall details
Engine
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Mustang, Lincoln Corsair, and 2025 Maverick vehicles. The cylinder head may have been improperly manufactured, which can cause the ball plugs to fail, resulting in an oil leak.
- Risk
- An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components increases the risk of a fire. In addition, the loss of oil can result in engine seizure and loss of motive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the cylinder head assembly, free of charge. All affected vehicles are still within dealership inventory and therefore no owner notification letters will be mailed. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SD3. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on November 24, 2025.
Recall number 25V828000 · Recall details
Engine
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Escape, 2021-2023 Corsair, and 2022-2023 Maverick vehicles equipped with 2.5L HEV or PHEV engines that were repaired incorrectly under recall 23V380. In the event of an engine failure, engine oil and fuel vapor may be released into the engine compartment and accumulate near ignition sources such as hot engine or exhaust components, possibly resulting in an engine compartment fire.
- Risk
- An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to park and shut off the engine as quickly as possible if they hear unexpected engine noises, notice a reduction in vehicle power, or see smoke. Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S54.
Recall number 25V345000 · Recall details
Engine
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Escape, 2022-2023 Maverick, and 2021-2023 Corsair vehicles equipped with 2.5L HEV or PHEV engines. In the event of an engine failure, engine oil and fuel vapor may be released into the engine compartment and accumulate near ignition sources such as hot engine or exhaust components, possibly resulting in an engine compartment fire.
- Risk
- An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to park and shut off the engine as quickly as possible if they hear unexpected engine noises, notice a reduction in vehicle power, or see smoke. Dealers will replace the engine long-block in 2023 Escape and Corsair vehicles. For the other vehicles, dealers will update the powertrain control module software. If a connecting rod bearing failure is detected, dealers will replace the engine long-block. All inspections and repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 14, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S27. This recall expands and replaces recall number 22V‑484. Vehicles previously repaired under 22V‑484 will need to have the new remedy completed.
Recall number 23V380000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Maverick check engine light
Why does the check engine light come on in the Ford Maverick?
Owners who report it most often also describe stuck in gear or won't shift, engine stalls while driving and misfire or rough idle.
Which Ford Maverick years have check engine light problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2022 (6 complaints), 2025 (2 complaints) and 2023 (1 complaints).
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