Ford  (F)  has had a serious recall issue all year, so it seemed strange when the company took responsibility for it, but also downplayed the issue during its second-quarter earnings call. 

“We are not satisfied with the current level of recalls or the number of vehicles impacted. We are working to reduce the cost of these recalls,” said Chief Operating Officer Kuman Galhorta.

Galhorta went on to say that the majority of its recalls are “tied to vehicles engineered several years ago before we made all the robust process changes across our industrial system.”

Earlier this year, Ford earned an ignominious distinction after it issued its 89th recall of the year before July. The Blue Oval shattered the record General Motors set in 2014 when it issued 77 recalls that year. 

Ford’s F-series pickup is the subject of another recall. 

Ford reliability ratings tank as recall issues linger

Image source: Pugliano/Getty Images Since July, Ford has had numerous other recalls, pushing its total above 100 for the year. 

According to Repair Pal, Ford’s reliability rating was 3.5 stars out of 5, on average, across 345 unique models. While the rating is average, the metrics under the hood are telling. 

Related: Ford has a persistent problem that is costing a fortune

A Ford’s annual average repair cost was $775, giving it an above-average ownership cost. Ford’s average was 0.3 visits to a repair shop per year, and there was a 15% probability that a repair would be severe. 

Owners of other car brands averaged just $652 in annual repair costs, making the cost of owning a Ford significantly higher than the average. 

While the average car saw slightly more repair shop visits (0.4), the probability of finding a significant issue was 20% lower at just 12%. 

Ford issues yet another recall for a dangerous steering column issue

On Wednesday, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that Ford is recalling 115,539 vehicles in the U.S. due to a defect that could cause the steering column’s upper shaft to detach, potentially leading to a loss of steering control.

The recall affects some of the vehicles Galhorta described that were “engineered several years ago,” including: 2020 through 2021 F-250, F-350, and F-450 pickup trucks. 

Related: Ford keeps breaking records in the worst way with latest recall

Ford dealers will inspect or replace the faulty parts free of charge.

Lexus, Toyota’s luxury arm, is ranked second in Consumer Reports’ reliability index; Toyota is third, Honda is fourth, and Acura is fifth. Subaru has the top spot.

Meanwhile, Ford is way down in 13th place with a “predicted reliability” rating of 44.

“Ford’s problematic F-150 Hybrid is the least reliable model in our survey. Like last year, it scores worse than the also unreliable conventional F-150, continuing to exhibit problems with its transmission and hybrid battery,” Consumer Reports said. “The Ford Escape Hybrid is also among the least-reliable models.”

Ford’s recalls are costing the company a fortune

Earlier this year, Ford said a nearly 700,000 vehicle recall would cost it about $570 million.

On Sept. 9, Ford announced that it is recalling 1.9 million vehicles worldwide due to faulty rearview cameras. 

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 More Automotive: That recall involves 1.45 million vehicles in the U.S., 122,000 in Canada, and about 300,000 across the rest of the world. Ford said it was aware of 44,123 warranty claims worldwide and 18 accidents related to the issue, but it hasn’t seen any injuries.

It was the second time in just over eight weeks that Ford has issued a recall for a defective rear camera. In July, the Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker recalled over 200,000 vehicles due to a software failure that could cause the back camera to malfunction.

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