From outside the Ford family, it might look like the automaker is having a rough year. By September 2025, the company has issued over 104 recalls affecting well over a million vehicles—shattering previous records. Recalls included build quality issues for F-150 and Super Duty pickups.

Ford trucks also did an about‑face. CEO Jim Farley publicly trashed “very large EVs” such as his own F‑150 Lightning while pivoting focus toward a compact electric pickup. But despite the drama, Ford truck drivers are only getting more loyal.

Every year, J.D. Power gathers data from 16,000 dealerships to measure brand loyalty. The question is simple: when drivers trade in a vehicle, do they stick with the same make—or even model? In 2024, 51% of buyers traded into the same brand. In 2025, that figure slipped to 49%. That drop is part of a decades‑long weakening of diehard brand loyalty.  

Tyson Jominy, senior vice president of data and analytics at J.D. Power, says: “Buyer loyalty tends to weaken when shifting to a different vehicle segment. Not only that, but changing market conditions, such as increased availability of models, varying age of products and more aggressive incentive offers.”  

But there is one major outlier: Ford trucks. For the fourth year in a row, Ford truck drivers had the highest brand loyalty of any pickup owners. In 2024, 65.1% of Ford truck buyers who traded in stuck with Ford trucks. In 2025, that rate rose to 66.6%. And may be a practical reason.

Ford is the only automaker in North America that offers a full lineup of pickup trucks. From the entry‑level Maverick compact to the mid‑size Ranger, to the full‑size F‑Series and Super Duty, Ford builds every tier. When Ford introduced the fuel‑efficient Maverick at $20,000, many doubted they’d make a profit. But car buyers cross‑shopped the Maverick—and it looks like the automaker converted many into lifelong Ford truck fans.