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- British Columbia, Canada
- Vehicle(s)
- 2022 XLT Maverick Hybrid
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- 2.5L Hybrid
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I just want to start off by saying this is just my ownership experience, so it may not be the same as yours. If your truck is perfect with no issues, and you never get recall work done, that's great. Is your EB perfect and you are glad you didn't buy a hybrid, that's great. I don't own your vehicle, and so it's irrelevant to this review, of MY Ford Maverick. Please post your own in depth review separately, I truly love to read them.
Please keep in mind that this review is for a year one Maverick, from the first 6-7 months of production and has more issues than ones built later on, particularly those of you with later model years.
The XLT trim was my choice, since in Canada the Lariat was not available with the Hybrid powertrain for MY22, for some reason that only Ford knows. No co-pilot 360, I find the blind spot mirrors more than adequate. I added the luxury package for my XLT, because again I’m in Canada and having a heated seat, exterior mirrors, wiper park and steering wheel are very nice to have on a cold frosty/snowy winter mornings. Remote start on the key fob was also part of this package in 2022 (not an add-on), which is nice to have. It means I never need to touch the Fordpass app. Having the tow hitch/4pin connector, sliding bed tie down cleats, and bed liner included in the lux package was very nice too. Cost far less with the package than having all those things installed later by third parties, or myself. Haven’t found the 400W inverter to be as useful as I thought it might, but it is there.
Ordered Nov 4, 2021, has a April 29, 2022 Window Sticker issue date, May 2022 Production Date on door manufacturer sticker. Delivered to dealership and purchased in late July 2022. Sticker Price was $35,795 Cdn (approx $25,603.30 USD at current exchange rate) , I paid more than this since, 1) dealers would not budge on price during 2022, but at least no markup, 2) I got the extended Ford Premium care warranty, with it being a year one model, I considered this a must. 3) full wax job & undercoating done, since summer is busy for me and I had no time then to do it myself at that point. Then tack on nearly $4k of taxes. This review is going to be a little long winded, so be warned.
I have used the Maverick for work, daily errands, kayak or bike outings, and camping trips with a small tent trailer. This truck has fit those needs perfectly from a utility standpoint. Do I sometimes wish there was a little more storage space? Yes. Do I need that kind of space enough to justify owning a larger truck? I don’t think so.
Drivability is good for a vehicle of this size, so it’s easy to get around in. Ride quality is good, better than my previous SUV, but not as nice as my last car. Smooth on pavement, and on well maintained gravel roads, but not so smooth as soon as there are any meaningful potholes on either. Keep in mind this is a FWD Maverick without an independent rear suspension. I do not use AT tires on my Maverick, and I am not using the OEM Continental tires which were removed in December 2022 in favour of Nokian WR-G4 all weather tires. Those tires have performed well over all and worn reasonably well on the Maverick (7/32s all around after 36.9k km / 23k miles on the tires). These tires have a higher load rating, stronger sidewall and way better winter traction than the stock tires. I would go for the superior Michelin CC tires when it’s time for my next set, or maybe some light duty AT tires. For light weight trailers the Maverick handles well, which is all I can say, since I haven't used anything large or heavy.
The Hybrid powertrain functions as I expected it to. It provides a smooth and usually quiet driving experience making it easy to enjoy whatever I happen to be listening to, be it the radio, music or passengers when I have them. That only becomes an issue at high speeds on less smooth roads. The 2.5L ICE is noisy under hard acceleration and during prolonged hill climbing, but that is just the nature of a small 4 cylinder naturally aspirated engine using the Atkinson Cycle. It’s not much different than most small 4 cylinder engines in that regard to be honest, but it does drone somewhat. Engine braking on extended down hill descents can be rather loud as well, but this only happens after the hybrid battery reaches full charge from regenerative braking. I can easily decend some steep hills at highway speed without any engine braking at all, even while towing. The engine braking can also activated by using the “L” button in the middle of the rotary shifter if so desired. I don’t find these noises to be overly annoying.
I think the Ford has done a good job with the concept of a compact modern truck with the Maverick. Front passenger space is good, front seats are comfortable for my normal commute, but the rear is tight and very upright. Okay for small kids, less comfortable for adults.
From a utility stand point I think the Maverick’s design does a good job, given the over all size and layout of the body. The base truck with just the included storage is fine for most applications. Thanks to aftermarket bed racks, roof racks, and hitch mounted storage and trailer towing abilities it has a lot going for it beyond that for those who need just a little more. I have a bed rack, Elevate Rack that adds a lot of utility for transporting boats, ladders, bikes and more if needed. The only real improvements I could see would be a 5ft bed and 60/40 split design for the storage space under the rear seat, to allow for at least some access while passengers are present. Maybe Bed rail storage pockets for more tie down options for those that don’t opt for aftermarket bed rack/rail systems.
Right now in 2025 I think the hybrid system is still the best choice for people in the city, thanks to the great fuel economy in the city, busy level urban freeways, and rural side roads. Average fuel economy, by my calculations rather than the truck computer, over the last 3 years is right around 5.2L/100km or 45MPG. Truck computer thinks its getting 5L/100km or 47MPG. Daily commute for me is a mix of urban and rural driving, with an average speed of 64km/h or 45MPH, and top speeds of around 80km/h or 50MPH. Other than camping trips or similar outings I rarely drive on the freeway. I maybe put on 2100 km of freeway driving a year.
Mechanically my Maverick has not been perfect. Nothing earth shattering or costly to me yet due to the warranty. It’s far from being a terrible life destroying lemon by any means of the imagination. Maybe some things fail more often than some other brands entry level offerings though, I can only compared to older generation vehicles I owned in the past. For those that argue against this saying that the Maverick is built to a price point, all the vehicles I’ve owned (adjusted for inflation) have been in this price range, so that’s not a remotely valid argument to me. Details on repairs can be found below in the section on first impressions vs long term ownership.
First impressions vs long term ownership
Exterior Design and Quality - I felt kind of kind of neutral about the design, and still feel that way now. The Maverick is not a thing of beauty, nor is it ugly. I like the Cactus Grey paint I ordered, do I sometimes wish I got a different colour? Area 51 looks good in person, but Cactus grey never looks dirty unless you get close or you drive on muddy roads, which is nice. Over all I like the design of the truck, because it’s mine, that’s about it. No paint issues, and nothing of note other than normal wear and tear for a vehicle with over 41k km or 26k miles on the clock. I wash the truck regularly with Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic wash, so it looks good. I put a dint in the tailgate when I was moving my trailer to hook it up, got it moving too fast on a slope and it hit right below the M in Maverick. No serious damage, and paint is fine there over a year later. Maybe one day I’ll get a paintless dent repair kit and pull it out.
Interior Design and Quality Of Plastic - At first I thought the plastic quality was what I was used to from other entry level sedans and SUVs, it seemed good enough. I still think the designs, colours and textures look good. It’s easy on the eyes, and thank goodness it’s not black! The orange accents don’t bother me at all, because it’s not overdone. I wouldn’t mind the blue accents on the 25 either, I’m just used to the orange.
I kind of wish the central arm rest had better padding, although it’s not bad. The stitching closer to the edges of the top is right where my arm rests on it, making it somewhat uncomfortable to use the arm rest for more than a short period of time. This is not going to be the type of thing everyone would experience, it’s all due to body/arm size. This is something I noticed right away on the test drive, and nothing has changed over 3 years.
I like the cup holder positions, and they work well with my larger vacuum tube water bottles which is nice. I haven’t found much use for the storage pocket between the mode buttons and the arm rest. The one by the dial shifter is the perfect spot for a little bottle of hand sanitizer. The area, which on the Lariat would have the wireless charging pad, perfectly fits a full size box of tissues, even with my phone stored under it while using CarPlay.
Over time some areas with plastic have taken more damage than I would have expected, given the type of impacts it has received. The worst spot in my truck is the glove box, that has marks all over it from taking my shoulder bag in and out from the passenger footwell every work day. The second area is the back of the arm rest, things get bumped into it all the time while loading and unloading the back footwells. The third, and expected area is where my left shoe sometimes rubs against the bottom of the door. I’ve rubbed the plastic on the lower part of the door on every vehicle I’ve owned and all of them have showed the same pattern, just a bad habit, not the fault of the design.
Over all build quality - At first quality seemed to be better than I had expected. Long term, all of the high visibility parts that I interact with are holding up just fine from a functionality perspective. No paint issues for example. No issues with power seats, or heated seats/steering wheel, exterior mirrors and front window heat strip. No issues with, AC or heat. No damage to the front window, even after multiple rock hits.
Sometimes the door hinges squeak, I guess the local Ford dealership doesn’t have techs lubricate the locks and hinges on each service visit like the previous dealerships I went to did? I have started doing this myself, and it stopped. Rear passenger door likely isn’t as well aligned the others, as there is some slight paint wear on the upper part of the door frame. I never hear or see rubbing, but it must be, nothing else could cause that damage.
When I got my truck the option to get a spay in liner was not available, so Ford replaced the spray in liner with the plastic drop in modular bed liner for the Lux package (one of the supply shortage things Ford did for a while in the fall of 2021 ordering period). I was concerned about this after reading horror stories on MTC. That said, the included drop in bed liner has been great, took it off for the first time this past spring. No paint damage, no rust, only a little bit of dirt that was easily removed. For context, I live in an area that gets a lot of rainfall in the winter, and I use the bed all the time, it’s usually got dirty work tools in it, and I take loads of green waste to the depot, and get mulch and soil for gardens. When it’s not being worked, it’s got camping gear loaded in it. I do use a Bakflip MX4 (1st Gen version) on the bed whenever I don’t need full bed access.
A picture with the modular bedliner removed after three years of use, just a little dirt and water. A quick wash and it was spotless with no paint damage whatsoever. This is a time consuming process due to the bed rack, bed cover and sliding tie down cleat removal and reinstall process.
Early on one of the rear tail lights would pop out of it’s socket and I’d have to push on it to snap it back in. After playing with the screws holding the tail lights in, this no longer happens. Over tightening was the problem, as some other early Maverick owners experienced. Build quality carries over into the next section on repairs.
Rust, so far there is very little. Vehicle rust is not a big problem where I live, but not as good as southern California. I had my truck undercoated right away to save myself from worrying about it. The muffler and exhaust system has shown rust from day 1, this is worse than previous vehicles I owned that were 8-16 years old when sold. Otherwise just typical surface rust on components that are not suitable for rust proofing. Brake rotors rust up very quickly, far more so than previous vehicles I’ve owned, one of which was also a hybrid. I would say they show rust twice as fast as my previous hybrid car.
Repairs -
There have been a number of repairs, over ten recalls, and five customer satisfaction program letters have come my way in the last 3 years. This blows away the total of 3 I had for the previous 3 vehicles that I owned over a 19 year period. This is not a complaint that Ford does not fix issues, rather that they have so many in the first place. I know some of this is due to having an early production vehicle, but some of it is also down to poor manufacturing choices. Thankfully all the non-recall/customer satisfaction program repairs that I’ve had have been covered by the factory warranty.
I have not noticed any excessive wear and tear on any components, beyond common issues. No abnormally fast brake wear, pads are still many years away from needing replacement. Front 8mm and back 7mm according to the dealership as of May 2025.
Please keep in mind the following is not the, I hate the Maverick section, just a report on repairs/issues that I have had to deal with as an owner.
The issues that stand out to me
Recall - Engine Fire. No real fix was ever offered, other than an extended warranty on the motor and a software update to warn the owner to turn the engine off before catastrophic failure. Several others brands, during this same period, have had engine fire recalls, all those other brands are replacing the recalled engines no questions asked. Is that better? Honestly I don’t know. Not sure I if I’d want a dealership tech replacing my engine unless it fails to be honest. At the same time, the thought that it could, even though very small odds, leave me stranded while somewhere camping in a remote area is in the dark corners of the back of my mind. Not enough to make me sell the truck, though the thought crossed my mind a few times while Ford dragged their feet on the issue, and repeatedly had the NHTSA reject their solutions for over two years. I noticed an uptick in reports from owners of these motors failing during the summer and early fall of 2025.
CV Axles - I have had the common issue that many 22-24 Hybrid owners have experienced. The passenger side CV axle was replaced at 36,800 km/22.8k miles (July 2025). Driver side axle has no issues so far, the passenger side CV was showing signs weeping at under 19k miles. Interesting that I noticed this during tire rotations, but the dealership techs never saw this during the 2 times I visited for oil changes and inspections after that. That means they had two services to notice this between when I first noticed it and took it in for replacement. If I wasn’t doing the tire rotations myself, I would not have noticed it all. Not sure why you’d bother having the dealership tech do an inspection if they cannot even spot something like that. In any case it was replaced with a revised part, hopefully I don’t have to replace it again while I own the truck. Now the wait is on, when will the driver side go? Thankfully there is a customer satisfaction program covering this issue now that started in 2025. This just shouldn’t be happening on brand new vehicle, I’ve never needed to have a CV axle replaced on a vehicle before, even ones with over 246k km / 150k miles on the ODO.
Cab mounted brake light housing filled with condensation whenever there was wet weather, this started in late 2023 / early 2024 before the truck was 2 years old. Not replaced under warranty until mid-2025, since it had to be wet inside during the service visit for them to replace it. My big concern was not the lights to be honest, rather it was the possibility of moisture getting past the gasket into the cab through the mounting holes behind the light. The screws from the factory were stripped, I never touched them, and had to be replaced, which delayed the repair into a second day while they waited for a parts shipment.
Side Curtain airbag recall and customer satisfaction program for hybrid 12v charging cable: These were the only truly annoying repairs for me. This is both a Ford issue, and a dealership issue. Dealership was very slow to do these jobs, but it also falls into the build quality issues due to using improperly manufactured parts. Between these two my truck was out of use for a week twice. Not a big deal right? When you run a business out of your truck, that’s not so great. First repair, Airbags, no loaner was available, had to get driven around by a family member. During the second visit to get the poorly manufactured 12v charge cable replaced, the loner I got was a Ford Escape, not exactly the best replacement for a truck. Didn’t help that the loaner was a mechanical mess. Airbags took 4 1/2 days, and the cable took another 3 days, plus a 4th day after the tech broke the hood release in the cab and they needed to order a new one in.
12v battery drain/deep sleep condition: No fix to date for this. This issue started to show up within one month of ownership. In the past I would always sit and listen to the radio in my vehicle during my lunch breaks, this isn’t possible in the Maverick, since it goes into battery saver mode after a few minutes of being shut off, no matter how much I drive. I had the dealer test it right after the first event in August 2022, and each time it was in for service. It past their test every time. This isn’t as an big issue for me as some others, since I never use the Fordpass app, and my truck has never failed to start. A few times a year I plug my truck into a battery maintainer, hoping to extend the life of the 12v factory installed battery for as long as possible. Still something I’ve never had to do with a vehicle before, including previous hybrids I owned. When the factory battery dies, I will not be buying a Ford battery, that much is for sure.
Another outstanding customer satisfaction program for the exhaust gas heat exchanger, a system that is used to switch between heating via vehicle exhaust gas and cooling from the radiator for controlling the temperature of the hybrid battery pack. At some point this will likely fail due to an issue Ford found that could allow moisture to damage the module controlling the flap switch. Again, rather than just replacing the part, we got an extended warranty.
The only lesson to take from all these issues is that, as is well known in automotive circles, the first year of a new model can be problematic for owners. If I could have waited a year or two I likely would not have as many issues with the truck. While the above is true, I needed a truck in 2022, not 2024 or 2025 when most of the issues were ironed out. It is what it is. It’s been more of a hassle with time spent dealing with the dealership than anything else so far. Now that the factory bumper to bumper warranty is up, and I’m relying on the powertrain and extended warranty for coverage of issues that will, no doubt show up as the Maverick ages.
Final thoughts
As I said before, this truck is not a mechanical nightmare. It’s got some early production growing pains and some known issues. At the end of the day, they are what they are. It doesn’t leave me with feelings of joy every time I think of the Maverick, but it doesn’t fill me with dread either. Day to day, I don’t think of or notice any of it. Nothing that has been repaired has failed again either. If I had to rely on the Fordpass app I think I’d be more annoyed about the 12v battery stuff. The Maverick is a basic utility vehicle, and it fills that roll very well. It has always gotten me from point A to point B without fail. I think that’s my over all feeling about this truck, it does what it was designed to do. It’s not perfect, every vehicle design has compromises, but the Maverick gets me where I need to go with the flexibility to do what I would like it to and need to 9.9 times out of 10.
If I was buying the Maverick today, assuming I didn't already have one, I’d likely get the AWD Hybrid with 4k tow package, even if I didn’t really need it. More so for towing than the AWD. It would be nice to be able to rent a trailer that I could carry more than a yard of mulch in for example.
Would I buy another Ford Maverick after owning one for 3 years?
If I absolutely had to own another truck, such as if I was in an accident that destroyed my 22 Maverick? Yes. If I didn’t need a truck, or my preferred brands had a hybrid truck? That would be a no for the Maverick. Would I trade my current Maverick for a new one? I don’t think so, the most likely reason would be if my towing needs changed for some reason. The truck only has 41.9k km / 26k miles on it, so there is no reason to get new vehicle for one thing. As for towing, right now I only have a sub-1000lbs trailer, no need to trade for more towing ability.
Ratings out of 5 Stars:
4 Stars For the Hybrid Powertrain
+2 Stars for eCVT - Smooth acceleration, no annoying shifting or hesitation
+2 Stars for Fuel Economy
-0.5 Star for engine fire recall and exhaust gas heat exchanger system issues.
-0.5 Star for engine noise under hard acceleration and hill climbing
4 Stars For Utility
+1 Star for the flex bed system, divider mounting points and flexible tailgate height
+1 Star for the bed depth and over all size
+1 Star for factory installed tie downs and flexible bed rail with tie down cleat system
+1 Star for bed cubby storage system (I would trade the in bed 400W inverter for a second cubby!)
-0.5 Star for sub 5 ft bed length. I get the reasons why, still deducting half a point
-0.5 Star for limited dry storage space in the cab / inaccessibility of under seat storage with even a single passenger in the backseat.
3 Stars For Interior Design/Quality
+1 Star For simple, but interesting and functional interior design
- Including but not limited to steering wheel controls, HVAC controls, a big enough infotainment screen, physical gauges for speed, power/charging and fuel level display and the small digital information screen for the driver with additional information.
+1 Star For seat comfort, plus heated seats, steering wheel and good AC
+1 Star Driver and front passenger space
-1 Star For easily scratched plastic, discomfort from the position of stitching on the arm rest and buggy infotainment screen with useless cubby that makes it look like you got a base model even though you didn’t.
-1 Star For rear seat comfort and not having a 60/40 split on rear seat storage access. You are in for pain if you need access to the tire change tools if you have a child seat in the back.
3 Stars For Over All Build Quality
+1 Star for over all build quality
+1 Star for interior build quality (nothing is broken, so I give them a point for this)
+1 Star Exterior body, drop in bed liner, and paint quality
-1 Star for recall and customer satisfaction program related build quality issues
-1 Star for non-recall related build quality issues.
Bonus
Bonus point for having the temperature read out on the temperature adjustment dial for HVAC. I guess there are some benefits to early production.
I’ll give the 2022 Ford Maverick XLT Hybrid with Lux package an over all 3.8 star rating out of 5. It might not be a glowing 5 star review, but I think it’s a realistic one for the quality of the vehicle I received from Ford.
The XLT trim was my choice, since in Canada the Lariat was not available with the Hybrid powertrain for MY22, for some reason that only Ford knows. No co-pilot 360, I find the blind spot mirrors more than adequate. I added the luxury package for my XLT, because again I’m in Canada and having a heated seat, exterior mirrors, wiper park and steering wheel are very nice to have on a cold frosty/snowy winter mornings. Remote start on the key fob was also part of this package in 2022 (not an add-on), which is nice to have. It means I never need to touch the Fordpass app. Having the tow hitch/4pin connector, sliding bed tie down cleats, and bed liner included in the lux package was very nice too. Cost far less with the package than having all those things installed later by third parties, or myself. Haven’t found the 400W inverter to be as useful as I thought it might, but it is there.
Ordered Nov 4, 2021, has a April 29, 2022 Window Sticker issue date, May 2022 Production Date on door manufacturer sticker. Delivered to dealership and purchased in late July 2022. Sticker Price was $35,795 Cdn (approx $25,603.30 USD at current exchange rate) , I paid more than this since, 1) dealers would not budge on price during 2022, but at least no markup, 2) I got the extended Ford Premium care warranty, with it being a year one model, I considered this a must. 3) full wax job & undercoating done, since summer is busy for me and I had no time then to do it myself at that point. Then tack on nearly $4k of taxes. This review is going to be a little long winded, so be warned.
I have used the Maverick for work, daily errands, kayak or bike outings, and camping trips with a small tent trailer. This truck has fit those needs perfectly from a utility standpoint. Do I sometimes wish there was a little more storage space? Yes. Do I need that kind of space enough to justify owning a larger truck? I don’t think so.
Drivability is good for a vehicle of this size, so it’s easy to get around in. Ride quality is good, better than my previous SUV, but not as nice as my last car. Smooth on pavement, and on well maintained gravel roads, but not so smooth as soon as there are any meaningful potholes on either. Keep in mind this is a FWD Maverick without an independent rear suspension. I do not use AT tires on my Maverick, and I am not using the OEM Continental tires which were removed in December 2022 in favour of Nokian WR-G4 all weather tires. Those tires have performed well over all and worn reasonably well on the Maverick (7/32s all around after 36.9k km / 23k miles on the tires). These tires have a higher load rating, stronger sidewall and way better winter traction than the stock tires. I would go for the superior Michelin CC tires when it’s time for my next set, or maybe some light duty AT tires. For light weight trailers the Maverick handles well, which is all I can say, since I haven't used anything large or heavy.
The Hybrid powertrain functions as I expected it to. It provides a smooth and usually quiet driving experience making it easy to enjoy whatever I happen to be listening to, be it the radio, music or passengers when I have them. That only becomes an issue at high speeds on less smooth roads. The 2.5L ICE is noisy under hard acceleration and during prolonged hill climbing, but that is just the nature of a small 4 cylinder naturally aspirated engine using the Atkinson Cycle. It’s not much different than most small 4 cylinder engines in that regard to be honest, but it does drone somewhat. Engine braking on extended down hill descents can be rather loud as well, but this only happens after the hybrid battery reaches full charge from regenerative braking. I can easily decend some steep hills at highway speed without any engine braking at all, even while towing. The engine braking can also activated by using the “L” button in the middle of the rotary shifter if so desired. I don’t find these noises to be overly annoying.
I think the Ford has done a good job with the concept of a compact modern truck with the Maverick. Front passenger space is good, front seats are comfortable for my normal commute, but the rear is tight and very upright. Okay for small kids, less comfortable for adults.
From a utility stand point I think the Maverick’s design does a good job, given the over all size and layout of the body. The base truck with just the included storage is fine for most applications. Thanks to aftermarket bed racks, roof racks, and hitch mounted storage and trailer towing abilities it has a lot going for it beyond that for those who need just a little more. I have a bed rack, Elevate Rack that adds a lot of utility for transporting boats, ladders, bikes and more if needed. The only real improvements I could see would be a 5ft bed and 60/40 split design for the storage space under the rear seat, to allow for at least some access while passengers are present. Maybe Bed rail storage pockets for more tie down options for those that don’t opt for aftermarket bed rack/rail systems.
Right now in 2025 I think the hybrid system is still the best choice for people in the city, thanks to the great fuel economy in the city, busy level urban freeways, and rural side roads. Average fuel economy, by my calculations rather than the truck computer, over the last 3 years is right around 5.2L/100km or 45MPG. Truck computer thinks its getting 5L/100km or 47MPG. Daily commute for me is a mix of urban and rural driving, with an average speed of 64km/h or 45MPH, and top speeds of around 80km/h or 50MPH. Other than camping trips or similar outings I rarely drive on the freeway. I maybe put on 2100 km of freeway driving a year.
Mechanically my Maverick has not been perfect. Nothing earth shattering or costly to me yet due to the warranty. It’s far from being a terrible life destroying lemon by any means of the imagination. Maybe some things fail more often than some other brands entry level offerings though, I can only compared to older generation vehicles I owned in the past. For those that argue against this saying that the Maverick is built to a price point, all the vehicles I’ve owned (adjusted for inflation) have been in this price range, so that’s not a remotely valid argument to me. Details on repairs can be found below in the section on first impressions vs long term ownership.
First impressions vs long term ownership
Exterior Design and Quality - I felt kind of kind of neutral about the design, and still feel that way now. The Maverick is not a thing of beauty, nor is it ugly. I like the Cactus Grey paint I ordered, do I sometimes wish I got a different colour? Area 51 looks good in person, but Cactus grey never looks dirty unless you get close or you drive on muddy roads, which is nice. Over all I like the design of the truck, because it’s mine, that’s about it. No paint issues, and nothing of note other than normal wear and tear for a vehicle with over 41k km or 26k miles on the clock. I wash the truck regularly with Turtle Wax Hybrid Solutions Ceramic wash, so it looks good. I put a dint in the tailgate when I was moving my trailer to hook it up, got it moving too fast on a slope and it hit right below the M in Maverick. No serious damage, and paint is fine there over a year later. Maybe one day I’ll get a paintless dent repair kit and pull it out.
Interior Design and Quality Of Plastic - At first I thought the plastic quality was what I was used to from other entry level sedans and SUVs, it seemed good enough. I still think the designs, colours and textures look good. It’s easy on the eyes, and thank goodness it’s not black! The orange accents don’t bother me at all, because it’s not overdone. I wouldn’t mind the blue accents on the 25 either, I’m just used to the orange.
I kind of wish the central arm rest had better padding, although it’s not bad. The stitching closer to the edges of the top is right where my arm rests on it, making it somewhat uncomfortable to use the arm rest for more than a short period of time. This is not going to be the type of thing everyone would experience, it’s all due to body/arm size. This is something I noticed right away on the test drive, and nothing has changed over 3 years.
I like the cup holder positions, and they work well with my larger vacuum tube water bottles which is nice. I haven’t found much use for the storage pocket between the mode buttons and the arm rest. The one by the dial shifter is the perfect spot for a little bottle of hand sanitizer. The area, which on the Lariat would have the wireless charging pad, perfectly fits a full size box of tissues, even with my phone stored under it while using CarPlay.
Over time some areas with plastic have taken more damage than I would have expected, given the type of impacts it has received. The worst spot in my truck is the glove box, that has marks all over it from taking my shoulder bag in and out from the passenger footwell every work day. The second area is the back of the arm rest, things get bumped into it all the time while loading and unloading the back footwells. The third, and expected area is where my left shoe sometimes rubs against the bottom of the door. I’ve rubbed the plastic on the lower part of the door on every vehicle I’ve owned and all of them have showed the same pattern, just a bad habit, not the fault of the design.
Over all build quality - At first quality seemed to be better than I had expected. Long term, all of the high visibility parts that I interact with are holding up just fine from a functionality perspective. No paint issues for example. No issues with power seats, or heated seats/steering wheel, exterior mirrors and front window heat strip. No issues with, AC or heat. No damage to the front window, even after multiple rock hits.
Sometimes the door hinges squeak, I guess the local Ford dealership doesn’t have techs lubricate the locks and hinges on each service visit like the previous dealerships I went to did? I have started doing this myself, and it stopped. Rear passenger door likely isn’t as well aligned the others, as there is some slight paint wear on the upper part of the door frame. I never hear or see rubbing, but it must be, nothing else could cause that damage.
When I got my truck the option to get a spay in liner was not available, so Ford replaced the spray in liner with the plastic drop in modular bed liner for the Lux package (one of the supply shortage things Ford did for a while in the fall of 2021 ordering period). I was concerned about this after reading horror stories on MTC. That said, the included drop in bed liner has been great, took it off for the first time this past spring. No paint damage, no rust, only a little bit of dirt that was easily removed. For context, I live in an area that gets a lot of rainfall in the winter, and I use the bed all the time, it’s usually got dirty work tools in it, and I take loads of green waste to the depot, and get mulch and soil for gardens. When it’s not being worked, it’s got camping gear loaded in it. I do use a Bakflip MX4 (1st Gen version) on the bed whenever I don’t need full bed access.
A picture with the modular bedliner removed after three years of use, just a little dirt and water. A quick wash and it was spotless with no paint damage whatsoever. This is a time consuming process due to the bed rack, bed cover and sliding tie down cleat removal and reinstall process.
Early on one of the rear tail lights would pop out of it’s socket and I’d have to push on it to snap it back in. After playing with the screws holding the tail lights in, this no longer happens. Over tightening was the problem, as some other early Maverick owners experienced. Build quality carries over into the next section on repairs.
Rust, so far there is very little. Vehicle rust is not a big problem where I live, but not as good as southern California. I had my truck undercoated right away to save myself from worrying about it. The muffler and exhaust system has shown rust from day 1, this is worse than previous vehicles I owned that were 8-16 years old when sold. Otherwise just typical surface rust on components that are not suitable for rust proofing. Brake rotors rust up very quickly, far more so than previous vehicles I’ve owned, one of which was also a hybrid. I would say they show rust twice as fast as my previous hybrid car.
Repairs -
There have been a number of repairs, over ten recalls, and five customer satisfaction program letters have come my way in the last 3 years. This blows away the total of 3 I had for the previous 3 vehicles that I owned over a 19 year period. This is not a complaint that Ford does not fix issues, rather that they have so many in the first place. I know some of this is due to having an early production vehicle, but some of it is also down to poor manufacturing choices. Thankfully all the non-recall/customer satisfaction program repairs that I’ve had have been covered by the factory warranty.
I have not noticed any excessive wear and tear on any components, beyond common issues. No abnormally fast brake wear, pads are still many years away from needing replacement. Front 8mm and back 7mm according to the dealership as of May 2025.
Please keep in mind the following is not the, I hate the Maverick section, just a report on repairs/issues that I have had to deal with as an owner.
The issues that stand out to me
Recall - Engine Fire. No real fix was ever offered, other than an extended warranty on the motor and a software update to warn the owner to turn the engine off before catastrophic failure. Several others brands, during this same period, have had engine fire recalls, all those other brands are replacing the recalled engines no questions asked. Is that better? Honestly I don’t know. Not sure I if I’d want a dealership tech replacing my engine unless it fails to be honest. At the same time, the thought that it could, even though very small odds, leave me stranded while somewhere camping in a remote area is in the dark corners of the back of my mind. Not enough to make me sell the truck, though the thought crossed my mind a few times while Ford dragged their feet on the issue, and repeatedly had the NHTSA reject their solutions for over two years. I noticed an uptick in reports from owners of these motors failing during the summer and early fall of 2025.
CV Axles - I have had the common issue that many 22-24 Hybrid owners have experienced. The passenger side CV axle was replaced at 36,800 km/22.8k miles (July 2025). Driver side axle has no issues so far, the passenger side CV was showing signs weeping at under 19k miles. Interesting that I noticed this during tire rotations, but the dealership techs never saw this during the 2 times I visited for oil changes and inspections after that. That means they had two services to notice this between when I first noticed it and took it in for replacement. If I wasn’t doing the tire rotations myself, I would not have noticed it all. Not sure why you’d bother having the dealership tech do an inspection if they cannot even spot something like that. In any case it was replaced with a revised part, hopefully I don’t have to replace it again while I own the truck. Now the wait is on, when will the driver side go? Thankfully there is a customer satisfaction program covering this issue now that started in 2025. This just shouldn’t be happening on brand new vehicle, I’ve never needed to have a CV axle replaced on a vehicle before, even ones with over 246k km / 150k miles on the ODO.
Cab mounted brake light housing filled with condensation whenever there was wet weather, this started in late 2023 / early 2024 before the truck was 2 years old. Not replaced under warranty until mid-2025, since it had to be wet inside during the service visit for them to replace it. My big concern was not the lights to be honest, rather it was the possibility of moisture getting past the gasket into the cab through the mounting holes behind the light. The screws from the factory were stripped, I never touched them, and had to be replaced, which delayed the repair into a second day while they waited for a parts shipment.
Side Curtain airbag recall and customer satisfaction program for hybrid 12v charging cable: These were the only truly annoying repairs for me. This is both a Ford issue, and a dealership issue. Dealership was very slow to do these jobs, but it also falls into the build quality issues due to using improperly manufactured parts. Between these two my truck was out of use for a week twice. Not a big deal right? When you run a business out of your truck, that’s not so great. First repair, Airbags, no loaner was available, had to get driven around by a family member. During the second visit to get the poorly manufactured 12v charge cable replaced, the loner I got was a Ford Escape, not exactly the best replacement for a truck. Didn’t help that the loaner was a mechanical mess. Airbags took 4 1/2 days, and the cable took another 3 days, plus a 4th day after the tech broke the hood release in the cab and they needed to order a new one in.
12v battery drain/deep sleep condition: No fix to date for this. This issue started to show up within one month of ownership. In the past I would always sit and listen to the radio in my vehicle during my lunch breaks, this isn’t possible in the Maverick, since it goes into battery saver mode after a few minutes of being shut off, no matter how much I drive. I had the dealer test it right after the first event in August 2022, and each time it was in for service. It past their test every time. This isn’t as an big issue for me as some others, since I never use the Fordpass app, and my truck has never failed to start. A few times a year I plug my truck into a battery maintainer, hoping to extend the life of the 12v factory installed battery for as long as possible. Still something I’ve never had to do with a vehicle before, including previous hybrids I owned. When the factory battery dies, I will not be buying a Ford battery, that much is for sure.
Another outstanding customer satisfaction program for the exhaust gas heat exchanger, a system that is used to switch between heating via vehicle exhaust gas and cooling from the radiator for controlling the temperature of the hybrid battery pack. At some point this will likely fail due to an issue Ford found that could allow moisture to damage the module controlling the flap switch. Again, rather than just replacing the part, we got an extended warranty.
The only lesson to take from all these issues is that, as is well known in automotive circles, the first year of a new model can be problematic for owners. If I could have waited a year or two I likely would not have as many issues with the truck. While the above is true, I needed a truck in 2022, not 2024 or 2025 when most of the issues were ironed out. It is what it is. It’s been more of a hassle with time spent dealing with the dealership than anything else so far. Now that the factory bumper to bumper warranty is up, and I’m relying on the powertrain and extended warranty for coverage of issues that will, no doubt show up as the Maverick ages.
Final thoughts
As I said before, this truck is not a mechanical nightmare. It’s got some early production growing pains and some known issues. At the end of the day, they are what they are. It doesn’t leave me with feelings of joy every time I think of the Maverick, but it doesn’t fill me with dread either. Day to day, I don’t think of or notice any of it. Nothing that has been repaired has failed again either. If I had to rely on the Fordpass app I think I’d be more annoyed about the 12v battery stuff. The Maverick is a basic utility vehicle, and it fills that roll very well. It has always gotten me from point A to point B without fail. I think that’s my over all feeling about this truck, it does what it was designed to do. It’s not perfect, every vehicle design has compromises, but the Maverick gets me where I need to go with the flexibility to do what I would like it to and need to 9.9 times out of 10.
If I was buying the Maverick today, assuming I didn't already have one, I’d likely get the AWD Hybrid with 4k tow package, even if I didn’t really need it. More so for towing than the AWD. It would be nice to be able to rent a trailer that I could carry more than a yard of mulch in for example.
Would I buy another Ford Maverick after owning one for 3 years?
If I absolutely had to own another truck, such as if I was in an accident that destroyed my 22 Maverick? Yes. If I didn’t need a truck, or my preferred brands had a hybrid truck? That would be a no for the Maverick. Would I trade my current Maverick for a new one? I don’t think so, the most likely reason would be if my towing needs changed for some reason. The truck only has 41.9k km / 26k miles on it, so there is no reason to get new vehicle for one thing. As for towing, right now I only have a sub-1000lbs trailer, no need to trade for more towing ability.
Ratings out of 5 Stars:
4 Stars For the Hybrid Powertrain
+2 Stars for eCVT - Smooth acceleration, no annoying shifting or hesitation
+2 Stars for Fuel Economy
-0.5 Star for engine fire recall and exhaust gas heat exchanger system issues.
-0.5 Star for engine noise under hard acceleration and hill climbing
4 Stars For Utility
+1 Star for the flex bed system, divider mounting points and flexible tailgate height
+1 Star for the bed depth and over all size
+1 Star for factory installed tie downs and flexible bed rail with tie down cleat system
+1 Star for bed cubby storage system (I would trade the in bed 400W inverter for a second cubby!)
-0.5 Star for sub 5 ft bed length. I get the reasons why, still deducting half a point
-0.5 Star for limited dry storage space in the cab / inaccessibility of under seat storage with even a single passenger in the backseat.
3 Stars For Interior Design/Quality
+1 Star For simple, but interesting and functional interior design
- Including but not limited to steering wheel controls, HVAC controls, a big enough infotainment screen, physical gauges for speed, power/charging and fuel level display and the small digital information screen for the driver with additional information.
+1 Star For seat comfort, plus heated seats, steering wheel and good AC
+1 Star Driver and front passenger space
-1 Star For easily scratched plastic, discomfort from the position of stitching on the arm rest and buggy infotainment screen with useless cubby that makes it look like you got a base model even though you didn’t.
-1 Star For rear seat comfort and not having a 60/40 split on rear seat storage access. You are in for pain if you need access to the tire change tools if you have a child seat in the back.
3 Stars For Over All Build Quality
+1 Star for over all build quality
+1 Star for interior build quality (nothing is broken, so I give them a point for this)
+1 Star Exterior body, drop in bed liner, and paint quality
-1 Star for recall and customer satisfaction program related build quality issues
-1 Star for non-recall related build quality issues.
Bonus
Bonus point for having the temperature read out on the temperature adjustment dial for HVAC. I guess there are some benefits to early production.
I’ll give the 2022 Ford Maverick XLT Hybrid with Lux package an over all 3.8 star rating out of 5. It might not be a glowing 5 star review, but I think it’s a realistic one for the quality of the vehicle I received from Ford.
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