Recall · 26V025000
Ford Motor recalled 2 models over exterior lighting
231
Vehicles covered
2
Models
2
Model years
January 21, 2026
Filed with NHTSA
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS:SWITCH
- The defect
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 F-59 and F-53 vehicles. The exterior brake lights may illuminate unexpectedly or fail to illuminate when the brake pedal is activated, due to an incorrectly installed switch. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- What it can cause
- Brake lights that do not illuminate properly while driving increase the risk of a crash. In addition, the vehicle may be shifted out of park without the brake pedal applied, increasing the risk of a rollaway and crash.
- What the dealer does
- Dealers will replace the stop light switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 30, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning January 22, 2026.
The repair is free, whatever the age or mileage of the vehicle, and whether or not you are the original owner.
Which vehicles
A recall reaches a range of VINs inside these model years, not every car built in them. Yours may not be covered even if it is listed here, and the only way to find out is NHTSA's own VIN lookup .
| Vehicle | Model years | Safety record |
|---|---|---|
| FordF-53 | 2025 | Not published here |
| FordF-59 | 2025 | Not published here |
How this campaign compares
At 231 vehicles this is a small campaign: 59% of the 19,818 vehicle recalls filed since 1995 whose size NHTSA published are as large or larger. The middle campaign on file covers 472. It covers one model year, 2025, so the oldest vehicles on it were one model year old when the defect was reported to NHTSA.
Ford vehicles have been recalled over the exterior lighting 54 times before this, most recently in December 2025 as 25V885000. That is not evidence the earlier repair failed.
The vehicles on this campaign carry 2 other recalls published here: 26V235000 (wheels), 26V155000 (exterior lighting).
Check your own car
A VIN check is the only answer for a specific vehicle, and it also shows every other open recall on it, which is usually the reason it is worth doing rather than reading one campaign.
Filed by Ford Motor Company with NHTSA on January 21, 2026 as campaign 26V025000. Every word of the defect, consequence and remedy above is NHTSA's published record of that filing, not a summary of it.
Compiled and maintained by guarledes . Data last checked 2026-01-21.
Independent developer and analyst