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."
The risk
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.
The remedy
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.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Ford F-53 | 2025 |
| Ford F-59 | 2025 |
Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS:SWITCH
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford F-53 | 2025 | 1 | 3 |
| Ford F-59 | 2025 | 0 | 3 |
Other exterior lighting recalls in 2026
32 of the 666 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2026 concerned the exterior lighting; Ford Motor Company filed 737 campaigns in all.
| 26V632000 1 Oct 2026 | Daimler Trucks North America, LLC |
| 26V606000 22 Sept 2026 | Ford Motor Company |
| 26V513000 6 Aug 2026 | Volvo Trucks North America |
| 26V515000 6 Aug 2026 | Mack Trucks, Inc. |
| 26V508000 5 Aug 2026 | Rivian Automotive, LLC |
| 26V507000 4 Aug 2026 | Tesla, Inc. |
| 26V484000 27 Jul 2026 | Jayco, Inc. |
| 26V486000 27 Jul 2026 | Foretravel, Inc. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2026