The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer, Bronco, Bronco Sport, Mustang, and Ranger vehicles. The engine piston domes may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can result in piston dome failure and lead to a loss of drive power.
The risk
An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect the engine pistons and replace the engine long block, if necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed September 3, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S61. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on August 28, 2026.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Ford Bronco | 2026 |
| Ford Bronco Sport | 2026 |
| Ford Explorer | 2026 |
| Ford Mustang | 2026 |
| Ford Ranger | 2026 |
Components: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL
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 Bronco | 2026 | 11 | 9 |
| Ford Bronco Sport | 2026 | 8 | 6 |
| Ford Explorer | 2026 | 42 | 14 |
| Ford Mustang | 2026 | 8 | 5 |
| Ford Ranger | 2026 | 7 | 8 |
Other engine and engine cooling recalls in 2026
17 of the 666 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2026 concerned the engine and engine cooling; Ford Motor Company filed 737 campaigns in all.
| 26V659000 7 Oct 2026 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing |
| 26V573000 3 Sept 2026 | Nova Bus (US) Inc. |
| 26V532000 13 Aug 2026 | Ford Motor Company |
| 26V343000 27 May 2026 | Ford Motor Company |
| 26V320000 20 May 2026 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing |
| 26V287000 6 May 2026 | Corp. Micro Bird, Inc. |
| 26V286000 6 May 2026 | Corp. Micro Bird, Inc. |
| 26V274000 29 Apr 2026 | Storyteller Overland |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2026