NHTSA recall 26V205000 · Mar 31, 2026
Ford Motor Company: Incorrectly Installed Piston Circlips
Product
2026 Explorer and Mustang vehicles
Hazard
An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
What to do
Dealers will inspect the engine for missing or mis-installed circlips and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S23. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 2, 2026.
Got a car, truck or motorcycle? The surest check is your 17-character VIN, which is on your registration, insurance card, or the driver-side dashboard. NHTSA's free lookup shows any open recall that hasn't been repaired on that exact vehicle.
Check my VIN on NHTSA.govRecall details
- Summary
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer and Mustang vehicles. The engine piston circlips may have been incorrectly installed during manufacturing, which can result in piston failure and engine damage, leading to a loss of drive power.
- Component
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Potentially affected
- 278
- Manufacturer campaign number
- 26S23
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notice.
Copied from the agency record without changes. Data as of Oct 14, 2026, 1:15 AM EDT. The agency notice is the final word.
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