Ford Recalling 4.4 Million Trucks, SUVs Over Lighting Issue

by Michael Strong

Published: February 26th, 2026

ford recalling 4 4 million trucks suvs over lighting issue

Ford announced it is recalling 4.4 million trucks, SUVs, and vans due to a problem where those vehicles could lose their braking and trailer lights while towing. The problem increases the likelihood of a crash, the company notes.

The automaker, which set a record for product recalls in 2025, said certain 2021-2026 Ford F-150, 2022-2026 Ford F-250 Super Duty, Expedition, Maverick, and Lincoln Navigator, 2024-2026 Ford Rangers, and 2026 Ford E-Transit models are subject to the recall.

The affected vehicles were produced during specific periods, but they are different for each affected truck or SUV. The issue is related to “software vulnerability,” according to the company. Ford said it is unaware of any accidents, injuries, or fires related to the issue; however, there have been 407 incidents that may be related.

“When towing a trailer, the integrated trailer module (ITRM) may lose communication with the vehicle, possibly causing a loss of brake and turn signal lights, or a loss of brake function,” the company wrote in a report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment.”

If the driver loses trailer braking function, it reduces their ability to control the attached trailer, increasing the risk of a crash, according to the report. The software issue allows for a potential race condition to occur between the ITRM and the CAN Standy Control bit (STBCC) during initial power-up. If this condition occurs, the module will be powered on but unable to communicate with the vehicle.

The driver will see a pop-up message on the instrument panel, which will indicate a trailer brake module fault and the turn signal will “fast flash.” A “Blind Spot Assist System fault” message may also appear. A software update is required to fix the problem. For the Lincoln Navigator, it can be done over the air, otherwise owners will need to bring their vehicles to a nearby Ford or Lincoln dealer.

[Images: Ford, Lincoln]

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Michael Strong

Michael Strong has spent more than 25 years writing about the automotive industry. A Detroit-area native, he’s written about everything from local car shows to product reviews to financial news. Currently he writes and edits for a variety of national and local publications. He’s also a longtime member of the Automotive Press Association and the International Motor Press Association, and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Hail Southern! Despite a love for ’70s land yachts and BMWs from the late ’80s and early ’90s, his personal vehicle is neither of those.

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2 of 14 comments

Fayaye7208 on Feb 26, 2026

The list would be much shorter if Ford just said which vehicles were NOT under recall.

3 Reply
Lorenzo on Feb 27, 2026

At this point, anyone who buys a Ford is a beta tester.

2 Reply

Recent Comments

Jam169859557 More regulation is needed for ALL vehicle lighting systems. [list=1][*]The lighting that is most blinding are the rapidly flashing red, blue and amber lights on emergency vehicles. The lights themselves are blinding, flashing so rapidly that it's impossible for even the sharpest eyes to adjust. What's worse, is the nature of the emergency requires a careful view of the area surrounding the emergency vehicle. There is something going on that needs to be seen. More flashing lights is not the solution.[/*][*]Brighter headlights need to be regulated. The tall riding vehicles do not need headlights positioned so high that they blind drivers in lower riding vehicles. And those heasdlights need to be aimed properly. When I first started driving my 2020 Subaru Outback, many drivers would flash their lights, hoping I would dim my lights. This stopped after I performed am easy adjustment that tilted the beam lower. Late model Subaru headlamps are designed with a sharp cutoff that project less glare above the hood line. When the headlights are properly aimed, other drivers are not blinded by the beam.[/*][*]Customized light assemblies make it more difficult to see the marker lights (tail lamps, turn signals and side marker lamps) that have been tinted. There are many municiple codes that prohibit this tinting, but these laws are seldom enforced.[/*][/list=1]Solutions: Tight controls on emergency vehicle lighting. In trying to make these vehicles more visible, a dangerous side effect is reducing the ability of drivers to see the surrounding perils.Headlight design regulations that reduce the height of the headlight assemblies. Just because a pickup truck has a hood that sits 4 feet abouve the pavement, it does not mean the headlights need to be so high. Owneres should maintain proper adjustments to their vehicle headlights.Establish and enforce regulation requiring a illumination standard be followed.
Stl170698708 as someone who hates big government, and their interference;but you can add me to the list of people that are blinded by the lights.unfortunately "the poop is out of the horse and no way is it going back in"They have had 5 years to make lights bigger, badder and brighter because in the vehicle work it is go big or go home!Trucks are the worst because so many people use them to express their dominance and that is big, big, big $$ both at the Original Purchase and in the Aftermarket world.If, we are so lucky to get some good government regulation on this it will also take some very good Court enforcement to get the aftermarket people with fines and lawsuits.Much like the EPA did with the Diesel Tuner Industry that felt emission regulations didn't apply to them.This is from someone that owns said pickup truck with the same bright headlights,but i only use the truck when I have too and always turn off the Fog lights when driving in traffic.
Art65765977 I saw a porsche 911 with the most amazing headlights from behind approaching the Sunshine skyway in Florida. The pattern was 108 degrees across sweeping the road like a broom. My brother and I were amazed. I don't know what it looked like from the front but i am sure it was better than American cars
Master Baiter This is what happens when you take a chance on a startup auto company. Designing and building cars is hard.
Pwrwrench IIRC the most efficient version of the CRX was not sold in California, due to the "tune" of the 50+ mpg engine not meeting the emissions standards. The ones sold in California were rated in the upper 40s.Also, nearly all of these that I saw in SoCal were red, except for a few white ones.