Ford Motor Company: Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System › Fan/Motor
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Mar 31, 2026 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 55. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Lincoln Aviator and Explorer vehicles. The heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system may fail, which can cause the defrosting and defogging system to become inoperative.
The risk
An inoperative windshield defrosting and defogging system may decrease the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and secure the instrument panel joints 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 26S22. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning April 3, 2026.
2 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Ford Explorer | 44 | 14 | 0 | 3 |
| 2026 Lincoln Aviator | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 26V202000.
Full record for the 2026 Ford Explorer → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →