Ford Motor Company: Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Aug 25, 2026 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 10,001. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
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.
5 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Ford Bronco | 11 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| 2026 Ford Bronco Sport | 8 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| 2026 Ford Explorer | 44 | 14 | 0 | 3 |
| 2026 Ford Mustang | 8 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 2026 Ford Ranger | 9 | 8 | 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 26V548000.
Full record for the 2026 Ford Bronco → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →