2026 Ford F-250 SD recalls and problems

The 2026 Ford F-250 SD has 8 safety recalls and 9 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Ford dealer.

Recalls
8
Complaints
9
Crashes / fires
1 / 1
Injuries / deaths
2 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2026 Ford F-250 SD vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2026 Ford F-250 SD recalls

Recall 26V-689: Structure

Reported Oct 20, 2026 · 30,123 vehicles affected · Ford Motor Company

Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026-2027 F-150, 2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, and F-450 SD vehicles. The left-side tailgate cable may fail under certain heavy load conditions.

Risk: Tailgate cable failure may allow the tailgate to drop onto the rear bumper, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: Dealers will replace the left-side tailgate cable, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed December 14, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S78. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 7, 2026.

Recall 26V-653: Electrical System

Reported Oct 6, 2026 · 20,266 vehicles affected · Ford Motor Company

Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, F-600, and 2026 F-150 vehicles. The analog cluster’s tachometer and speedometer may become stuck or move erratically, providing inaccurate readings to the driver. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 101, "Controls and Displays."

Risk: A speedometer that fails to display accurate vehicle speed can increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will replace the instrument cluster modules, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed in October 26, 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 26C46. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 7, 2026.

Recall 26V-606: Exterior Lighting

Reported Sep 22, 2026 · 28,625 vehicles affected · Ford Motor Company

Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2027 Expedition, 2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, and F-550 SD vehicles. The headlight assemblies may contain a contaminated LED chip, which can result in a loss of daytime running lights, parking lights, high beams or low beams. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Risk: A loss of exterior lighting can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the headlight assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 26, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C43. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 26, 2026.

Recall 26V-489: Back Over Prevention

Reported Jul 28, 2026 · 47,587 vehicles affected · Ford Motor Company

Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 F-150 and 2023-2026 F-250 SD vehicles equipped with 8-inch SYNC infotainment screens. A software error may cause the rearview camera image to be obstructed by the infotainment home screen menu when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Risk: An obstructed rearview camera image can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: The accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 9, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C37. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 31, 2026.

Recall 26V-119: Power Train

Reported Mar 3, 2026 · 11,431 vehicles affected · Ford Motor Company

Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026-2025 F-250 SD and F-350 SD vehicles. The driveshaft friction weld may fail, resulting in rear driveshaft separation and a sudden loss of drive power.

Risk: A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the driveshaft serial number and replace the driveshaft as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 6, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S13. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 4, 2026.

Recall 26V-104: Exterior Lighting, Electrical System

Reported Feb 20, 2026 · 4,381,878 vehicles affected · Ford Motor Company

Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 F-150, 2022-2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, Maverick, 2024-2026 Ranger, 2023-2026 F-600 SD, 2022-2027 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, and 2026 E-Transit vehicles. 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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

Risk: Trailer lights or brakes that do not function can reduce the driver’s ability to control the trailer and decrease the trailers visibility to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: The integrated trailer module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C10. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 17, 2026.

Recall 25V-866: Power Train

Reported Dec 12, 2025 · 6,819 vehicles affected · Ford Motor Company

Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Super Duty F-250 and F-350 vehicles. The right rear axle shaft may have been improperly heat-treated during manufacturing and may break.

Risk: A broken rear axle shaft can result in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in park. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the right rear axle shaft date code and replace the axle shaft as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 15, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SD8. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 15, 2025.

Recall 25V-540: Electrical System

Reported Aug 22, 2025 · 355,656 vehicles affected · Ford Motor Company

Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 F-550 SD, F-450 SD, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, and 2025 F-150 vehicles. The Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) may fail at startup.

Risk: An instrument panel display that does not show critical information, such as warning lights or vehicle speed, increases the risk of a crash.

Fix: The instrument panel cluster software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 5, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S88.

2026 Ford F-250 SD problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Electrical System4
Service Brakes3
Engine2
Forward Collision Avoidance2
Fuel/Propulsion System1
Unknown or Other1
Power Train1
Exterior Lighting1

Most reported parts

  • Forward Collision Avoidance › Automatic Emergency Braking — 1
  • Forward Collision Avoidance › Warnings — 1

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 12 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2026 Ford F-250 SD complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Engine · reported Sep 15, 2026
- Oil leak at 300 miles. - Oil loss can lead to catastrophic engine failure and loss of drivability. - Oil leak can be easily repeated after wiping down and driving as little as 6 miles. - Dealer changed the oil drain plug but that didn't correct the leak. Self inspection indicates the leak is coming from around the oil cooler, which the dealer was informed of. - Symptoms were noted by leakage on garage floor.
Exterior Lighting · at 12 miles · reported Aug 24, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 Ford F-250 SD. The contact stated that while driving at night on several occasions at various speeds, the LED headlights showed vertical lines projected from the headlight lenses that created blind spots. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the vehicle operated as designed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 12.
Service Brakes · reported Jun 8, 2026
After the vehicle was jumpstarted the vehicle failed to correctly enter gear- when shifting into reverse it instead rolled forward downhill. The following systems also displayed failure warnings: ABS Traction Control Parking Brake ( Parking brake also showed as activated when it was not active- it would audibly disengage but the parking brake light stayed lit) Stability Control 4wd. The combination of the parking brake showing as active and the shifter showing the vehicle was in reverse while being able to roll forward freely is dangerous.
Service Brakes · reported Jun 5, 2026
2k miles on a new 2026 ford transit. While in traffic there was sudden braking I had plenty of space in front of me (also reported by the driver in front of me) I was not able to stop in time which resulted in rear ending another driver. My abs acted extremely loose, as if I was on ice on a clear day 80 degrees. The driver behind me confirmed seeing my brake lights for a minute before impact. I'm a decent driver and leave plenty of room in case of emergency braking but was not able to stop in time due to the way the braking system acted. I also have a 2020 ford transit and the braking is much…
Service Brakes · reported Apr 30, 2026
I leased a pickup truck from Enterprise truck rental on Dyer Blvd in Riviera Beach. The brakes slipped and I thought it was because I didn’t apply the parking brake. I googled the vin and found it to have an open recall on the right rear axle shaft.

Other Ford F-250 SD years

Compare all Ford F-250 SD years · All Ford models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2026 Ford F-250 SD have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 8 recalls for the 2026 Ford F-250 SD: 26V-689 (structure), 26V-653 (electrical system), 26V-606 (exterior lighting), 26V-489 (back over prevention), 26V-119 (power train) and more. Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2026 Ford F-250 SD?

Owners report electrical system problems most often (4 reports), followed by service brakes (3). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 12 miles.

Are Ford recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Ford dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.