Ford has recalled 4,380,609 trucks, SUVs and vans after finding a software flaw that can knock out trailer running lights, turn signals and brake lights while a driver is towing, according to NHTSA’s own recall filing, campaign number 26V104. The defect lives in the truck’s Integrated Trailer Module and can strike mid-drive, on the highway, with a trailer attached.

Key Points

• NHTSA’s filing describes a software race condition between the trailer module and the vehicle’s CAN bus standby control that can sever communication with an attached trailer
• When it happens, the trailer’s stop lamps, turn signals and brake lights can all go dark while towing
• Ford began investigating in October 2025 and filed the recall in February 2026
• Ford told CBS News it is “not aware of any accidents, injuries or fires” tied to the defect
• The remedy is a free software update, deployed over-the-air or at a dealer

What’s Affected

• Ford F-150 (2021-2026) — roughly 2.3 million trucks, the largest single group
• Ford F-250 Super Duty (2022-2026) — roughly 1.1 million trucks
• Ford Maverick (2022-2026) — roughly 412,000 trucks
• Ford Expedition (2022-2026) — roughly 318,000 SUVs
• Ford Ranger (2024-2026) — roughly 130,000 trucks
• Lincoln Navigator (2022-2026) — roughly 75,000 SUVs
• Ford E-Transit (2026) — roughly 13,000 vans

Built vehicles span production dates from January 8, 2020 through February 6, 2026, per the NHTSA filing.

What Owners Should Do

Check your VIN directly on NHTSA’s recall lookup tool rather than waiting for a mailed notice. Owner notification letters tied to this campaign went out beginning in March, but a VIN search takes thirty seconds and confirms coverage immediately. The fix itself is free: Ford is pushing the update over-the-air to eligible trucks, and any owner who hasn’t received it automatically can get it installed at a Ford or Lincoln dealer at no cost. Owners who tow regularly and haven’t confirmed the update is installed should treat that as a same-week errand, not a someday task, given that the failure mode is invisible until a trailer’s lights simply stop working behind you.

Why This One Is More Than a Paperwork Recall

Trailer lighting isn’t a comfort feature. NHTSA’s own language on the filing is blunt about the stakes: inoperable trailer lights and brakes “reduce a driver’s ability to control an attached trailer” and make it less visible to everyone else on the road, which is exactly the scenario that turns a routine highway tow into a rear-end collision. Drivers may also see a related “Blind Spot Assist System fault” warning pop up alongside the trailer brake message, according to Fox Business’s reporting on the campaign.

At 4.4 million vehicles, this ranks among the largest Ford recalls of the past several years, and it lands squarely on the trucks and SUVs America actually uses to tow campers, boats and equipment trailers, not a niche corner of the lineup. It also isn’t an isolated incident for the brand: Fox Business notes the campaign follows a 2025 in which Ford filed 103 separate safety recalls, the company’s highest annual total on record.