Ford is recalling 148,663 Mustangs from the 2024 through 2026 model years because a wiring defect can cut power to the engine, headlights and cooling system while the car is being driven, according to Ford’s own recall filing with NHTSA.

Key Points

• The recall covers Mustangs built between September 7, 2022, and June 9, 2026, filed under NHTSA campaign number 26V547 (Ford’s internal designation 26C40), per the filing.
• The defect traces to the engine compartment wiring harness ground eyelet terminals: adhesive from heat-shrink tubing used during assembly can intrude into the terminals, keeping them from sitting flush and creating a stress point that fatigues and fractures under normal engine vibration, according to NHTSA’s report.
• A fractured ground terminal can trigger sudden loss of drive power, along with failure of the headlights, windshield washers, air conditioning or engine cooling fan — all while the vehicle is in motion, per the filing and CBS News‘s coverage of the recall.
• NHTSA estimates only about 1% of the recalled population actually carries the defect, based on eight warranty claims reported as of August 18, 2026, with no crashes or injuries linked to it so far, according to Fox Business‘s report on the filing.

What’s Affected

• 2024, 2025 and 2026 model-year Ford Mustangs built during the affected production window.
• Four separate ground terminal connections in the engine bay are involved in the defect, and any one of them can fail independently, according to NHTSA’s filing.
• Depending on which connection fails, drivers may see a Check Engine light, an instrument cluster warning message or hear an audible chime beforehand — but the power loss itself can still happen with little to no advance notice once a terminal actually breaks, per CBS News and NHTSA’s report.

What Owners Should Do

• Ford began notifying dealers on August 28, 2026, with interim owner letters going out between August 31 and September 4, 2026; a follow-up letter with full repair instructions is expected once replacement parts are ready, with completion required by March 31, 2027.
• You can check whether your specific Mustang is included by entering your VIN into NHTSA’s recall lookup tool once campaign 26V547 becomes searchable.
• If your instrument cluster shows an unexpected warning light, message or chime, get the vehicle inspected at a Ford or Lincoln dealer right away rather than waiting for your remedy letter to arrive.
• The fix itself — replacing the affected ground terminals with a redesigned, stronger part — is free of charge; call Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332 with questions, per Fox Business’s report on the recall notice.

Ground-wiring failures are a recurring theme in modern vehicle recalls because a single connector often carries current for several unrelated systems at once — meaning one fatigued terminal in the engine bay can knock out cooling, lighting and drive power together rather than causing one isolated glitch.