Ford Can't Even Get Recalls Right, Has To Re-Recall Over 387,000 Vehicles For A Second Time

Ford had a record-setting year of recalls in 2025, and has already recalled millions and more millions of vehicles in 2026. As if that wasn't enough, a new slew of recalls just came out for more than 387,000 vehicles that were recalled previously, but weren't fixed properly the first time, reports Road and Track. 

The vehicles involved include a wide spectrum of Ford's lineup from 2012 to 2020, such as the Focus, Fusion, Mustang, and Escape. The F-150 makes multiple appearances, as well as the Lincoln Navigator and Nautilus. In each case, although the specific problems vary greatly, a software update should fix the issues, really this time. All of vehicles included in these recalls are believed to have the issues in question.

Looking back through the NHTSA archives, it looks like the original recalls were supposed to have been solved with software updates as well. Perhaps the updates appeared to install correctly but didn't, or the original updates didn't actually fix the problem. It's hard to say exactly what happened that long ago. Hopefully, the second time's the charm.

Here's the complete list of re-recalls, what vehicles they affect, and what the problems are. Some are merely regulatory, while others are safety issues.

NHTSA ID Number: 26V369000
This is the big one, affecting 255,404 Ford Focuess made between 2012 and 2018. The canister purge valve may malfunction and stick open during the evaporative leak monitor check. This can cause excessive vacuum in the fuel system, causing the engine to stall and be unable to restart. It could also cause the plastic fuel tank to deform.

NHTSA ID Number: 26V373000
On 91,198 F-150s from 2018 through 2020, the daytime running lights may not dim when the headlight switch is turned from "Autolamps" to "Headlamps On." While not a disastrous issue, it does violate Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108.

NHTSA ID Number: 26V374000
On 18,124 2017 Ford Escapes, the power windows may not automatically reverse correctly when closing on an object blocking the window, exerting excessive force before reopening.

NHTSA ID Number: 26V375000
On 10,742 2018 F-150s, moving the gear selector from Park to Drive too quickly could cause the gear indicator display to not display any gear, leaving the driver unable to determine what gear they are in. They may be in Reverse or Neutral and not know it.

NHTSA ID Number: 26V376000
Ford's PowerShift transmission already had its share of problems, and here's another one. On 5,252 2015 to 2018 Focuses and 2013 to 2016 Fusions, the clutch may slip excessively, leading to premature wear and overheating. This heat can cause cracks in the pressure plate, which could eventually break. Fragments could even punch a hole in the transmission case, causing a fluid leak. It may not seem like the type of problem a software update can fix, but this is an automatic transmission, and the update reprograms it to detect and prevent a slipping clutch more effectively to avoid this issue.

NHTSA ID Number: 26V370000
The instrument cluster may fail when it's cold in 4,445 2017 Ford F-150s. This also seems like a hardware issue, yet a software fix is supposed to address it.

NHTSA ID Number: 26V372000
Again, the instrument cluster may go blank on startup, though the issue here is a memory chip rather than the temperature. This affects 2,349 2019 Ford Mustangs, Lincoln Navigators, and Lincoln Nautiluses (some NHTSA documents still call the Nautilus the MKX, but they are the same vehicle). The software update will bypass the memory clusters that cause this problem.

Ford will begin mailing recall notices to affected owners July 6, when you'll also be able to look up your VIN at the NHTSA website to see if any of these affect you. You can also call Ford customer service at 866-436-7332 to find out if your vehicle is included in any of these recalls.