Ford · Recall 26V012000
Ford Recall 26V012000: Other safety defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Focus, 2019 Explorer, and 2024 Explorer vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Recall 26V012000 at a glance
| NHTSA campaign number | 26V012000 |
| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
| Component | EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER |
| Vehicles affected | EXPLORER |
| Model years | 2024 |
| Vehicles potentially affected | 2,403 |
| Reported to NHTSA | January 15, 2026 |
What can go wrong
An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix — and whether it has actually arrived
Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed February 13, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in October 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026. This recall expands previous recall number 25V685.
If the remedy is not available yet, or your dealer cannot tell you when the parts will arrive, ask for that in writing. A manufacturer that cannot repair your vehicle within a reasonable time is a manufacturer with a lemon law problem.
Your rights
Could this recall support a California lemon law claim?
It depends less on the recall than on what happened afterwards.
California's Lemon Law asks whether a substantial defect — one that impairs the vehicle's use, value or safety — survived a reasonable number of repair attempts, or kept the vehicle out of service for 30 or more cumulative days. A recall is the manufacturer's admission that a defect exists. What matters next is whether the remedy actually worked, and how long you waited for it.
It is also worth looking at the whole vehicle rather than this one campaign. Owners often come to us about a single recall and discover that the real claim is the repair history sitting behind it.
A recall is not automatically a lemon. It is the manufacturer admitting a defect and offering to fix it free — that is the system working. A lemon law claim arises when the fix fails, the fix never comes, or the defect has already taken the use of your vehicle away from you.
What to do now
Check whether your Ford needs this recall
Not every Ford is affected by 26V012000. Enter your 17-digit VIN in NHTSA's free federal database to see whether this recall — and any others — are open on your exact vehicle.
Look up your VIN at NHTSA.govRecall 26V012000 — common questions
What is 26V012000?
26V012000 is a safety recall issued by Ford Motor Company and reported to NHTSA on January 15, 2026. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Focus, 2019 Explorer, and 2024 Explorer vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.
Is my Ford included in recall 26V012000?
Not every Ford is affected. The recall covers 2024 EXPLORER, but inclusion depends on the specific VIN. Enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm whether your exact vehicle is covered.
Does recall 26V012000 make my Ford a lemon?
Depends. The recall itself is rarely the claim — the failed repair, the delay, or the rest of the repair history usually is.
What does it cost to have a lemon law attorney look at this?
Nothing. Case reviews are free, and under California's Song-Beverly Act the manufacturer pays your attorney's fees on a successful claim. You keep your recovery.
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Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome. Every case is different and depends on its own facts.
Is your Ford a lemon?
A recall is one data point. If your Ford has been back to the dealer for the same problem, or has sat waiting on parts, the recall may be the least of it. Speak to a Ford lemon lawyer before you agree to another repair attempt — our Ford lemon law attorneys will tell you straight whether you have a case.
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