Ford · Recall 26V025000
Ford Recall 26V025000: Other safety defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 F-59 and F-53 vehicles. The exterior brake lights may illuminate unexpectedly or fail to illuminate when the brake pedal is activated, due to an incorrectly installed switch. 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."
Recall 26V025000 at a glance
| NHTSA campaign number | 26V025000 |
| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
| Component | EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BACK UP LIGHTS:SWITCH |
| Vehicles affected | F-53 |
| Model years | 2025 |
| Vehicles potentially affected | 231 |
| Reported to NHTSA | January 21, 2026 |
What can go wrong
Brake lights that do not illuminate properly while driving increase the risk of a crash. In addition, the vehicle may be shifted out of park without the brake pedal applied, increasing the risk of a rollaway and crash.
The fix — and whether it has actually arrived
Dealers will replace the stop light switch, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 30, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning January 22, 2026.
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 26V025000. 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 26V025000 — common questions
What is 26V025000?
26V025000 is a safety recall issued by Ford Motor Company and reported to NHTSA on January 21, 2026. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 F-59 and F-53 vehicles. The exterior brake lights may illuminate unexpectedly or fail to illuminate when the brake pedal is activated, due to an incorrectly installed switch. 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."
Is my Ford included in recall 26V025000?
Not every Ford is affected. The recall covers 2025 F-53, 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 26V025000 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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