Key facts
- Recall IDs: Ford 26S48; NHTSA campaign 26V402 (full ID 26V402000).
- Units: 741,195 vehicles (exact). Estimated defect rate: about 1%.
- Affected models/years: Ford Expedition (2018-2021), Lincoln Navigator (2018-2021), Ford Explorer (2020-2021), Lincoln Aviator (2020-2021), Ford F-150 (2021 only).
- Component: Power train — automatic transmission (all affected vehicles are park-by-wire; 10R80, 10R60 or 10R80MHT).
- Defect mechanism: The transmission valve body separator plate may limit flow to the park valve, causing temporary park-pawl engagement while the vehicle is in motion when certain shifts are commanded — potentially damaging park-system components.
- Consequence: If park components are damaged, the transmission park feature may not hold the vehicle unless the parking brake is applied — a rollaway/crash risk.
- Warnings to the driver: A wrench light appears in the instrument cluster (IPC), and the Electronic Parking Brake (EPB) auto-applies if the transmission range sensor does not reach Park when Park is commanded.
- Incidents (per NHTSA Part 573): 24 property-damage allegations and 9 alleged injuries (2 of them emotional). No fatalities stated.
- Timeline: Dealer notification and VIN-searchable June 26, 2026; interim safety letters mail Aug 3-7, 2026; remedy-available letters mail Apr 5-9, 2027 (phased recall).
- Remedy: Free PCM software update plus transmission inspection and replacement of damaged park-system components. No "Do Not Drive" or "Park Outside" advisory — vehicles remain drivable.
- Contacts: Ford customer service 1-866-436-7332 (reference 26S48); NHTSA hotline 1-888-327-4236 (campaign 26V402000).
Which used Fords are covered by recall 26S48?
Recall 26S48 (NHTSA 26V402) covers five nameplates across specific model years: 2018-2021 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, 2020-2021 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator, and the 2021 Ford F-150 only. In total that's 741,195 vehicles. The Explorer is the single largest slice at 313,147 units (about 42% of the recall). Only an estimated 1% of these vehicles actually carry the defect, and they were not built in strict VIN order, so a specific VIN must be confirmed individually.
Note the F-150 scope carefully: production of the affected trucks began in January 2020, but the recall covers model-year 2021 only. Some early coverage restated this as "2020-2021 F-150," which is incorrect against NHTSA's Part 573 filing.
| Make / Model | Model years | Units | Production date range | Transmission (all park-by-wire) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Expedition | 2018-2021 | 246,202 | Mar 14, 2017 – Jul 27, 2021 | 10R80 |
| Ford Explorer | 2020-2021 | 313,147 | Oct 28, 2018 – Nov 9, 2021 | 10R60 or 10R80MHT |
| Ford F-150 | 2021 only | 82,570 | Jan 8, 2020 – Oct 8, 2021 | 10R80 |
| Lincoln Navigator | 2018-2021 | 59,079 | Mar 16, 2017 – May 24, 2021 | 10R80 |
| Lincoln Aviator | 2020-2021 | 40,197 | Oct 25, 2018 – Aug 25, 2021 | 10R60 or 10R80MHT |
| Total | 741,195 |
Production-date ranges start earlier than the model year (for example, F-150 production began Jan 2020 but only MY2021 is recalled). Always verify eligibility by VIN.
What is the transmission defect and the rollaway risk?
The defect is in the automatic transmission's park system. Per NHTSA's Part 573 report, "the vehicle's transmission valve body separator plate may limit flow to the park valve causing temporary park pawl engagement when certain shifts are commanded." In practice, an affected vehicle may briefly engage the transmission parking pawl while the vehicle is still moving when certain shifts are commanded, and that in-motion engagement can damage park-system components.
If those components are damaged, the transmission's park feature may not hold the vehicle unless the parking brake is applied — the core rollaway hazard. All affected vehicles include "roll away detection" that automatically applies the Electronic Parking Brake when motion is detected in Park. The residual risk exists because the Powertrain Control Module may not be awake in some instances after the vehicle has been powered down for a period of time, leaving it unable to detect movement.
What warning signs point to this defect on a test drive?
Two driver warnings are associated with this recall. A wrench light appears in the instrument cluster (IPC), and the Electronic Parking Brake automatically applies if the transmission range sensor does not reach Park when Park is commanded. Seeing either behavior on a used Ford in this recall scope is a red flag worth investigating before purchase.
That said, a test drive cannot confirm whether park-system components were already damaged by prior in-motion shifting on a specific unit. Damage can be internal and intermittent. The reliable path is a dealer transmission inspection under the recall, not a road test.
Is it safe to drive before the recall fix is available?
Yes, per Ford's action: the recall does not carry a "Do Not Drive" or "Park Outside" advisory, so affected vehicles remain drivable. The remedy is phased — dealers were notified and VINs became searchable June 26, 2026; an interim owner letter (a safety notice, with the remedy not yet available) mails Aug 3-7, 2026; and the remedy-available owner letter mails Apr 5-9, 2027.
As a practical precaution against rollaway until the fix is done, apply the parking brake every time you park. When the remedy is available, dealers will update the PCM software (to stop the transmission from commanding the shifts that trigger temporary park-pawl engagement), inspect the transmission, and replace any damaged park-system components — all free of charge, for any current owner.
How do I check a used Ford by VIN before buying?
Start with the free authoritative tools. Enter the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (campaign 26V402000) or on Ford's owner-support recall page; both were VIN-searchable as of June 26, 2026, and both can show whether recall 26S48 is open or already remedied on that specific vehicle. A Ford or Lincoln dealer can confirm the same via OASIS. Because the permanent remedy isn't available until roughly April 2027, expect this recall to show OPEN on most units you shop in 2026.
For the history a recall lookup and a test drive can't reveal, a Zilocar VIN check is a useful companion: it screens for recall presence and surfaces the vehicle's accident and damage records (including airbag-deployment status), junk/salvage-auction records, odometer/rollback check, theft (NICB) records, ownership history, and past and current sales-listing history — the kind of records that could accompany a truck that rolled away or was in a rollaway-related crash. Use the free NHTSA/Ford tools to confirm the recall's remedy status, and use a history report to vet the vehicle's past.
What a VIN check can and can't tell you here
A VIN report is powerful for screening a candidate vehicle's history, but be honest about its limits on this specific recall. It can show that a VIN is tied to recalls and can reveal event history a seller may not disclose — but it cannot confirm that recall 26S48 was actually completed, and it cannot classify a legal title brand.
| What a VIN check CAN confirm | What it CANNOT confirm (use NHTSA / Ford dealer) |
|---|---|
| Recall presence/count on the VIN | Whether 26S48 is remedied vs. open (firmware flashed) |
| Accident & damage records (location, type, severity, airbag deployment) | Per-unit dealer firmware/PCM-flash detail |
| Junk & salvage auction records | Legal title-brand classification |
| Odometer / rollback check | NHTSA investigations (PE/EA) |
| Theft (NICB), ownership history | The specific campaign number of a flagged recall |
| Sales-listing history (prices, mileage, days-on-market) | Proof that a given unit's park pawl is damaged |
| Specs/options, NHTSA + IIHS safety ratings, market valuation |
Two honest caveats specific to this story: a Zilocar report flags recall presence like NHTSA's free tool but does not distinguish 26S48/26V402 by campaign number; and accident or salvage-auction records are evidence of an event, not proof that a particular unit's park pawl is damaged. Confirm remedy status at nhtsa.gov/recalls and with a Ford dealer.
Is 26S48 the same as the other Ford transmission recalls?
No. Recall 26S48 (NHTSA 26V402) is a distinct campaign: a 10R80-family park-pawl rollaway issue affecting 741,195 vehicles across the five nameplates above. It is not the same as recall 26S45 / 26V378 (a 2014 F-150, 6R80-transmission unintended-downshift/OSS-sensor recall of roughly 44,963 units disclosed June 9, 2026, itself a re-fix of the earlier 24S37 / 24V-444), and it is not the 2015-2017 F-150 6R80 downshift investigation. Those involve different transmissions, model years, defect mechanisms and unit counts.
Does this recall affect resale value or negotiating leverage?
An open safety recall is a legitimate point to raise with a seller, and the fact that the permanent remedy for 26S48 isn't available until around April 2027 means most affected used vehicles bought in 2026 will still show the recall as open. That doesn't make the vehicle unsafe to drive — Ford issued no "Do Not Drive" advisory — but a buyer can reasonably factor an unremedied recall, plus any accident or salvage-auction records surfaced in a history report, into price and terms. The recall repair itself is free to any owner.
Screen the VIN before you buy
Before you commit to a used Explorer, Expedition, Navigator, Aviator or 2021 F-150, run the VIN through Zilocar to screen for recall presence and pull the vehicle's accident, airbag-deployment, salvage/junk-auction, odometer, theft, ownership and sales-listing history — the record a test drive can't show. Then confirm whether recall 26S48 is open or remedied at nhtsa.gov/recalls and with a Ford or Lincoln dealer.
