Ford Recalls 741,195 Vehicles for Transmission Park Pawl Issue
Areazine synthesizes this NHTSA vehicle recall directly from NHTSA's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
Ford is recalling certain 2018-2021 Navigator, Expedition, 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2021 F-150 vehicles due to a transmission park pawl that may engage while the vehicle is in motion.
What this NHTSA vehicle recall tells you, and what most readers miss
This notice was issued by NHTSA on August 1, 2026 and geographically references United States. Its severity classification of "high" signals how the issuing agency weighs the risk of harm if no action is taken - "critical" and "high" tier alerts typically carry direct consumer actions, while "medium" and "low" tend toward informational guidance or monitoring advisories. The category it belongs to - Vehicle Recalls - determines the consumer-protection framework behind it, which shapes what remedies (refunds, replacements, repairs, or the recall itself) are available to affected consumers and which agency holds statutory responsibility for enforcement.
Most readers skim a notice like this, check whether they are personally affected, and move on. The more useful lens is to verify its scope, source, and timestamp, then compare related notices without assuming that one record proves a broader trend.
Areazine pairs this record with the original agency URL so you can check the primary source before acting. Its related labels are recall, product-safety, nhtsa, vehicle.
What Happened
Ford Motor Company is recalling certain 2018-2021 Navigator, Expedition, 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2021 F-150 vehicles. The transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in park system damage.
Which Products Are Affected
The recall affects 741,195 units of the following vehicles: 2018-2021 Lincoln Navigator, 2018-2021 Ford Expedition, 2020-2021 Ford Explorer, 2020-2021 Lincoln Aviator, and 2021 Ford F-150. The NHTSA Campaign Number is 26V402000. Ford's recall number is 26S48.
What You Should Do
Dealers will update the powertrain control module software and inspect and replace any damaged transmission components as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed August 3, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in April 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on June 26, 2026.
Why This Matters
Park system damage may result in a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.
Source
NHTSA Campaign Number 26V402000: https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls
Original source: NHTSA Official Notice ↗
Related Vehicle Recalls
All Vehicle Recalls →Nationwide notices with similar length or severity timing 8
Two Areazine-derived peer sets for this NHTSA vehicle recall: nearest notices by body length and by same severity near the same agency date. Peers come from other categories so they are not the same-feed Related list above.
Similar body length
Nearest notices by article body length (1,252 characters here).
Similar severity timing
Same severity (high) notices issued closest in time to August 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this NHTSA vehicle recall.