2024-2026 Ford Ranger Sun Visor Recall (26V238)
Ford Motor Company · 140,201 vehicles · Reported April 14, 2026
Ford Motor Company is recalling 140,201 2024-2026 Ford Ranger vehicles. The sun visor or headliner wiring harnesses may be improperly positioned or have excessive tape thickness, which can result in damaged wires. Damaged wires can create an electrical short and cause a fire in the A-pillar area, increasing the risk of injury or a crash. Owners first received an interim notice; check NHTSA for whether the remedy is now available for your VIN.
Recall 26V238 at a glance
| NHTSA campaign number | 26V238000 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer recall number | 26S29 |
| Date reported to NHTSA | April 14, 2026 |
| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
| Vehicles | 2024-2026 Ford Ranger |
| Units affected | 140,201 |
| Component | Structure > Interior Panels > Sun Visor |
| Safety risk | Damaged wires can create an electrical short and cause a fire in the A-pillar area, increasing the risk of injury or a crash. |
| Fix | Interim notice issued; remedy may now be available, check NHTSA for current status |
What is wrong with the 2024-2026 Ford Ranger in recall 26V238?
The sun visor or headliner wiring harnesses may be improperly positioned or have excessive tape thickness, which can result in damaged wires.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Ranger vehicles. The sun visor or headliner wiring harnesses may be improperly positioned or have excessive tape thickness, which can result in damaged wires.
Is it safe to drive a 2024-2026 Ranger with recall 26V238?
NHTSA has not told owners to stop driving, but the risk is real: Damaged wires can create an electrical short and cause a fire in the A-pillar area, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.
NHTSA describes the risk this way: Damaged wires can create an electrical short and cause a fire in the A-pillar area, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.
There is no do-not-drive order on this campaign. If your Ranger shows warning lights or behaves differently in a way that involves the sun visor, have it checked before driving further.
Which vehicles are included in recall 26V238?
Recall 26V238 covers 140,201 vehicles: 2024-2026 Ford Ranger.
NHTSA lists 140,201 vehicles in this campaign. Not every vehicle of these models and years is included, so check your VIN.
| Model years | Make | Model |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-2026 | Ford | Ranger |
What is the fix for the Ranger sun visor recall?
An interim notice went out first. Check NHTSA to see if the final repair is now available for your VIN.
Dealers will inspect the wiring for damage and update the body control module software. Damaged wiring harnesses will be replaced as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. This will be a Phased campaign. Phase 1 will include 2025 model year vehicles. Owners will be notified by mail the week of 5/31/2026. Phase 2 will include 2026 model year vehicles and Phase 3 will include 2024 model year vehicles. Owners will be notified by mail the week of 6/29/2026 for Phase 2 and the week of 7/27/2026 for Phase 3. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed May 5, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the 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 26S29. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 17, 2026.
When was recall 26V238 announced?
Ford Motor Company reported recall 26V238 to NHTSA on April 14, 2026.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| December 28, 2025 | Last affected vehicle built. |
| April 14, 2026 | Ford Motor Company filed the defect report with NHTSA; NHTSA assigned campaign 26V238000. |
| May 5, 2026 | Letters mailed (per NHTSA). |
This recall was filed 5 months ago. If your Ranger was built in that window, the VIN check below is the way to confirm it is included.
How do I check if my Ranger is part of recall 26V238?
Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If recall 26V238 is open on your Ranger, it will be listed there.
Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup. It shows any open safety recall on your vehicle, including 26V238000. Your VIN is on the registration card, the insurance card, and the driver side of the dashboard where it meets the windshield. Recent recalls can take a few days to appear in the lookup.
What should Ranger owners do about recall 26V238?
Check your VIN, schedule the free recall repair, and keep a repair order for every dealer visit.
- Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm recall 26V238000 applies to your Ranger.
- Book the recall appointment with any authorized Ford dealer. Ask up front whether parts are available and how long the vehicle will be there.
- Get a repair order for every visit, even if the dealer only inspects the vehicle. Read it before you leave and make sure your complaint is written the way you described it.
- Write down when symptoms involving the sun visor happen: date, mileage, speed, weather and what you felt or heard. Photos and short videos help.
- Count the days the vehicle is at the dealer. Days out of service add up toward California's 30-day presumption.
- If the problem comes back after the repair, return to the dealer and contact a lemon law attorney.
What are Ranger owners reporting to NHTSA?
Owners have filed 132 complaints with NHTSA about these vehicles since 2020, 8 of them about the body, doors and seats.
Too few NHTSA complaints about the body, doors and seats have been filed since recall 26V238 was reported (4) to say whether the fix is holding.
NHTSA’s public complaint database lists 132 owner complaints filed since 2020 for the vehicles in this recall, and 8 of them involve the body, doors and seats. Complaints are reports from owners and have not been verified by NHTSA, but a high count for the same component is a sign the problem is widespread.
- 2024 Ford Ranger: 84 complaints in total, 5 about the body, doors and seats
- 2025 Ford Ranger: 42 complaints in total, 2 about the body, doors and seats
- 2026 Ford Ranger: 6 complaints in total, 1 about the body, doors and seats
Examples of what owners have reported to NHTSA (unverified excerpts):
Description On your vehicle it is possible that the trailer module trm may lose communication at vehicle start-up. If a trm loss of communication occurs and a trailer is connected to the vehicle, trailer stop lamps and turn signal indicators will not function.
2026 Ford Ranger owner, CA, NHTSA complaint 11744634, filed June 16, 2026
The head rest leans out so far at the top that my chin hits my chest. It doesn't matter if I try to lean the seat back of forth. Please evaluate the head rest as I believe it will cause serious injury as there is no back and forth adjustment.
2025 Ford Ranger owner, WA, NHTSA complaint 11697252, filed November 3, 2025
Driving home from the dealer I would hear a knock coming from the rear seat area, each time I stopped at a light or stop sign. I thought the jack was loose. When I arrived at home I went to check the jack and realized the seat back in the rear seat was not latched.
2025 Ford Ranger owner, CA, NHTSA complaint 11723798, filed March 12, 2026
Can recall 26V238 make my Ranger a lemon in California?
Not by itself. A recall repair that fails, or repeat dealer visits for the same defect, can support a California lemon law claim.
Recall 26V238000 does not automatically make your Ranger a lemon. California's Song-Beverly Act asks two questions: does a warranty defect substantially impair the vehicle's use, value or safety, and did the manufacturer fail to fix it in a reasonable number of tries (Civ. Code 1793.2(d))?
Body and latch defects on the 2024-2026 Ford Ranger may seem minor until a door opens while driving or a seat will not lock. Problems that return after repair belong in your records.
A remedy is available. Many vehicles are fixed on the first try. If the problem returns after the recall repair, or the 2024-2026 Ford Ranger has needed other repairs for the same defect, those visits count toward a lemon law claim.
California law presumes a reasonable number of attempts has been made if, within 18 months or 18,000 miles of delivery, the same problem was repaired two or more times for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury, four or more times for any covered defect, or the vehicle was out of service for repairs more than 30 days in total (Civ. Code 1793.22(b)). Some of these require written notice to the manufacturer. A claim can still succeed outside that window.
An owner who prevails in a lemon law case can recover reasonable attorney fees and costs from the manufacturer (Civ. Code 1794(d)). You pay nothing, win or lose. We are paid only if you win, and the manufacturer pays our fees, including in settlements. If a case is lost, our firm covers the costs.
A recall with no fix can support a buyback on its own.
In our cases, a recall repair visit counts as a repair attempt, and it's strongest when the owner complained about the problem before the recall came out. A recall shows the defect is real and that enough owners reported it for the manufacturer to issue a fix.
Recall repairs depend on parts. Owners can wait days, weeks or months, usually about one to three months in our cases, and those days count toward California's 30-day out-of-service rule.
The biggest mistake I see is waiting too long. The mileage offset starts at your first repair visit for the problem, so the sooner you take it in, the better. If the problem comes and goes, take it in when it happens. You can't go back to that date later.
If you get a recall notice, call a lemon law attorney right away. You may have taken the car in for the same problem before and forgotten, or there may be other recalls related to it.
Jacob Shayesteh, Esq. (SBN 362320), Founder and Managing Attorney. Quotes lightly edited for clarity. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Has your Ranger been back to the dealer for this problem?
Call 877-536-6620Other Ford Ranger recalls
Frequently asked questions about recall 26V238
Is the 26V238000 recall repair free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are done free of charge at authorized dealers.
How do I know if my Ranger is part of recall 26V238000?
Enter your 17-character VIN in NHTSA's recall lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or call a dealer. The VIN is on your registration, insurance card and the lower corner of the windshield.
Does a recall mean my car is a lemon?
Not on its own. A lemon law claim depends on whether a covered defect keeps coming back or keeps the vehicle out of service. A recall repair that fails, or repeat visits for the same problem, can support a claim.
What should I keep for a possible lemon law claim?
Keep every repair order, the recall owner letter, your purchase or lease contract, and notes on dates, mileage and symptoms. Make sure each dealer visit is written up, even when the dealer says it cannot find a problem.
Does the recall fixing my car mean I have no case?
Not necessarily. Even if the recall repair fixed it, you may still have a case, and a car that's a year or more old can still qualify.
Do used cars qualify for California lemon law?
We take certified pre-owned, demo and dealer vehicles. Since the California Supreme Court's Rodriguez decision in 2024, ordinary used cars generally do not qualify.
How long does a recall lemon law case take?
Recall-related cases typically resolve in one to three months from your first call. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
What does a lemon law attorney cost?
You pay nothing, win or lose. We are paid only if you win, and the manufacturer pays our fees, including in settlements. If a case is lost, our firm covers the costs.
Sources
- NHTSA recall record 26V238000 (recall report and owner letters are posted there)
- NHTSA complaints and recalls data, accessed October 1, 2026
- California Civil Code 1793.2 and 1793.22
Attorney advertising. America’s Lemon Lawyer is a trade name of Wynn Law Group, APC. Responsible attorney: Jacob Shayesteh, Esq. (SBN 362320). This page is general information, not legal advice. America’s Lemon Lawyer is not affiliated with NHTSA or Ford. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.