2025-2026 Ford Explorer Engine Recall (26V343)
Ford Motor Company · 1,536 vehicles · Reported May 27, 2026
Ford Motor Company is recalling 1,536 2025-2026 Ford Bronco; 2025-2026 Ford Explorer; 2025-2026 Ford Ranger vehicles. The engine may fail, which can result in a loss of drive power. A sudden loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. Owners first received an interim notice; check NHTSA for whether the remedy is now available for your VIN.
Recall 26V343 at a glance
| NHTSA campaign number | 26V343000 |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer recall number | 26S35 |
| Date reported to NHTSA | May 27, 2026 |
| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
| Vehicles | 2025-2026 Ford Bronco; 2025-2026 Ford Explorer; 2025-2026 Ford Ranger |
| Units affected | 1,536 |
| Component | Engine And Engine Cooling > Engine > Hard Parts Internal / Mechanical |
| Safety risk | A sudden loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash. |
| Fix | Interim notice issued; remedy may now be available, check NHTSA for current status |
What is wrong with the 2025-2026 Ford Explorer in recall 26V343?
The engine may fail, which can result in a loss of drive power.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Explorer, Ranger, and Bronco vehicles. The engine may fail, which can result in a loss of drive power.
Is it safe to drive a 2025-2026 Explorer with recall 26V343?
NHTSA has not told owners to stop driving, but the risk is real: A sudden loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
NHTSA describes the risk this way: A sudden loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
There is no do-not-drive order on this campaign. If your Explorer shows warning lights or behaves differently in a way that involves the hard parts internal and mechanical, have it checked before driving further.
Which vehicles are included in recall 26V343?
Recall 26V343 covers 1,536 vehicles: 2025-2026 Ford Bronco; 2025-2026 Ford Explorer; 2025-2026 Ford Ranger.
NHTSA lists 1,536 vehicles in this campaign. Not every vehicle of these models and years is included, so check your VIN.
| Model years | Make | Model |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-2026 | Ford | Bronco |
| 2025-2026 | Ford | Explorer |
| 2025-2026 | Ford | Ranger |
What is the fix for the Explorer engine recall?
An interim notice went out first. Check NHTSA to see if the final repair is now available for your VIN.
Dealers will replace the engine long block, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 5, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in November 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S35. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 28, 2026.
When was recall 26V343 announced?
Ford Motor Company reported recall 26V343 to NHTSA on May 27, 2026.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| February 5, 2024 | First affected vehicle built (per Ford Motor Company's filing). |
| May 27, 2026 | Ford Motor Company filed the defect report with NHTSA; NHTSA assigned campaign 26V343000. |
| June 5, 2026 | Letters mailed (per NHTSA). |
This recall was filed 4 months ago. If your Explorer was built in that window, the VIN check below is the way to confirm it is included.
How do I check if my Explorer is part of recall 26V343?
Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If recall 26V343 is open on your Explorer, 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 26V343000. 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 Explorer owners do about recall 26V343?
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 26V343000 applies to your Explorer.
- Call a Ford dealer and schedule the recall repair. Ask how long the repair takes and whether parts are in stock.
- Keep a copy of every repair order. Check that each one lists your complaint, the mileage, and the dates in and out.
- Write down when symptoms involving the hard parts internal and mechanical 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 Explorer owners reporting to NHTSA?
Owners have filed 247 complaints with NHTSA about these vehicles since 2020, 38 of them about the engine.
Since recall 26V343 was reported on May 27, 2026, owners have filed 18 complaints with NHTSA about the engine on these vehicles. 2 of them (11%) describe the same problem happening more than once or coming back after a repair attempt.
How we counted: we matched NHTSA owner complaints for the model years in this recall that list the engine and were received on or after May 27, 2026, then flagged narratives that describe a repeat failure or a problem returning after a dealer repair, recall service or software update. Data from NHTSA, accessed October 1, 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports and may involve a related engine issue rather than this exact defect; automated text matching can miss or misread some reports.
NHTSA’s public complaint database lists 247 owner complaints filed since 2020 for the vehicles in this recall, and 38 of them involve the engine. 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.
- 2025 Ford Explorer: 101 complaints in total, 8 about the engine
- 2025 Ford Bronco: 52 complaints in total, 10 about the engine
- 2025 Ford Ranger: 42 complaints in total, 12 about the engine
- 2026 Ford Explorer: 38 complaints in total, 6 about the engine
- 2026 Ford Bronco: 8 complaints in total, 1 about the engine
- 2026 Ford Ranger: 6 complaints in total, 1 about the engine
Examples of what owners have reported to NHTSA (unverified excerpts):
While driving on an interstate with my children, my automatic braking system decided their was something in front of my car when there wasn't and slammed on the brakes. There was a semi truck behind us and it almost hit us.
2025 Ford Explorer owner, AR, NHTSA complaint 11645436, filed February 27, 2025
6/2/25 tried to start vehicle, codes coming up and car would not start 6/6/25 car was in park running, starting chiming with alarms, the same alarms that came up a few days before.
2025 Ford Explorer owner, MO, NHTSA complaint 11665745, filed June 9, 2025
My 2025 Ford Explorer ST-Line is up to date on recalls as of October 7, 2025. However, I am still experiencing engine "shudder" and hesitation at low RPMs (between idle and 1500 RPM) when accelerating. The 10 speed transmission is also continuing to shift harshly at times.
2025 Ford Explorer owner, TX, NHTSA complaint 11693380, filed October 14, 2025
Can recall 26V343 make my Explorer 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.
Owners often ask whether this hard parts internal and mechanical recall means their Explorer qualifies as a lemon. Not by itself. Song-Beverly looks at whether a defect covered by the warranty substantially impairs use, value or safety and was not fixed after a reasonable number of repair attempts (Civ. Code 1793.2(d)).
Engine defects can mean stalling, loss of power, oil consumption or overheating. When the same engine complaint brings the 2025-2026 Ford Explorer back to the dealer more than once, that history matters under California's lemon law.
This is not the first recall for this problem. When a manufacturer has to recall the same hard parts internal and mechanical again, that suggests the earlier fix did not work. If your 2025-2026 Ford Explorer has had this repair more than once, keep every repair order.
Earlier campaigns on these vehicles involving the same component: 24V635000, 25V344000, 26V205000.
Civil Code 1793.22(b) sets out a presumption that applies in the first 18 months or 18,000 miles: two or more repair attempts for a defect likely to cause death or serious bodily injury, four or more attempts for the same defect, or more than 30 total days out of service for repairs. Written notice to the manufacturer is required in some cases. Owners outside that window can still have a claim.
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.
A typical pattern: an owner reports the transmission slipping, and the dealer can't verify it. Six months later, NHTSA issues a recall for the same problem. Because the recall confirms the defect, the mileage offset goes back to that first visit.
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 Explorer been back to the dealer for this problem?
Call 877-536-6620Other Ford Explorer recalls
Frequently asked questions about recall 26V343
Did the recall 26V343 fix work?
Since recall 26V343 was reported on May 27, 2026, owners have filed 18 complaints with NHTSA about the engine on these vehicles. 2 of them (11%) describe the same problem happening more than once or coming back after a repair attempt. If your vehicle still has the problem after the recall repair, go back to the dealer, get a repair order, and talk to a lemon law attorney.
Is the 26V343000 recall repair free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are done free of charge at authorized dealers.
How do I know if my Explorer is part of recall 26V343000?
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 26V343000 (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.