Vehicle Recall Check
Equipment

FORD equipment recall — 26V012000

Ford Motor Company reported recall 26V012000 to NHTSA on January 15, 2026.

Equipment

26V012000

Official NHTSA text (English)

Defect summary

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Focus, 2019 Explorer, and 2024 Explorer vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

Consequence

An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed February 13, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final 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 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026. This recall expands previous recall number 25V685.

ManufacturerFord Motor Company
ComponentEQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER
Campaign number26V012000
MakeFORD
Model year2016–2024
Report receivedJanuary 15, 2026
Source: NHTSA — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Campaign number: 26V012000 · Report received: January 15, 2026
https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=26V012000

What does this record mean?

Ford Motor Company reported recall 26V012000 to NHTSA on January 15, 2026. The record falls under equipment and covers 5 make-model-year combinations across FORD, model years 2016–2024.

A recall is the manufacturer identifying a safety-related defect or a non-compliance with a standard in a group of vehicles, and reporting it officially. It does not mean the whole vehicle is faulty: it covers a specific condition found in a specific part, within a specific build range.

This record concerns vehicle equipment or interior systems. NHTSA uses this grouping when the defect does not fall squarely into one of the defined systems above; the actual subject is stated in the official text.

What should I do?

Read the scope and the remedy from the official text on this page. If you are not sure whether your vehicle is covered, verify it on the manufacturer's own VIN lookup page; that link is provided here.

Work carried out under a recall is done at no cost to the owner. This does not depend on the vehicle still being in warranty: a recall is not a warranty claim, it is a separate obligation. The dealer should not charge you for labour or parts.

Whether a record covers your vehicle is determined by make, model and model year — but not every vehicle of that model year is necessarily included. The manufacturer usually covers a specific build date range. Only a VIN-based lookup gives a definite answer.

Where is the VIN?

The VIN has 17 characters and appears in four places: on a plate at the lower left corner of the windscreen, on the label inside the driver's door jamb, on the registration document, and on most vehicles on a label in the engine bay. VINs never use the letters I, O or Q; the similar-looking characters are the digits 1, 0 and 9.

Before you go to the dealer

The work is done at the manufacturer's authorised dealer. Quoting the campaign number when you book shortens the process, because the dealer can order the part in advance. If you are not sure whether your vehicle is covered, verify it on the manufacturer's own VIN lookup page; that link is provided on this page.

Before you go to the dealer, have three things ready: the VIN, the registration document and the campaign number. If you have seen a symptom related to the defect, note when and under what conditions; that speeds up diagnosis. Keep the paperwork showing the work that was done: it is useful when you sell the vehicle or if a second record appears.

Source and currency

The official text on this page is reproduced exactly as NHTSA published it. It has not been summarised, rewritten or interpreted. The rest of the page is written in this language.

NHTSA records cover vehicles sold in the US market. A model with the same name sold in Europe or elsewhere may have been built with different equipment and different suppliers, so whether a record covers your vehicle is settled only by the manufacturer's own lookup.

When a record stops appearing in the source, this page is taken down the same day and the address returns a 410 response; no text is left behind. If you have an objection about a record, you can send it from the correction page.

Frequently asked

What does recall 26V012000 cover?

The record falls under equipment and covers vehicles from FORD in model years 2016–2024. The detail is in the official text on this page.

How do I know if my vehicle is included?

If make, model and model year match, your vehicle may be included; but the manufacturer usually covers a specific build date range. Only a VIN lookup gives a definite answer.

Is there a charge?

No. Recall work is free of charge and independent of warranty.

How soon should I have it done?

There is no reason to wait. If a part has to be ordered the dealer will give you a date; in the meantime follow the advisories shown on this page.

Why is the official text in English?

Because that is the record NHTSA published. It is not summarised, rewritten or interpreted; the rest of the page is in this language.

Manufacturer's own VIN lookup page