Ford is recalling 4.3 million trucks and SUVs to fix a towing software bug

An OTA update will be pushed out in a few weeks; owners can also go to a dealership.

Last year, Ford set a new industry record: It issued 152 safety recalls, almost twice the previous high set by General Motors back in 2014. More than 24 million vehicles were recalled in the US last year, and more than half—13 million—were either Fords or Lincolns. By contrast, Tesla issued 11 recalls, affecting just 745,000 vehicles.

Truth be told, Ford’s not doing too hot in 2026, either; it’s currently leading the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s chart for recalls this year, with 10 on the books already. The latest is a big one, affecting almost 4.4 million trucks, vans, and SUVs.

The recall affects the Ford Maverick (model years 2022–2026), Ford Ranger (MY 2024–2026), Ford Expedition (MY 2022–2026), Ford E-Transit (MY 2026), Ford F-150 (MY 2021–2026), Ford F-250 SD (MY 2022–2026), and the Lincoln Navigator (MY 2022–2026). Just the F-150s alone number 2.3 million.

The problem is with the vehicles’ integrated trailer module, which allows the trailer’s lights and brakes to work in conjunction with those of the towing vehicle. According to the recall notice, a “software vulnerability within the ITRM allows for a potential race condition to occur between the ITRM and the CAN Standy [sic] Control bit (STBCC) during initial power-up.” If that happens, the trailer will have no lights or brakes, and you’ll get a pop-up alert on the main instrument display.

Sometimes, the fault can occur with no connected trailer if the vehicle wakes from sleep mode. Should this happen, you’ll see a message on the main instrument display alerting you to a “Trailer Brake Module Fault.”

Ford began investigating the problem last October and initially decided against a recall until NHTSA persuaded the automaker in December that towing a trailer with nonfunctional lights was unacceptable. Indeed, when Ford re-reviewed the data, it found 405 warranty claims linked to this defect had been filed by early February 2026, although the automaker says it knows of no accidents, injuries, or fires that have resulted.

Owners of affected vehicles will be notified next month. Happily, the software in the module can be fixed with an over-the-air update, which will be ready in May (though owners who would rather visit a dealership for the software patch can do so as an alternative).

Source

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Posted Friday 27 February 2026 at 6:11 am AEST (my time).

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