Ford bulletin 26N09
What it saysCertain 2020 Model Year Escape, 2020-2021 Corsair, 2020-2021 Aviator, and 2020- 2021 and 2023 Explorer Vehicles Front Windshield Wiper Motor Replacement, if Required After Dealer Evaluation NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a manufacturer communication dated Jun 11, 2026, received Jul 1, 2026, about the visibility/wiper. It names 8 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2020–2023). A manufacturer communication is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
One page for every brand it was filed under. Each brand’s bulletins: Ford · Lincoln.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationCustomer Satisfaction Program 26N09 Certain 2020 Model Year Escape, 2020-2021 Corsair, 2020-2021 Aviator, and 2020- 2021 and 2023 Explorer Vehicles Front Windshield Wiper Motor Replacement, if Required After Dealer Evaluation
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26N09 | Other | Jun 11, 2026 | 11034228 | PDF, 504 KB |
What the document itself lists
The manufacturer titles it “Customer Satisfaction Program 26N09”.
Parts the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| LC5Z-17508-F | Front Windshield Wiper Motor – Aviator | — | eBay Motors → |
| LJ7Z-17508-F | Front Windshield Wiper Motor – Corsair | — | eBay Motors → |
| LJ6Z-17508-J | Front Windshield Wiper Motor – Escape | — | eBay Motors → |
| LB5Z-17508-D | Front Windshield Wiper Motor – Explorer | — | eBay Motors → |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (21 pages), read Sep 30, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Ford’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themFord 4 model years
Lincoln 4 model years
A vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 8 model years this bulletin names have filed 4,010 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 61 of them name Visibility/Wiper — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
On the 2020 Ford Escape, the 26 owners who gave an odometer reading for Visibility/Wiper reported it at a median of 42,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
In depth: 2020 Ford Escape visibility and wiper problems → · 2021 Ford Explorer visibility and wiper problems → · 2020 Ford Explorer visibility and wiper problems →
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the visibility/wiper
Source: same model, same component group13 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (visibility/wiper), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSM 55186 | Service bulletin | Sep 18, 2026 | Some 2026 Explorer vehicles may exhibit wind noise and/or water intrusion from the panoramic roof panel glass seal. Inspection may find that… |
| DDM-26.21.5 | Over-the-air update | May 14, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Prevents window bounce backs after using the one touch up feature |
| HCM-25.5.0 | Over-the-air update | Feb 19, 2026 | "Quality improvements include: -Enhanced dynamic bending lights performance " |
| SSM 54581 | Service bulletin | Feb 16, 2026 | Some 2024-2026 Nautilus and 2025-2026 Explorer/Aviator vehicles equipped with power folding mirrors may exhibit concerns with the auto foldi… |
| SSM 54491 | Service bulletin | Jan 14, 2026 | Some 2021-2026 Escape/Corsair vehicles equipped with a roof opening panel may exhibit a sunshield with localized looseness/sagging or bindin… |
| 25N19 | Other | Dec 8, 2025 | Customer Satisfaction Program 25N19 Certain 2024-2026 Model Year Corsair and Certain 2025-2026 Model Year Explorer and Aviator Vehicles Win… |
| SSM 54272 | Service bulletin | Oct 5, 2025 | Some 2025 Aviator vehicles may exhibit a condition where the rear windows are locked when the child lock is off, and the rear windows are un… |
| SSM 54233 | Service bulletin | Sep 23, 2025 | Some 2025 Explorer/Aviator/Police Interceptor Utility vehicles may exhibit a "Front Camera Fault Service Required" message appearing in the… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Ford and Lincoln, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Ford 26N09 a recall?
No. A manufacturer communication is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the 26N09 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way.
Which vehicles does 26N09 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 8 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2020 Ford Escape, 2023 Ford Explorer, 2021 Ford Explorer, 2020 Ford Explorer, 2021 Lincoln Aviator, 2020 Lincoln Aviator and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.