Ford bulletin 26U02
What it saysUpdate Prior to Sale Certain 2026 Model Year Maverick Vehicles Equipped With Steel Wheels Wheel Center Cap Inspection. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a manufacturer communication dated Mar 31, 2026, received Apr 7, 2026, about the wheels. It names 1 model year (2026). 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.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationWhat it applies to, as NHTSA’s summary states it — build dates and equipment as the manufacturer filed them. The dealer checks the VIN and the build date on the door jamb; a vehicle outside the window is not covered by this bulletin.
Update Prior to Sale Certain 2026 Model Year Maverick Vehicles Equipped With Steel Wheels Wheel Center Cap Inspection. On some of the affected vehicles, the wheel center caps may not fit tight and/or be retained to the wheel. This is due to a manufacturing error that occurred with wheel center caps built on November 10, 2025.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26U02 | Other | Mar 31, 2026 | 11030896 | PDF, 1,419 KB |
What the document itself lists
The manufacturer titles it “Recommended Repair Prior to Sale”.
Part the bulletin names
| Part number | Description | Qty | Find it |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ6Z-1130-A | — | — |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (8 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 themA 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 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 16 complaints with NHTSA since 2015.
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 wheels
Source: same model, same component group1 other manufacturer communication filed against the Ford Maverick under the same component group (wheels), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24B22 | Service bulletin | May 3, 2024 | Certain 2024 Model Year Maverick XLT Vehicles with 4K Trailer Tow and FX4 Packages - Full Size Spare Wheel and Tire Assembly and TREAD Label… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Ford, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Ford 26U02 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 26U02 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 26U02 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2026 Ford Maverick. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.