Ford bulletin TSB 26-2012
What it saysThis article supersedes TSB 25-2384 to update Service Procedure enhancements and labor allowances by operation in place of AP (Actual Programming) Time. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Ford filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jan 23, 2026, received Jan 27, 2026, about the electrical system. It names 4 model years across Ford and Lincoln (2023–2024). A service bulletin 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 communicationWhat it applies to, as the document itself states it — the build window in the manufacturer’s own words, read by machine from the PDF NHTSA serves. The build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb; the dealer settles a borderline vehicle by its VIN.
This article supersedes TSB 25-2384 to update Service Procedure enhancements and labor allowances by operation in place of AP (Actual Programming) Time. Some of the vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various electrical symptoms, and/or a no crank/no start condition related to a 12V battery drain condition. This may be due to the software level of the affected module(s).
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2012 | Service bulletin | Jan 23, 2026 | 11027799 | PDF, 151 KB |
What the document itself lists
Labour operations and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 262012A | 2023-2024 Corsair and Escape 2.5L: Check APIM Software Level Includes Time To Clear… | 0.4 hrs |
| 262012B | 2023-2024 Corsair 2.5L: Time To Program VDM (Claim With A) | 0.1 hrs |
| 262012C | 2023-2024 Corsair 2023-2024 Escape 2.5L: Time To Program ACCM (Claim With A) | 0.1 hrs |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (3 pages), read Sep 29, 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 2 model years
Lincoln 2 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 4 model years this bulletin names have filed 278 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 122 of them name Electrical System — 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 2023 Ford Escape, the 16 owners who gave an odometer reading for Electrical System reported it at a median of 15,500 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
The contact owns a 2023 Lincoln Corsair. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V091000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
2023 Lincoln Corsair · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Jul 22, 2026 · ODI 11752196
After incomplete over-the-air (OTA) update instrument panel cluster (IPC) fails to illuminate and only chimes when powered. Vehicle drives normally, but no speed, fuel, warning telltales shown to the driver. Safety issue as the driver is not informed of this critical vehicle information
2023 Ford Escape · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 31, 2026 · ODI 11760838
I have had this car in three times for electrical issues related to the Hybred battery. This car had a recall for the battery and I took it in on for the recall. The fix for this recall was not to fix the battery but rather to limit the amount the battery can be charged to 80-85%%.
2024 Lincoln Corsair · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Oct 15, 2026 · ODI 11771361
In depth: 2023 Ford Escape electrical 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 electrical system
Source: same model, same component group93 other manufacturer communications filed against these Ford models under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Ford list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB 26-2449 | Service bulletin | Oct 22, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2428. Reason for update: to update the Service Procedure to remove the fuel tank isolation valve replacement and… |
| TSB 26-2442 | Service bulletin | Oct 14, 2026 | This bulletin supersedes 26-2297. Reason for update: Add 2022-2025 Transit vehicles. Some of the vehicles listed in the model statement abov… |
| SSM 55221 | Service bulletin | Oct 6, 2026 | For 20222026 vehicles equipped with a 8F35 transmission, a revision to the Road Testing Vehicle procedure has been made in the WSM, Section… |
| TCU-26.2.12.2.2 | Over-the-air update | Sep 16, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Addresses a bug that may cause updates to fail |
| ECG-26.2.12.3 | Over-the-air update | Sep 16, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -ePrivacy enhancements |
| 26N15 | Other | Aug 28, 2026 | Customer Satisfaction Program 26N15 Certain 2020-2026 Model Year Escape and 2021-2026 Model Year Corsair Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles… |
| SSM 55031 | Service bulletin | Jul 23, 2026 | Some 2021-2026 Ford/Lincoln vehicles may exhibit various symptoms including but not limited to the auto start/stop system not operating as i… |
| GSM-26.P0929 | Over-the-air update | Jul 9, 2026 | Quality improvements include: -Updates the gear shift lock diagnostic logic to prevent false wrench lights |
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 TSB 26-2012 a recall?
No. A service bulletin 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 TSB 26-2012 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 TSB 26-2012 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 4 model years across 2 brands (Ford and Lincoln): 2024 Ford Escape, 2023 Ford Escape, 2024 Lincoln Corsair, 2023 Lincoln Corsair. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone. The document itself sets the build window: 2023-2024 Escape: built on or before 7 Jun 2024; 2023-2024 Corsair: built on or before 7 Jun 2024; 2023-2024 Corsair: built on or before 10 Apr 2024 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.