Ford defect petition DP26004
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this defect petition about the control unit/module on 2 model years (2010). Opened Apr 9, 2026, closed Oct 23, 2026 after 6 months without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedThe Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received a petition on December 22, 2025, requesting a defect investigation into the hydraulic control unit (HCU) for the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) on the MY 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The petition alleges that an illuminated ABS MIL is associated with a failure of the ABS HCU, resulting in ABS malfunction, loss of traction and electronic stability control functions, and reduced braking performance, particularly on slippery road surfaces. ODI conducted an analysis of complaints submitted to ODI for the subject vehicle population along with data submitted by Ford. The Petitioner alleged that the condition in the subject vehicles was comparable to the defect addressed by NHTSA recall No. 19V904, which covered certain MY 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The population of this recall consisted of the non-hybrid variants of these models. The recall addressed a defect where the ABS valves in the HCU could remain stuck open due to a chemical reaction with aged DOT 3 brake fluid, potentially causing extended brake pedal travel and increasing the risk of a crash. DOT 3 brake fluid is a conventional, glycol-ether-based hydraulic fluid used to transfer force from the brake pedal to a vehicle's brakes. No visual or audible warning was presented to the driver in this scenario. The MY 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is equipped with a different brake apply system in which the traditional hydraulic (friction) brakes are blended with the hybrid regenerative brake system. In this system, the brake master cylinder is electrically activated and provides force feedback through the brake pedal to the driver. Unlike the recalled models, Petitioner’s 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid would not experience the same defect, as a stuck-open normally closed valve within its ABS HCU does not result in increased brake pedal travel. This condition is further supported by the relative complaint rates in the two populations: ODI found the complaint rate of the recalled MY 2010 Fusion vehicles was six times higher than that of the subject MY 2010 Fusion Hybrid vehicles, which supports a significant difference in the design and performance of the brake system and components. As the Petitioner stated, most of the subject hybrid vehicle VOQs cited an illuminated ABS MIL. The vehicles in 19V904 did not present the driver with an illuminated MIL or associated diagnostic trouble code (DTC). Since the MY 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid presented with a brake MIL, the failure mode differs from that of the non-hybrid population, which did not trigger an illuminated warning light. Additionally, given the age of the subject vehicles (MY 2010), the low complaint volume is consistent with expected wear and tear rather than an actionable safety defect trend. For the above reasons, ODI is denying this Defect Petition as it has not found an unreasonable risk to highway safety. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
A Defect Petition is a petition from a member of the public asking NHTSA to open a defect investigation; the agency grants or denies it and publishes the reasons. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the resumes carrying the full reasoning are linked below.
The paperwork NHTSA filed
Source: every document on this action, at nhtsa.gov- Opening resume — ODI’s own summary of why it opened this — the subject, what prompted it, and the vehicles in scope.
- Closing resume — ODI’s own summary of why it closed this, and what it concluded.
| Document | Code | Filed | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening resume | INOA | 2026 | |
| Closing resume | INCLA | 2026 | |
| Filed document | INOV | 2026 | |
| Filed document | INDA | 2026 | |
| Filed document | INCV | 2026 | |
| Filed document | INFD | 2026 |
These are NHTSA’s own files, served from the agency’s site — the resumes are what ODI wrote when it opened and closed the action, and the rest is the correspondence behind them, including what the manufacturer sent when the agency asked. They are linked, not copied: where a document names the people who wrote in, that redaction is the agency’s to make and its copy is the one you should read.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one closed without a recall. That means NHTSA found no defect trend it chose to act on at the time, or the manufacturer addressed the condition another way (a service campaign or a bulletin, which have their own pages). A closed file can be reopened if new reports arrive.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2010 Ford Fusion; 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs DP26004 a recall?
No. A defect petition is NHTSA asking questions, not a recall. A safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number and a duty to repair for free; this one closed without one. Whether one particular vehicle has an open recall is a VIN question at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Is DP26004 still open?
No. It closed on Oct 23, 2026 without a recall.
Which vehicles does DP26004 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 2 model years: 2010 Ford Fusion, 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.