2026 Ford and Lincoln: visibility recall
An inoperative windshield defrosting and defogging system may decrease the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
What was reported
Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573Reported to NHTSA Mar 31, 2026 by Ford Motor Company, owners notified Apr 10, 2026.
Which vehicles are covered
Source: NHTSA campaign 26V202000Vehicles built Oct 19, 2025 to Jan 12, 2026 — a VIN outside that window is not part of this campaign even if the year, make and model match.
| Model year | Class | Safety Signal | Recalls on file |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Ford Explorer | Large SUV | F | 14 |
| 2026 Lincoln Aviator | Large SUV | F | 6 |
Those are the model years inside WhichTrim's range, 2016 onward. The campaign may cover others outside it, and the only thing that settles whether one specific vehicle is included is its VIN.
How much of it has been fixed
Source: manufacturer quarterly report, 49 CFR 573.7of the campaign
One quarter into a six-quarter reporting window — early, and expected to climb.
This is the manufacturer's own cumulative count of vehicles it has inspected and repaired, divided by the vehicles the campaign covers. It files that count with NHTSA every quarter for six consecutive quarters, starting from the quarter in which owners were told a remedy was ready, and then the obligation ends — so a figure on an older campaign is where the count stopped, not where it stands today.
It rarely reaches 100%, and not because the work was not done. The same report asks manufacturers to count vehicles they could not reach at all — exported, stolen, scrapped, or simply never located — and those stay in the denominator. A low number means a lot of these vehicles are still out there unrepaired; it does not tell you which ones.
The federal paperwork
Source: nhtsa.govFiled documents
- Defect report PDF — The manufacturer's own filing to NHTSA describing the defect, the risk and the affected build range.
Check one specific vehicle
A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. NHTSA checks a VIN against the manufacturer's own list and tells you whether the repair is still outstanding on that vehicle.
NHTSA VIN recall lookup →Campaign 26V202000 · the manufacturer calls it 26S22
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573Does this recall repair cost anything?
No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.
How do I know whether my vehicle is included?
By VIN, not by model year. This campaign covers vehicles built Oct 19, 2025 to Jan 12, 2026. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.
What if the repair is not available yet?
It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. The remedy filed for this campaign is described above.
What did the manufacturer say was wrong?
The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.
Who started this recall?
NHTSA's record credits the manufacturer. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.