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Federal filingsHome›Recalls› 26V340000
NHTSA campaign 26V340000 · manufacturer recall 26S36

2021–2026 Ford Bronco Sport and 1 other Ford model: suspension recall

A detached control arm can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

critical Do not drive 4,653 vehicles affected 85% reported repaired

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
Problem Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Bronco Sport and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles. The front lower control arm ball joints may have been incorrectly installed or incorrectly repaired at the vehicle assembly plant, allowing the control arm to disconnect from the front wheel knuckle. Risk A detached control arm can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and repair the front lower control arm ball joints as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S36. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 29, 2026.

Reported to NHTSA May 27, 2026 by Ford Motor Company, owners notified Sep 2, 2026.

The fix, from the dealer bulletin

Source: NHTSA remedy instructions and dealer notice
Stop-sale Not stated in the dealer documents
Remedy No availability line in the dealer notice
Owners told Do not drive

The remedy, in the manufacturer’s words: To assist vehicle owners to have this repair completed, dealers should: • Proactively contact owners to instruct them to stop driving their vehicle.

Read from NHTSA’s copy of the manufacturer’s dealer documents (manufacturer campaign 26S36). The procedure itself is in the bulletin; a franchised dealer has the current copy on the manufacturer’s portal, and that copy governs. Working a lot or a fleet? Recall Watch carries this line on every VIN it checks: remedy status, hours, stop-sale.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 26V340000

Vehicles built Mar 11, 2020 to Apr 28, 2026 — a VIN outside that window is not part of this campaign even if the year, make and model match.

Model yearClassSafety SignalRecalls on file
2021 Ford Bronco SportCompact SUVF16
2022 Ford Bronco SportCompact SUVF15
2023 Ford Bronco SportCompact SUVF14
2024 Ford Bronco SportCompact SUVF8
2025 Ford Bronco SportCompact SUVF7
2026 Ford Bronco SportCompact SUVF6
2022 Ford MaverickCompact Pickup truckF29
2023 Ford MaverickCompact Pickup truckF22
2024 Ford MaverickCompact Pickup truckF16
2025 Ford MaverickCompact Pickup truckF12
2026 Ford MaverickCompact Pickup truckF7

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 573.7
Reported repaired 85%

of 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.gov

Check one specific vehicle

A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. Type the VIN and the WhichTrim recall report checks this campaign’s build window and engine against it.

Campaign 26V340000 · the manufacturer calls it 26S36

Own one, or run a fleet? Recall Watch checks each VIN against every new NHTSA campaign and emails you when one lands, this one's expansions included. Or take a free one-line alert by model year.

A recall covers a build range. Only your VIN settles it.

Check it with the WhichTrim recall report now, or have us check it every night and email you when something new is filed.

Photo: Taiga Miyamoto / Unsplash

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

What does this advisory mean?

Do not drive means exactly that: the manufacturer is telling owners to stop driving the vehicle until the repair is done. These are the two most serious things NHTSA can attach to a campaign, and both mean the risk exists while the vehicle is switched off.

Is 26S36 the same recall as 26V340000?

Yes. 26S36 is the number Ford Motor Company uses for this campaign in its own paperwork and in the letter it sends owners. 26V340000 is the number NHTSA files it under. One recall, two references — dealers and service departments generally quote the manufacturer's.

Does 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 Mar 11, 2020 to Apr 28, 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.