- Vehicles
- 278
- Built between
- Feb 2026 – Feb 2026
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 10 April 2026
- Repaired
- 77%
- Unrepaired
- 64
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between February 2026 and February 2026. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2026 Ford ExplorerBuilt February 2026 to February 2026
- 2026 Ford MustangBuilt February 2026 to February 2026
Repair progress
64 of 278 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q2 2026.
77% repaired — 213 of 278 reported
- Owners not reachable
- 1
Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.
What the defect is
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer and Mustang vehicles. The engine piston circlips may have been incorrectly installed during manufacturing, which can result in piston failure and engine damage, leading to a loss of drive power.
What could happen
An unexpected loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
Dealers will inspect the engine for missing or mis-installed circlips and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 10, 2026.
Parts involved
- Long BlockPB5E-6006-AAEngine's Long Block - Explorer 2.3L RWD
- Long BlockPR3E-6006-BAEngine's Long Block - Mustang 2.3L
Part numbers are as filed by the manufacturer and are listed for reference. Your dealer will confirm the correct part for your vehicle.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtFebruary 2026 to February 2026
- Recall reported to NHTSA31 March 2026
- Owners notified10 April 2026
- Latest repair reportQ2 2026 — 77% repaired
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 31 March 2026.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S23. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 2, 2026.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- 26S23
- Recalling manufacturer
- Ford Motor Company
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.