Click to enlarge.
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is recalling ~16,000 model-year 2025 Transit vehicles. The brake pedal may disconnect from the brake booster pushrod, causing a loss of brake function.
“Certain vehicles may have been built without the cotter pin that secures the brake booster pushrod to the brake pedal, which can cause the brake booster pushrod to separate from the brake pedal. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 105 Hydraulic and electric brake systems, section S5.6 Brake system integrity,” Ford said in the mandatory safety defect recall filing made public this morning by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today.
“The cotter pin was not installed on the brake boost assembly at the vehicle assembly plant and a subsequent operation to install a redundant retainer clip did not identify the missing cotter pin,” Ford said.
Transit owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the safety defect remedy has been completed. Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge as required by Federal safety regulations. Owner notification letters were mailed 24 February 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 26C07. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on 18 February 2026.
Chronology
- On December 11, 2025, the manufacturing team at Kansas City Assembly Plant introduced a topic pertaining to a missing brake booster pushrod cotter pin on a 2025 model year (MY) Ford Transit vehicle to Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG) for review. The CCRG reviewed a warranty report in which the owner of a 2025 MY Transit described warning lights coming on the dash. The dealer technician inspected the brake pedal assembly, found that the cotter pin that holds the brake pedal push rod onto the pedal was missing, and installed the cotter pin and redundant retainer clip.
- On January 5, 2026, an extended record search identified a total of three reports describing the missing cotter pin and retainer clip on 2025 MY Transit vehicles. While the root cause remains under investigation, the CCRG investigation indicates that the brake booster cotter pin and the redundant clip may not have been installed during the assembly process. The recall population was determined based on production records during a specific window of assembly process variability at the Kansas City Assembly Plant.
- This concern affects the ability of the customer to stop the vehicle by applying the brake pedal. The CCRG reviewed Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 105, Hydraulic and electric brake systems, specifically Section S5.6, Brake system integrity. If the brake booster pushrod disconnects from the brake pedal, this affects compliance with section S5.6 of FMVSS 105, which requires that all mechanical components of the braking system shall be intact and functional.
- As of January 20, 2026, Ford is aware of three warranty reports and two field reports related to this concern, received from April 4, 2025, through December 20, 2025, representing three unique VINs.
- On February 10, 2026, Ford´s Field Review Committee reviewed the concern and approved a field action. Ford is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this condition.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Ford Transit Brake Failure Recall
Click to enlarge.
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is recalling ~16,000 model-year 2025 Transit vehicles. The brake pedal may disconnect from the brake booster pushrod, causing a loss of brake function.
“Certain vehicles may have been built without the cotter pin that secures the brake booster pushrod to the brake pedal, which can cause the brake booster pushrod to separate from the brake pedal. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 105 Hydraulic and electric brake systems, section S5.6 Brake system integrity,” Ford said in the mandatory safety defect recall filing made public this morning by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today.
“The cotter pin was not installed on the brake boost assembly at the vehicle assembly plant and a subsequent operation to install a redundant retainer clip did not identify the missing cotter pin,” Ford said.
Transit owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the safety defect remedy has been completed. Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge as required by Federal safety regulations. Owner notification letters were mailed 24 February 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 26C07. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on 18 February 2026.
Chronology
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.