Vehicle rollaways continue to plague Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) vehicles according to the latest safety defect recall filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. More than 740,00 vehicles have a software problem whereby the transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is in motion, severely damaging the park system. Affected vehicles were built from 8 January 2020, to 8 October 2021. All are equipped with the so-called with park-by-wire system and 10R80 automatic transmissions.*
“In the event of transmission park system damage, the ability of the transmission park feature to hold the vehicle if the parking brake is not applied may be affected. Unintended movement in Park increases the risk of a crash or injury,” Ford said in the mandatory safety defect recall filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, and inspect and replace any damaged transmission components as necessary, free of charge as required by U.S. safety regulations. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are not expected to be mailed until 3 August 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, expected almost one year from now in April 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 26S48. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall are searchable on NHTSA.gov. [NHTSA Ford Motor recall 26V402 or 26V-402 – AutoCrat.]
Affected Ford Motor Rollaway Vehicles
- 2021 model year Ford F-150.
- 2020-2021 Lincoln Aviator.
- 2020-2021 Ford Explorer.
- 2018-2021 Lincoln Navigator.
- 2018-2021 Ford Expedition.
Assembly Plants
- Dearborn Truck.
- Kansas City.
- Kentucky Truck.
- Hongzhou.
- Chicago SHO.
*AutoInformed on
Chronology
- On April 6, 2026, NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) contacted Ford regarding eleven (11) Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) on nine (9) vehicles reporting vehicle moves after shifting to Park, unable to shift into Park, vehicle stuck in Park, or vehicle moves with brake applied on 2020 Model Year (MY) Explorer and Aviator vehicles.
- On April 14, 2026, Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG) opened an investigation into this concern. The CCRG reviewed connected vehicle data, Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), and warranty claims for the 9 vehicles associated with the VOQs and determined that 8 of the vehicles’ symptoms could relate to transmission park system damage. The CCRG previously investigated warranty claims citing park system damage on 2020 MY Ford Explorer from February 2022 – March 2022. This investigation was closed with the issue assessed as not an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety based on the determination that in the event of park pawl damage, electric parking brake apply strategies would prevent unintended vehicle movement and customers would be provided notification in the instrument panel cluster.
- Through April and May 2026, the CCRG reviewed warranty claims and field data for Explorer and Aviator vehicles and identified additional reports citing vehicle movement in Park and containing Diagnostic Trouble Codes indicative of park system damage. This review identified some reports addressing a condition resulting from the vehicle’s transmission valve body separator plate limiting flow to the park valve causing temporary park pawl engagement when certain shifts are commanded. The investigation team reviewed production records and determined which vehicles utilized the separator plate design with the potential for reduced flow to establish a suspect population. The CCRG’s investigation determined that while all affected vehicles have “roll away detection,” which will automatically apply the EPB if vehicle movement is detected while the vehicle is in Park, the vehicle’s Powertrain Control Module (PCM) may not be awake in some instances after the vehicle has been powered down after a period of time and unable to detect movement.
- As of May 20, 2026, Ford has identified 220 Ford reports in North America and 10 VOQs on 2020-2021 MY Explorer and Aviator vehicles, 62 Ford reports in North America and 3 VOQs on 2018-2021 MY Expedition Navigator vehicles potentially related to vehicle movement in Park on vehicles equipped with transmissions built using the original separator plate design.
- On June 16, 2026, Ford’s Field Review Committee reviewed the concern and approved a field action. Ford is aware of 24 allegations of property damage and 9 alleged injuries (2 of these are allegations of emotional injuries) related to this issue.
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.
More Ford Motor Recalls for Rollaways ~740,000 Affected
Vehicle rollaways continue to plague Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) vehicles according to the latest safety defect recall filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. More than 740,00 vehicles have a software problem whereby the transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is in motion, severely damaging the park system. Affected vehicles were built from 8 January 2020, to 8 October 2021. All are equipped with the so-called with park-by-wire system and 10R80 automatic transmissions.*
“In the event of transmission park system damage, the ability of the transmission park feature to hold the vehicle if the parking brake is not applied may be affected. Unintended movement in Park increases the risk of a crash or injury,” Ford said in the mandatory safety defect recall filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, and inspect and replace any damaged transmission components as necessary, free of charge as required by U.S. safety regulations. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are not expected to be mailed until 3 August 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, expected almost one year from now in April 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 26S48. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall are searchable on NHTSA.gov. [NHTSA Ford Motor recall 26V402 or 26V-402 – AutoCrat.]
Affected Ford Motor Rollaway Vehicles
Assembly Plants
*AutoInformed on
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.