Ford Recalls 177,000 Mustangs, Explorers and Lincolns Over Three Defects

Ford Motor Company has filed three separate recalls covering more than 177,000 vehicles, touching everything from windshield wipers that quit working in cold weather to a pedestrian warning system that can fail to make any sound at all. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed the recalls this month, and the range of problems means Mustang, Mustang Mach-E, Lincoln Nautilus Hybrid and Explorer Hybrid owners all need to check whether their vehicle is on the list.

Mustang Wipers That Freeze Up in Cold Weather

The largest single group affects 67,842 Mustang and Mustang GTD vehicles from the 2024 through 2026 model years. NHTSA says the windshield wiper and washer system can malfunction in cold temperatures. When it fails, the wipers can run only on their high-speed setting, with no way to slow them down, while the washer fluid system can stop working entirely. A driver caught in freezing rain or road spray with washer fluid that will not spray and wipers stuck on high speed loses a meaningful amount of control over visibility at the exact moment clear vision counts most.

Ford’s recall notice, filed under NHTSA number 26V418000, says dealers will make the necessary repairs at no cost. Letters are expected to reach owners this month.

Mach-E Pinion Shafts That Can Fracture

A second, separate recall covers 42,784 Mustang Mach-E electric vehicles from the 2021 through 2023 model years. This one involves the pinion shaft, a driveline component that can develop a fracture. If it breaks, the vehicle can lose drive power while being driven, or, more alarming, a parked Mach-E can roll if the parking brake was not engaged before the driver stepped out. NHTSA’s recall number for this defect is 26V417000. Ford will cover the repair cost at any dealership.

Lincoln and Explorer Hybrids That Cannot Warn Pedestrians

The third recall is the one most likely to affect people outside the vehicle rather than inside it. It covers 66,383 Lincoln Nautilus Hybrid models from 2024 through 2027 and Explorer Hybrid models from 2025 through 2027. These vehicles use a required pedestrian warning system that plays an audible sound when the vehicle is moving slowly in electric mode, as hybrids and EVs can be nearly silent at low speed and give pedestrians no engine noise to listen for. Ford’s filing, recall number 26V415000, says a software error can prevent that warning sound from playing at speeds below roughly 19 miles per hour.

This is not a new problem for Ford. The company issued a recall for the same defect on the same vehicles in 2025. This expanded recall follows a fix that did not solve the problem. Dealers will begin sending owner communications on August 3, and Ford will replace the digital signal processing module, which controls the warning sound, free of charge once the remedy parts are available.

The pedestrian warning requirement traces back to a federal rule that took effect in 2020, mandating that hybrid and electric vehicles emit an audible alert at low speeds specifically to protect pedestrians, cyclists and people who are blind or have low vision, all of whom rely on engine sound to know a vehicle is approaching. A malfunction that silences that alert defeats the entire purpose of the regulation, which is why NHTSA treats it as a genuine safety defect rather than a comfort feature.

Part of a Bigger Pattern for Ford This Year

These three recalls do not stand alone. In late June, Ford recalled more than 741,000 trucks and SUVs, including F-150 models, after finding a defect in the vehicles’ park system that could allow them to roll away even when shifted into Park. Combined with this month’s three notices, Ford has now issued recall paperwork covering well over 900,000 vehicles in barely two weeks, spanning gasoline Mustangs, an electric SUV, two hybrid models and full-size trucks.

Ford has not said publicly whether the wiper, pinion shaft and pedestrian warning defects share a common root cause with each other or with the rollaway recall. NHTSA’s public filings treat them as four independent issues, each tied to different components supplied and assembled at different points in the manufacturing process.

How To Check If Your Vehicle Is Affected

Every recall in this batch is free to fix, and none require the original factory warranty to still be active. The fastest way to find out if a specific vehicle is included is to enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, which pulls directly from the same database automakers use to file these notices. Owners can also call the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236, or contact a Ford or Lincoln dealer directly with the VIN in hand.

Mustang and Mustang GTD owners in colder climates should be especially attentive: the wiper defect is specifically tied to cold temperature operation and is likely to surface first in the next stretch of freezing rain or snow. Mach-E owners should make a point of fully engaging the parking brake every time they park, regardless of whether Ford has confirmed the vehicle is affected. A fractured pinion shaft on a parked vehicle can cause a rollaway with no driver inside to react.

For Nautilus Hybrid and Explorer Hybrid owners, there is no way to visually confirm whether the pedestrian warning sound is working correctly without testing it in a controlled setting, given the intermittent nature of the failure. Owners who want peace of mind sooner rather than waiting for the August 3 dealer communications can call ahead and ask whether their local service department already has a diagnostic procedure in place.

Ford has not announced a production pause tied to any of the three defects, meaning new Mustangs, Mach-Es and hybrid Explorers and Nautiluses continue rolling off the line while the fixes for existing vehicles are worked out.

How This Fits Into Ford’s Recall Year

Ford has now filed 36 separate NHTSA recall campaigns in 2026, covering an estimated 9.8 million vehicles industry-wide when older recalls with rolling repair programs are included in the count. Nationally, NHTSA has logged more than 300 vehicle recalls from over 100 manufacturers so far this year, and two Ford campaigns in 2026 have carried the agency’s most serious “do not drive” designation, reserved for defects severe enough that owners are told not to operate the vehicle at all until it is repaired. None of the three recalls covered here, the Mustang wipers, the Mach-E pinion shaft or the Nautilus and Explorer pedestrian alert, carry that do-not-drive label, meaning Ford and NHTSA classify all three as safe to keep driving while awaiting the free repair, unlike the small number of Ford recalls this year serious enough to ground a vehicle entirely.

That distinction is worth knowing for owners deciding how urgently to act. A do-not-drive recall requires a vehicle to be towed or otherwise kept off the road immediately. These three recalls, while still classified as safety defects requiring free repair, do not carry that same immediate restriction, so owners can continue normal use while scheduling service, provided they follow the specific precautions tied to each defect, above all keeping the parking brake engaged on affected Mach-E models.

Sources:

• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ford-recall-wiper-pinion-shaft-pedestrian-warning-mustang-lincoln-nautilus-explorer/
• https://fordauthority.com/2026/07/2024-2027-ford-explorer-lincoln-nautilus-recalled-over-pedestrian-alert-sound/
• https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls