Ford has another batch of recalls to deal with, and one of them involves a component you definitely don’t want separating from your truck while driving. Nearly a quarter-million F-150s are being called back because their fuel tanks may not be properly secured.
The problem could allow the tank to leak or, in extreme circumstances, detach from the truck entirely. Either outcome brings obvious safety concerns, ranging from an engine stall and increased fire risk to creating a substantial hazard for traffic behind the vehicle.
That isn’t Ford’s only new recall. Three additional campaigns cover problems involving Transit seatbelt reminders and a small number of F-150s with rear axle and suspension defects.
Altogether, the four recalls cover roughly 225,000 vehicles, although the overwhelming majority are included in the fuel-tank campaign. Fortunately, Ford says it isn’t aware of any crashes or injuries connected with the largest recall.
Nearly 224,000 F-150s Have A Fuel Tank Problem
The biggest campaign covers 223,472 Ford F-150s from the 2023 through 2027 model years. According to Ford’s filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, affected trucks may have front fuel-tank straps that weren’t correctly inserted into the frame rail during assembly.
Ford began investigating the issue in July and had identified 16 related warranty claims worldwide by August 27. The automaker estimates that approximately one percent of the recalled trucks actually contain the defect.
Dealers will inspect the fuel-tank straps and replace them when necessary at no cost to owners. Ford plans to send notification letters between September 21 and 28, and the campaign is identified internally as 26S69 and by NHTSA as 26V578.
Some F-150s Could Have Their Rear Wheels Lock Up
A second F-150 recall is far smaller but involves another potentially serious problem. Just 37 trucks from the 2026 model year equipped with the Max Tow package may have received an incorrect rear axle tail bearing.
Those trucks should have a 9.75-inch bearing but may instead contain an undersized 8.8-inch component. Ford and NHTSA warn that the incorrect bearing could eventually seize, potentially locking the rear wheels or allowing the driveshaft to separate.
Dealers will replace the incorrect component with the proper 9.75-inch bearing. Ford identifies this campaign as 26S63.
Seventeen Raptors Have Loose-Fastener Concerns
Ford is also recalling 17 examples of the 2026 F-150 Raptor because the fasteners securing the Panhard rod may not have been tightened correctly. If the rod moves out of position, Ford says it could potentially result in a loss of vehicle control.
The issue was traced to an error-proofing device being placed in bypass mode during production, leaving Ford without torque data for certain vehicles. Dealers will install new fasteners and tighten them to the correct specification under recall 26S66.
Transit Vans Have A Seatbelt Reminder Issue
The final campaign affects 1,945 Ford Transit vans from the 2026 and 2027 model years. Their wireless seatbelt reminder systems may fail to correctly indicate when rear passengers aren’t buckled.
Ford traced the problem to an end-of-line testing process that could place the system into what the automaker describes as a permanent error state. Dealers will eventually inspect the rear seat belts and replace buckles where necessary, although a remedy isn’t currently available and affected unsold vehicles are subject to a delivery hold.
The sheer number of F-150s involved makes the fuel-tank issue the headline concern here. Owners of potentially affected trucks can check their VIN through NHTSA or Ford’s recall lookup system rather than waiting for a notification letter to arrive. All in all, this is a bad look for a company that’s been bragging about being named best in initial quality by JD Power.