Ford Recalls 41,748 Super Duty Trucks and Expeditions: Contaminated LED Chips Can Dim or Kill the Headlights
Ford Motor Company is recalling 41,748 pickups and full-size SUVs in the United States: 28,450 of its 2026 F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 Super Duty trucks, and 13,298 of its 2025-2027 Expedition SUVs. Inside the headlamp assemblies of these vehicles, a contaminant sits beneath the LED chips, and the daytime running lights, parking lamps and even the low and high beams can dim or go dark. Ford filed its recall report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on September 22, owner notification letters begin mailing November 6, and dealers will inspect both headlamps free of charge and replace any that fail the inspection.
By model, the Super Duty count is led by the F-250 SD at 17,512 vehicles, followed by the F-350 SD at 10,295, the F-450 SD at 523 and the F-550 SD at 120, built from August 4, 2025 through August 4, 2026; the 13,298 Expeditions were built from June 24, 2025 through July 2, 2026. Ford limited the recall to vehicles that, as of September 15, 2026, had not yet been sold or had been in service for less than four months, because the contamination shows up early in a vehicle's life. Ford estimates that about 1 percent of the recalled vehicles actually carry the defect.
Symptoms depend on the lamp type. On Super Duty trucks with LED reflector or projector headlamps, the daytime running lights and parking lamps can dim or fail; on Super Duty trucks with LED reflector headlamps, the low and high beams can also fail. The Expedition, which uses LED reflector headlamps, can see its low and high beams dim or fail. The condition does not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108 on lighting. Failed exterior lighting reduces the driver's visibility and makes the vehicle harder for others to see, raising the risk of a crash; if a low or high beam fails, a telltale on the instrument panel lights up to alert the driver.
The contamination came from upstream in the supply chain. The headlamp assemblies are built by tier-one supplier Flex N Gate at its plant in Effingham, Illinois, and the LED chips were exposed to the contaminant at the chip supplier's factory. Ford brought the issue to its internal critical-concern review group on May 21, 2026, traced the source of the contamination in May and June, and defined the affected population in July and August. Through September 10, Ford had received six warranty claims and six field reports covering six vehicles, and the company says it is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue. Ford's Field Review Committee approved the recall on September 15; Ford's internal number for the campaign is 26C43, and the NHTSA campaign number is 26V606.
The remedy is set. Owners who receive the letter take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer, where technicians inspect both the left and right headlamp assemblies; vehicles that pass need nothing further, and vehicles that fail get new headlamps built with uncontaminated parts, free of charge. Dealers were notified from October 26 through October 30, owners have been able to check their vehicle identification number (VIN) on the NHTSA website since October 26, and owner letters are scheduled to mail between November 6 and November 13. Owners with questions can call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. (Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：一辆福特F-250 Super Duty皮卡（资料图），车头大灯清晰可见；本次召回涉及2026款Super Duty皮卡与2025至2027款Expedition。摄影：Bull-Doser，Wikimedia Commons，公共领域。 / Photo: A Ford F-250 Super Duty pickup (file photo) with its headlamps in clear view; the recall covers 2026 Super Duty trucks and 2025-2027 Expeditions. Photo by Bull-Doser via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
