Ford Motor Company has expanded a significant safety recall affecting hundreds of thousands of vehicles in the United States after regulators flagged a defect in the park engagement system that could lead to unintended vehicle rollaways.
The recall — officially identified as Recall No. 25C69 / NHTSA Campaign 25V863 — impacts approximately 272,645 vehicles, including select F-150 Lightning electric pickups, Mustang Mach-E electric SUVs, and Maverick hybrid pickups.
What’s Causing the Recall?
According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the recall stems from a potential failure in the integrated park module (IPM). This module may not engage the park gear effectively when drivers shift into “P,” meaning the vehicle could roll unexpectedly if the parking brake does not fully engage.
This condition violates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 114, which governs Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention.
Affected Model Years and Numbers
The vehicles include:
- 2022–2026 Ford F-150 Lightning BEV models
- 2024–2026 Mustang Mach-E EVs
- 2025–2026 Ford Maverick pickup trucks
Across all nameplates, the total affected tally is ~272,645 vehicles.
Fix and Timeline
Ford confirms that software updates will address the defect. These updates will be made available over-the-air (OTA) or at authorized dealerships at no cost to owners.
Owners can expect:
- Interim safety notice letters to begin mailing around February 2, 2026.
- A final software remedy rollout later in February 2026.
- VIN lookup availability on NHTSA’s database starting January 26, 2026.
Official Government/NHTSA Source
The NHTSA recall report, a primary government document, affirms the vehicle safety risk description and the recall’s scope.
What Ford’s Official Support Says
Owners seeking recall specifics can visit Ford’s official recall support page, where they can enter a VIN to check recall status directly:
👉 https://ford.com/support/how-tos/recall/recalls-and-faqs/is-there-a-recall-on-my-vehicle/ — recall lookup and owner instructions.
Ford states that recall work is free of charge, and vehicles identified under the recall should be scheduled for service at a Ford or Lincoln dealer.
Safety and Consumer Guidance
While Ford and NHTSA have not reported specific crash incidents linked to this park engagement issue, officials warn that a failure to engage park properly could increase the risk of vehicle rollaway and crashes — particularly on inclines or when the parking brake does not fully engage.
NHTSA encourages owners to:
- Apply the electronic parking brake until the software fix is applied
- Use the VIN lookup tool to verify recall status
- Contact customer service (Ford at 1-866-436-7332) for questions
Industry and Media Coverage
This recall has been widely covered across industry and local news outlets, with reports confirming the defect’s technical details, recall numbers, and manufacturer responses.
