Do not drive Suspension

Ford recall 26V-340: Do Not Drive: Loss of Control from Control Arm Separation

Report received 5 months ago

A detached control arm can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Do not drive these vehicles

NHTSA lists a “do not drive” advisory for this campaign: owners are told not to drive the affected vehicles until the remedy has been completed.

Campaign facts

NHTSA campaign
26V340000 (26V-340)
Manufacturer number
26S36
Filed by
Ford Motor Company
Report received
May 27, 2026
Component
Suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint
Vehicles potentially affected
4,653
Model years
2021–2026
Built between
March 11, 2020 and April 28, 2026
Owner letters
September 2, 2026
Recall initiated by
The manufacturer
Remedy completion rate
84.66% (latest quarterly report)

What is wrong

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 Bronco Sport and 2022-2026 Maverick vehicles. The front lower control arm ball joints may have been incorrectly installed or incorrectly repaired at the vehicle assembly plant, allowing the control arm to disconnect from the front wheel knuckle.

The risk

A detached control arm can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Why suspension defects matter: Suspension failures tend to happen under load — in a turn, over a bump or while braking.

The remedy

Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and repair the front lower control arm ball joints as necessary, free of charge.Owner notification letters were mailed September 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S36. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on May 29, 2026.

About the suspension

Suspension campaigns cover control arms, ball joints, springs, shocks, stabilizer links and their mounting points.

Vehicles covered by campaign 26V-340

What to do

  1. The manufacturer has told owners not to drive these vehicles until the remedy is done. Ask the dealer about towing rather than driving in.
  2. Enter your VIN in NHTSA’s lookup (below) to confirm that your vehicle is included and that the repair has not already been done.
  3. Call a dealer for the brand and book the repair. Quote NHTSA campaign 26V-340 and the manufacturer’s number 26S36.
  4. Note any clunking, wandering or uneven tire wear and describe it when you book the repair.
  5. Safety recall repairs are carried out free of charge by the manufacturer’s dealers. If you already paid for this repair yourself, ask the manufacturer about reimbursement and keep your receipt.

Check by VIN

A campaign rarely covers every vehicle of a model year. Enter your 17-character VIN to find the recall campaigns filed for your make, model and model year. The VIN is on the driver’s side of the dashboard (visible through the windshield), on the door-jamb label, and on your registration and insurance documents.

Is a recall still open on your vehicle? Only NHTSA’s official VIN check can say whether a campaign applies to your exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been done.

Your VIN is decoded with NHTSA’s public vPIC service to identify the make, model and year. It is not stored and is not added to any page address.

The official record

This page reproduces the campaign as filed with NHTSA. The NHTSA record is authoritative — if anything here differs, follow the agency.

Open campaign 26V-340 on NHTSA.gov

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