Home › Ford › Explorer › 26V121000
Ford Explorer headlight turns wrong way in curves
medium How serious is it? About this label
A headlight that turns the wrong way can put extra glare on other road users, increasing the risk of a crash. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.
Key facts
| NHTSA campaign number | 26V121000 |
|---|---|
| Reported to NHTSA | Mar 3, 2026 |
| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
| Part affected | Exterior Lighting:headlights |
| Vehicles covered | 1 model/year combination, model years 2025 |
| Do-not-drive advisory | No |
| Park-outside advisory | No |
| Repair | Free at any franchised dealer |
What's wrong, in plain English
Ford is recalling certain 2025 and 2026 Explorer vehicles. Software for the system that turns the headlights as the vehicle goes through curves can point the passenger-side headlight in the wrong direction. Because of this, the vehicles do not meet the federal safety standard covering lamps, reflective devices and related equipment. A dealer can update the headlight control module software, or the update can be sent to the vehicle over the air.
What you should do
2. Contact a Ford dealer, or Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 (Ford recall number 26C12), to arrange the software update or to ask about the over-the-air update.
3. The update is free of charge.
Where do I find my VIN, and what do I tell the dealer?
Your VIN is the 17-character code on the lower left of the windshield, on your registration and usually on your insurance card. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether this recall is still open on your car. When you call the dealer, say you have an open safety recall and give them NHTSA campaign number 26V121000. More in how recalls work.
Affected vehicles (1)
Who to contact
Ford — official Ford recall lookup
Customer service: 1-866-436-7332
The bigger picture
- Ford Exterior Lighting Recalls Involve False Brake Signals and Failures · all 27 Ford recalls in this area
Other Ford Explorer recalls
- Jul 21, 2026Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator Seats May Reclinemedium
- Jul 14, 2026Ford Explorer Roof Rail Covers May Detachhigh
- Jul 14, 2026Ford, Lincoln Second-Row Seats May Shift Unexpectedlyhigh
- Jun 24, 2026Ford, Lincoln SUVs: Transmission Park System May Failhigh
- Jun 9, 2026Ford Explorer Park System May Fail, Rollaway Riskhigh
- May 27, 2026Ford Explorer Engine May Fail Suddenlyhigh
Official notice
- Component
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
- Summary
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 Explorer vehicles. The Dynamic Bending Light (DBL) system software may cause the passenger-side headlight to turn in the wrong direction when driving through curves in the road. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Safety risk
- A headlight that turns incorrectly can result in increased glare to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- The headlight control module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 23, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C12. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 5, 2026.
Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.