Ford Recalls 41,748 Expeditions and Super Duty Trucks Because LED Headlights Can Go
A contaminated LED chip from a sub-supplier can knock out low beams, high beams, or running lights — and Ford is only recalling vehicles that are unsold or under four months old.
Ford is recalling 41,748 of its newest large SUVs and heavy-duty pickups because a contaminated LED chip inside the headlight assembly can make the lights dim or go out. The campaign covers 13,298 Expeditions from the 2025–2027 model years and 28,450 Super Duty trucks from the 2026 model year: 17,512 F-250s, 10,295 F-350s, 523 F-450s, and 120 F-550s.
The recall is unusual in what it leaves out. Ford's safety recall report to NHTSA includes only vehicles from the suspect build window that were unsold, or had been in service for less than four months, as of September 15. Ford's reasoning is that the defect shows up very early in a vehicle's life, so trucks that have run longer without trouble aren't expected to develop it. That puts dealer lots squarely in scope, which matters if you're shopping the truck covered in our Silverado HD vs. Super Duty comparison.
What can fail
It depends on the model and the headlight type. On Super Duty trucks, the daytime running lights and parking lights can dim or stop working on versions with either LED reflector or LED projector headlights, and the low and high beams can fail on trucks with LED reflector units. On the Expedition, the filing lists only the low and high beams on vehicles with LED reflector headlights.
Either way, the vehicles fall short of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108, the federal lighting rule, and less light means the driver sees less and is harder for others to see. A dashboard warning comes on if the low or high beams quit; the filing describes no warning for the running or parking lights. Ford isn't telling owners to stop driving or park outside.
How a chip three suppliers down became a recall
The headlights come from Flex-N-Gate, Ford's Tier 1 lighting supplier, but the problem started further down the chain. According to the chronology in Ford's filing, warranty claims for inoperative LED headlights on 2026 Super Duty trucks reached the company's Critical Concern Review Group on May 21. Investigators traced the contamination to the factory of a Tier 3 chip supplier, which Ford doesn't name.
In July and August, Ford used warranty returns and shipping records to set a suspect build window at Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, which builds every Super Duty alongside the Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. Chip traceability data from Flex-N-Gate narrowed it in September. The window runs from June 24, 2025, to July 2, 2026, for the Expedition and from August 4, 2025, to August 4, 2026, for the Super Duty. The Navigator isn't part of the recall.
The field data behind it is thin. As of September 10, Ford counted six warranty claims and six field reports on six vehicles, and it says it isn't aware of any crashes or injuries. Ford estimates about 1% of the recalled vehicles actually have the defect, which works out to roughly 400 trucks and SUVs by our math.
What owners should expect
Dealers will inspect both headlight assemblies and replace any that fail, free of charge. Ford notes the vehicles weren't built in VIN order, so the only reliable check is by individual VIN. NHTSA's lookup will return results for this campaign starting October 26; until then, owners can call Ford at 1-866-436-7332 or ask a Ford or Lincoln dealer. Ford's recall number is 26C43, and NHTSA's is 26V606.
The timing isn't fully settled. Ford's filing says dealers will be notified October 26–30 and owner letters will go out November 6–13, while NHTSA's recall summary says letters are expected October 26. We're going with the filing, but the date could still move.
Several things remain unclear. Ford had about 19,600 Expeditions in US dealer stock at the end of September, according to its third-quarter sales report, but it hasn't said how many recalled vehicles are still unsold. The filing lists mid-series Expedition headlights and mid- and high-series Super Duty units without saying which trims use them, and it doesn't address parts supply.
Ford filed this campaign on September 22, the same day as a separate recall of 11,405 2026 Rangers whose center screen can go dark and take the backup camera image with it. NHTSA now lists six recalls for the 2026 F-250 Super Duty, this one included, and two for the 2026 Expedition. The next milestone is the VIN lookup going live on October 26.
