Front fuel-tank straps that may never have locked into the frame have put 223,472 Ford F-150 pickups under a federal safety recall. The campaign covers 2023 through 2027 model-year trucks, and the risk it describes is blunt: the tank may leak fuel or come loose from the truck while it is moving.
Ford filed the defect report with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Sept. 9, 2026. The remedy is a dealer inspection, with new straps installed where needed, at no cost to the owner.
NHTSA’s record for recall campaign 26V578 files the problem under the fuel system’s tank-assembly mounting and states the consequence plainly: “A detached tank can create a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, a fuel leak can cause an engine stall or increase the risk of a fire.” Ford’s own number for the same action is 26S69.
A T-slot that missed the frame rail
The fault traces to the assembly line, not to a worn or broken part. In its Part 573 Safety Recall Report, the defect filing manufacturers submit to NHTSA, Ford wrote on Sept. 9, 2026 that “in some instances, front fuel tank strap T-slots were not properly inserted into the vehicle’s frame rail at the time of vehicle assembly.”
The straps hold the tank to the truck’s frame. Ford’s summary of the defect in the same filing is that “fuel tanks may become unsecured from the vehicle and detach while driving,” and NHTSA’s record adds the leak risk alongside it.
The same report explains why the problem spans more than three and a half years of production. Ford said affected trucks may have been assembled from Jan. 4, 2023, through Aug. 27, 2026, “when camera systems to verify proper fuel tank strap assembly were not in continuous use at F-150 vehicle assembly plants.” The filing does not name the plants.
What Ford knew, and when
Ford’s chronology in the filing starts on July 23, 2026, when the issue went to the company’s Critical Concern Review Group. Warranty data were reviewed through the summer, and Ford’s Field Review Committee approved the recall on Sept. 1, 2026.
The numbers behind the decision are small relative to the population. As of Aug. 27, 2026, Ford said it was aware of 16 warranty claims globally related to the condition, and it estimated that 1% of the 223,472 trucks actually have the defect. The recall still reaches every truck in the build window, since each one left the line during the period when the camera check was not in continuous use.
Ford also told regulators it “is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this condition.” One line in the filing matters to anyone who drives one of these trucks every day. Under the heading for warnings a driver might notice before a failure, Ford wrote: “None.”
Checking a truck and getting the repair
Because there is no reliable warning sign, the VIN check is the practical step. NHTSA said the affected VINs would be searchable on its site beginning Sept. 14, 2026, through the agency’s recall lookup tool, which also shows manufacturer recall information that may not yet be posted on NHTSA’s own pages.
Ford runs its own recall search by VIN, which states that “parts and service for a vehicle recall repair are free through your local Ford Dealer.” The 17-character VIN is on the driver’s-side door frame, at the lower driver’s-side corner of the windshield, and on registration papers, according to the same page.
The Part 573 filing says owners will be told by mail to take the truck to a Ford or Lincoln dealer “to have their fuel tank straps inspected and replaced if necessary,” and that “there will be no charge for this service.” Owners can also reach Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332, the number listed in NHTSA’s recall record.
Dealers were notified on Sept. 14, 2026. NHTSA’s summary says owner letters were expected to be mailed Sept. 21, 2026, and Ford’s report lists an owner-notification window running through Sept. 28, 2026, so the letters for this campaign should now be in the mail or already delivered.
Featured image: A 2024 Ford F-150 Lariat pickup. Image Credit: Deathpallie325 — CC BY 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Combat Rated editors prior to publication.