RoadVitals

NHTSA safety recall

Recall 26V011000: EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:ENGINE BLOCK HEATER

Ford Motor Company · Reported to NHTSA Jan 15, 2026

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
Units potentially affectedThe manufacturer's own estimate of how many vehicles or items of equipment may contain the defect. It is not a count of failures, and not every unit in the range is necessarily affected.
116,672
Model years coveredModel years in our database that NHTSA matched to this campaign. Whether an individual vehicle is covered still depends on its VIN.
15
Models covered
3
Grouped from the model years above
Reported to NHTSA
Jan 15, 2026
Production Oct 7, 2011 – Aug 2, 2019

What this recall covers

NHTSA's campaign record, quoted as published

The defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Focus, 2013-2019 Escape, and 2015-2016 MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L engine. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

The risk

An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.

The remedy

Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 6, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S01. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 16, 2026.

A safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.

Campaign details

Identifiers and dates as filed with NHTSA

Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Manufacturer's campaign number
26S01
NHTSA campaign number
26V011000
Units potentially affected
116,672
Report received
Jan 15, 2026
Production range
Oct 7, 2011 – Aug 2, 2019
Campaign type
Vehicle
Federal safety standard (FMVSS)
Not recorded

Vehicles covered

15 model years across 3 models

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.