The problem can affect daytime running lights, parking lights, low beams and high beams, depending on the vehicle and headlamp configuration. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a loss of exterior lighting can reduce visibility for the driver or make the vehicle harder for other motorists to see, increasing the risk of a crash.
The recall follows an investigation that began after Ford reviewed warranty claims involving inoperative LED headlamps. Ford said it has identified six warranty claims and six field reports involving six individual vehicles. No crashes or injuries related to the defect had been reported as of September 10, 2026.
Contaminated LED Chips Can Cause Several Lighting Functions To Fail
The largest group covered by the recall consists of 17,512 Ford F-250 Super Duty trucks from the 2026 model year. Ford is also recalling 10,295 F-350s, 523 F-450s and 120 F-550s, all from the 2026 model year.
Another 13,298 Ford Expedition SUVs from the 2025 through 2027 model years are included. According to Ford’s safety recall report, the affected Super Duty vehicles were produced between August 4, 2025, and August 4, 2026. The affected Expeditions were produced between June 24, 2025, and July 2, 2026.
Ford traced the problem to contamination affecting LED chips used in some headlamp assemblies. The company said its investigation involved warranty-return data, supplier shipping records and LED-chip traceability information.
The issue was first brought to Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group on May 21, 2026, after warranty claims involving inoperative LED headlamps in 2026 Super Duty vehicles were identified. Investigators later traced the contamination to a Tier 3 chip supplier’s manufacturing facility.
Depending on configuration, Super Duty owners may experience diminished or inoperative daytime running lights and parking lights, as well as failures involving low or high beams. Expedition owners may experience diminished or inoperative low and high beams on vehicles equipped with LED reflector headlamps. A dashboard warning light will illuminate when customers experience an inoperative low-beam or high-beam headlamp, according to the federal recall report.
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Dealers Will Inspect Both Headlamp Assemblies and Replace Defective Units
Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect both the left- and right-hand headlamp assemblies on affected vehicles. If the inspection identifies a problem, the defective headlamp or headlamps will be replaced at no charge to the owner. Vehicles that pass the inspection will require no further work.
According to Ford’s filing with NHTSA, dealer notifications are scheduled to begin October 26, 2026, and continue through October 30. Vehicle identification numbers are also expected to become searchable on October 26.
Owner notification letters are scheduled to be mailed between November 6 and November 13, 2026. Owners can also contact Ford or a local Ford or Lincoln dealer to determine whether a specific vehicle is included in the recall. Ford’s Field Review Committee approved the recall action on September 15 after reviewing the investigation. The company said repaired vehicles will receive headlamp assemblies built without the contamination linked to the defect.
