Sunita Somvanshi
Karmactive Team
The Ford Maverick Bronco Sport recall 2026 comes with one of the strongest warnings Ford can issue — do not drive the vehicle until it has been inspected.
The recall covers 2,357 units of the 2022-2026 Ford Maverick and 2,296 units of the 2021-2026 Ford Bronco Sport, a total of 4,653 vehicles. NHTSA assigned it campaign number 26V340, and Ford’s internal recall number is 26S36.
The problem is in the front suspension. The front lower control arm ball joint — the mechanical connector that links the wheel to the vehicle’s frame — may have been incorrectly installed or improperly repaired at the assembly plant. If that connection fails while the vehicle is moving, the wheel can disconnect from the frame entirely, causing sudden and complete loss of steering control.
That is why Ford and NHTSA issued a “Do Not Drive” advisory rather than a standard recall. This designation is reserved for defects that pose an immediate crash risk while the vehicle is in motion. Owners are told to park the vehicle and contact their dealer before driving it anywhere.
Ford says it is not aware of any crashes or injuries connected to this defect. The recall was internally approved on May 19, 2026. Interim notification letters were mailed to affected owners beginning June 4, 2026. A follow-up mailing will go out once the final repair remedy is ready. Owners who had front lower control arm work done at their own expense before June 19, 2026 may be eligible for reimbursement from Ford.
Affected vehicles were built across a wide window: Bronco Sports produced between March 11, 2020, and April 28, 2026, and Mavericks built between March 5, 2021, and March 25, 2026. Not all vehicles from those production periods are affected — only a subset where the ball joint assembly was done incorrectly.
To find out if your vehicle is in the recall, enter your VIN on NHTSA.gov under recall number 26V-340, or use Ford’s official recall page under recall number 26S36. The inspection and repair are free of charge at authorized Ford dealers.
The Maverick and Bronco Sport are among Ford’s most popular current models, and this is not the first safety recall involving them. In 2024, Ford recalled 272,817 Bronco Sport and Maverick vehicles over battery failures that caused sudden loss of drive power. A separate Ford brake recall earlier in 2026 also flagged safety issues across other Ford models.
If you own either model and have not received a letter, checking your VIN takes under two minutes.
