— More than 412,000 Ford Explorers are recalled because the rear suspension toe links may fracture.
The toe link recall includes 2017-2019 Ford Explorer SUVs that could suffer steering problems if the toe links break.
This recall is an expansion of a July 2021 recall of nearly 775,000 Ford Explorers worldwide for rear toe link problems.
According to Ford:
"Affected vehicles are equipped with cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) parts manufactured by SAF and rear suspension toe links that may fracture under certain loading conditions. This combination of CABJ and toe link was first used in production on May 16, 2017, and taken out of production on March 3, 2019."
Ford discovered during the 2021 recall the Explorer rear toe links showed evidence of corrosion in seized ball joints. The toe links were especially corroded in areas that used road salt.
Fast forward to January 2026 when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration contacted Ford about Explorers that lost directional control while in motion. Those complaints were about failed toe links on 2018 Explorers, vehicles not included in the 2021 recall.
A search showed 26 worldwide reports of fractured toe links on Explorers not included in the previous recall. However, engineers are still trying to determine why the toe links break.
Ford is aware of two incidents when Explorers hit guardrails or barriers when the rear suspension toe links fractured.
Ford Explorer toe link recall letters will be mailed between March 9 and March 13, 2026. Dealers will replace the rear toe links with stronger versions.
Ford Explorer owners may call 866-436-7332 and ask about Ford Explorer toe link recall number 26S08.