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Ford is recalling 223,472 F-150 pickups from model years 2023 to 2027 because a front fuel tank strap may not have been fully secured to the frame at the factory, so the tank may leak or come off while the truck is moving with no warning to the driver; the recall covers only trucks that were unsold or under three months in service on August 27, and the free dealer inspection is available now.

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Ford is recalling 223,472 F-150 pickups, model years 2023 to 2027, because a front fuel tank strap may not have been fully secured to the frame rail at the factory, so the fuel tank may leak or detach while the truck is being driven. Ford's filing lists no warning a driver would get. It estimates 1% of the trucks have the defect, and says it knows of 16 warranty claims worldwide and no crashes or injuries. The recall does not cover every F-150 built from January 4, 2023 to August 27, 2026: only trucks that were unsold or had less than three months in service on August 27, because Ford's field observations indicate the problem shows up early in a truck's life. Letters began going out September 21. The owner letter posted to NHTSA on September 27 says the remedy is available: a free dealer inspection, with straps replaced if needed, in less than half a day. Ford has not told owners to stop driving. Ford's refund plan for a strap repair an owner already paid for requires the original receipt and work done before September 28, 2026.

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If you bought a new Ford F-150 after late May, or are looking at one on a dealer's lot, check whether it is in this recall. A strap that holds the fuel tank to the frame may not have been fully secured at the factory. A loose tank may leak fuel, which could raise the risk of a fire or a stall, or come off and become a hazard to other drivers.

Ford is recalling 223,472 pickups from model years 2023 to 2027, 220,864 of them in the United States. The repair is free, and the owner letter posted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recall file on September 27 is headed "Remedy is Available".

Built in the window, but not all included

The trucks were built between January 4, 2023 and August 27, 2026. But Ford's safety report includes only those that were unsold or had "less than 3 months in service as of August 27, 2026", because what it has seen in the field indicates "the condition will manifest very early in the vehicle's lifetime."

Ford does not say how many trucks that rule left out. The trucks were not built in VIN order, so the way to know is to look yours up.

How it happened

In some instances, Ford says, the front strap's T-slots "were not properly inserted into the vehicle's frame rail" at assembly. The cameras that confirm the strap is seated "were not in continuous use at F-150 vehicle assembly plants" during parts of that period.

Ford counts 16 warranty claims worldwide related to the condition, received between June 25, 2018 and August 5, 2026, and knows of no crashes or injuries. It estimates 1% of the trucks have the defect. The report lists no warning a driver would get.

What to do

  • Check the VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls or with Ford's Recall Assistance Center, 1-866-436-7332, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern.
  • Book the inspection under Ford recall 26S69. Dealers check the front and rear straps and replace one or both if needed, free. The letter puts the job at less than half a day. Participating dealers may offer free pickup and delivery.
  • No stop-driving order. The letter says Ford "has not issued instructions to stop driving your vehicle" and asks owners to get the repair done "as soon as practicable".
  • Buying new? Ford has told dealers to inspect every new truck in the recall before a test drive or delivery. Its notice says a dealer that delivers one unrepaired could face a civil penalty of up to $27,168 per vehicle.
  • Leasing? Federal law gives your leasing company ten days to forward you the notice.

If you already paid for a strap repair

The recall still has to be done, but you may be eligible for a refund. Give the dealer your original receipt, or mail the request with the original (no photocopies) to Ford Motor Company, PO Box 6251, Dearborn, Michigan 48121-6251. Mailed requests can take up to 60 days.

Ford's reimbursement plan, attached to its dealer notice, adds two limits the letter leaves out. The repair must have been done before September 28, 2026; after that, a refund for an emergency repair at a non-Ford shop goes through a dealership. And costs incurred while Ford's warranty "would have provided for a free repair of the problem" are not eligible. The notice lists Ford's new-vehicle bumper-to-bumper warranty as 3 years or 36,000 miles, and every truck in this recall was unsold or under three months in service on August 27.

What the record does not say

  • How long, how often or why the assembly cameras were not in use, or whether they now run continuously. On when the condition was corrected in production, the report says "Not required per 49 Part 573."
  • Which trucks the 16 warranty claims came from, or whether any tank came off. The claim window opens in 2018, more than four years before the first recalled truck was built.
  • Why the refund cutoff is September 28, a week after letters began going out; Ford's general plan, reprinted in the notice, sets it at least ten calendar days after the last letter is mailed.

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