Campaign 26V-581

Active vent on the passenger side may not open as intended, preventing the air bag from deploying properly

Defect summary

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Explorer vehicles. The active vent on the passenger side may not open as intended, preventing the air bag from deploying properly.

Consequence

An air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the passenger air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S65. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 14, 2026.

Source: NHTSA ODI recalls file, campaign 26V581000. Text as published by NHTSA.

Vehicles covered

One product line is covered

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA about airbags on these vehicles: 1, of which 1 involved a crash, fire, injury or death. Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Vehicles covered by campaign 26V-581
Make	Model	Model years	Complaints on this component
Ford	Explorer	2026	1

Source: NHTSA ODI recalls and complaints files. Equipment, tire and child-seat campaigns list products, not vehicles.

Investigation

No NHTSA investigation is linked to this recall

Most recalls are started by the manufacturer. This one lists "Manufacturer" as its origin.

Before the recall

No service bulletins on this component preceded the recall

Distinct manufacturer communications on the same component group, make, model and model year in the 24 months before the report date.

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications file.

Service bulletins

26V-580 Sep 9, 2026
Mounting bracket on the right-hand-side side curtain air bag may have a metal burr that can tear the air bag during deployment
26V-201 Mar 31, 2026
Occupant Classification Sensor (OCS) unit may fail to correctly detect the presence of an adult or child in the front passenger seat
25V-678 Oct 9, 2025
Instrument panel top cover may prevent the passenger air bag from deploying as intended
25V-541 Aug 22, 2025
Side curtain air bags may contact the B-Pillar inner reinforcements and tear during deployment
25V-439 Jun 27, 2025
Passenger side air bag may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause the air bag to deploy with excessive force during a crash
25V-396 Jun 13, 2025
Active vent flap on the passenger side may prevent the air bag from deploying as intended