Daily Briefing
Today's trail report
Two more F-150 recalls go VIN-searchable today — one can lock a rear wheel, one can drop the fuel tank
Good morning. Start here if you drive a late-model F-150. Two Ford recalls become searchable by VIN on NHTSA.gov beginning today, September 14, and both describe failures that happen while you're moving. Campaign 26V-576 covers certain 2026 F-150 trucks fitted with incorrect rear axle tail bearings, which NHTSA says can cause rear wheel lock-up or driveshaft separation; Ford's internal number is 26S63. Campaign 26V-578 covers certain 2023–2027 F-150 trucks whose fuel tank may be improperly secured and could leak fuel or detach while driving; Ford's number is 26S69. Dealers fix both free of charge (a new tail bearing; inspection and, if needed, new fuel tank straps), owner letters are expected September 21, and Ford customer service is 1-866-436-7332. Neither is a stop-ride order, per NHTSA — but run your VIN, because the lookup is the only thing that tells you whether your specific truck is included.
A third F-150 campaign, 26V-577 (Ford number 26S66), covers certain 2026 trucks whose rear stabilizer rod fasteners may not have been tightened properly, letting the rod shift out of position. Its VINs went searchable September 10 and letters mail September 15. Dealers replace the fasteners free. Do not try to re-torque these yourself — the correct value lives in Ford's service procedure, and a guessed fastener torque on a suspension part is exactly the kind of mistake this recall exists to fix.
If you're in a 2026 Bronco, NHTSA campaign 26V-580 (Ford 26S64) warns that a metal burr on the right-side curtain air-bag bracket may tear the bag during deployment. Interim letters mail September 15; the fix is anticipated in October. Leave the air-bag system alone while you wait — disabling it is never the answer to a recall.
Toyota's campaign 26V-571 (Toyota number 26TA18) covers certain 2024 Tacoma Hybrid, 2025 Tundra and Tundra Hybrid, 2026 RAV4 Hybrid, 4Runner i-Force Max Hybrid, and 4Runner vehicles whose load-carrying-capacity modification label may show inaccurate added-weight values, failing FMVSS 110. Dealers replace the label free; letters mail October 18; Toyota's line is 1-800-331-4331. The point for wheelers: don't guess your payload off a label that may be wrong. The corrected label and your manual carry the real figure, and overloading a rig is dangerous.
Chrysler's campaign 26V-562 (FCA number 89D) covers certain 2021–2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee L and 2022–2023 Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee 4XE vehicles whose rear coil springs may be incorrectly installed and detach while driving. Dealers replace the lower isolators free; interim letters mail September 29; FCA's line is 1-800-853-1403. NHTSA notes this recall replaces campaigns 26V051 and 23V413.
On the product and industry side: Outside reports driving Polaris' new Xpedition through hail and mud in South Dakota's Black Hills to test a transmission that claims to cut cabin noise by 40 percent. Car and Driver and Carscoops both detail the Jeep Wrangler JL-2A special edition, which revives the orange wheels and World War II–era looks of the original CJ-2A and will be offered on two- and four-door Wranglers. Dirt Wheels reports the 2026 WORCS ATV championship is tightening after seven rounds, with Damon and Baron two points apart. Dirt Bike Magazine reports that motocross historian and collector Terry Good has died after a long illness. And Dirt Wheels fielded a reader whose 2001 Honda Foreman Rubicon 500 won't start in the cold unless it's garaged overnight.
Bottom line: six of today's items are recalls. Run your VIN, take the free fix, and don't work around a safety system while you wait.
Zoom out: This was a Ford-heavy day: three separate F-150 recall campaigns and one Bronco campaign were in front of owners at once, with the two newest F-150 VIN lists going live today.
Recall in focus
NHTSA campaign 26V-576.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 F-150 vehicles. Incorrect rear axle tail bearings may have been installed, which can result in rear wheel lock-up or driveshaft separation.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the rear axle tail bearing, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 21, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S63. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 14, 2026.
What we're tracking
- Car and Driver: Jeep’s Latest Wrangler Reimagines the Original CJ-2A Read it
- Dirt Bike Magazine: THE LEGACY OF TERRY GOOD AND THE INTERNATIONAL MOTOCROSS MUSEUM Read it
- Dirt Wheels: 2026 WORCS ATV CHAMPIONSHIPS HEAT UP AFTER SEVEN ROUNDS Read it
- Carscoops: Jeep Wrangler JL-2A Looks Back At The World War II Era Read it
- Outside: Off-Road Vehicles Are Cool But Loud as Hell. Can Polaris’ New Transmission Fix That? Read it
Sources
- Jeep’s Latest Wrangler Reimagines the Original CJ-2A Car and Driver
- THE LEGACY OF TERRY GOOD AND THE INTERNATIONAL MOTOCROSS MUSEUM Dirt Bike Magazine
- 2026 WORCS ATV CHAMPIONSHIPS HEAT UP AFTER SEVEN ROUNDS Dirt Wheels
- Jeep Wrangler JL-2A Looks Back At The World War II Era Carscoops
- Off-Road Vehicles Are Cool But Loud as Hell. Can Polaris’ New Transmission Fix That? Outside
- COLD TEMPERATURE = NON STARTER Dirt Wheels
Summarized from the linked reports and the recall record by the desk. Verify against the original sources before citing.
Nothing here replaces your service manual. Torque values, capacities and pressures must come from the manufacturer's published data for your exact machine. Recall coverage is the agency's statement — check your VIN with the agency before acting on it.
Previous briefings
- Sep 30, 2026 — Two Land Rover recalls hit the Defender, including 2020–2024 trucks — campaigns 26V-599 and 26V-615The day's only machine-level safety news is a pair of NHTSA recalls covering the Land Rover Defender, one for a seat belt, one for a power-converter fault shared across much of the range.
- Sep 29, 2026 — Land Rover expands a DC-DC converter recall covering Defender and Discovery — power loss is the risk, a software update is the fixThe day's most consequential item is a safety recall affecting drive power on nearly 24,000 JLR SUVs, alongside two federal land closures and a run of new-product news.
- Sep 28, 2026 — Land Rover recalls ~24,000 SUVs, Defenders included, for a converter fault that can cut drive powerThe day's one safety action touches off-road-capable Land Rovers; the rest of it was racing and trail-repair reporting.
- Sep 26, 2026 — A Land Rover software recall lands the day's only safety item; everything else is gear, racing and auctionsNHTSA campaign 26V-599 covers a DC-DC converter fault on Land Rover's off-road line, while the rest of the day was product reviews, race sign-ups and collector sales.
- Sep 25, 2026 — Land Rover recalls 2019–2024 models over DC-DC converter failure — Defender and Discovery owners, watch your mailA software-and-hardware fault in the converter that manages a vehicle's power leads the off-road news, alongside a Wisconsin city opening its streets to side-by-sides.