Ford Recalls 30,123 F-150 and Super Duty Trucks Over Tailgate Cables

Ford is recalling 30,123 certain 2026-2027 F-150 and 2026 F-250, F-350 and F-450 Super Duty pickups because the left-side tailgate support cable can let go under a heavy load, according to NHTSA campaign 26V689 (Ford recall 26S78). If that cable fails, the tailgate can drop onto the rear bumper, which NHTSA says increases the risk of injury. Dealers will replace the left-side cable free of charge. Interim owner letters are expected December 14, 2026, the remedy is anticipated in January 2027, and VINs become searchable on NHTSA.gov starting December 7, 2026.

This one matters most if you load a UTV, dirt bike or anything heavy over an open tailgate. Ford’s own report describes exactly that load case, and the truck gives no warning light or cluster message before the cable lets go.

Last updated: October 27, 2026.

Sources

• NHTSA recall record 26V689: summary, 30,123 vehicles, tailgate hinge and attachments component, consequence, remedy, Ford 26S78, December 14 interim letters, January 2027 remedy timing, VIN-search date, Ford customer service
• Ford Part 573 Safety Recall Report 26V689: model-by-model counts, build dates, UTV load case, cause, supplier and part number, chronology, warranty and field report counts, letter schedule
• NHTSA recalls / VIN lookup: owner VIN check; VINs for this campaign become searchable December 7, 2026

TruckDaily take

Who this is for. Owners of 2026 and 2027 F-150s built from late May to mid June 2026, owners of 2026 F-250, F-350 and F-450 Super Duty trucks from the same window, and anyone shopping a new or nearly new one off a dealer lot. If you haul a side-by-side, a quad or a pallet of anything on a dropped tailgate with ramps, read this twice.

Who should skip. Older F-150s and Super Duty trucks are not in this campaign, and neither is any truck built outside those June production dates unless the VIN tool says otherwise. Ford says these trucks were not built in VIN order, so do not guess from a buddy’s VIN that is one digit off yours.

What we’d do. The NHTSA VIN lookup will not show this campaign until December 7, so call a Ford dealer with your VIN now or ring Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 and ask about 26S78. Until the new cable is on, do not load a UTV or anything that heavy on the open tailgate. Keep ramps off the tailgate edge, keep your hands and body out from under the gate when it is loaded, and swap to a trailer for the side-by-side for now. While you are on the phone, ask the dealer to check for other open campaigns, like our F-150 and Super Duty speedometer cluster recall 26V653 and the F-150 front seat bolt recall 26V655.

Recall at a glance

Which trucks, by the numbers

Ford’s Part 573 report splits the 30,123 trucks like this. The F-150 is the biggest share.

Ford estimates about 2 percent of those trucks actually have a bad cable. The rest are in the campaign because Ford cannot tell from the outside which trucks got one.

How Ford found it

Ford’s report says operators at Kentucky Truck Plant spotted left-side tailgate cables pulling out of their eyelets during open-tailgate load testing on June 13, 2026. The supplier, Cable Manufacturing & Assembly Co of Bolivar, Ohio, traced the bad parts to a broken crimping die during two shifts on May 26, 2026, and said only left-side cables were affected. The plant issued a stop ship on June 15, and Ford’s Field Review Committee approved the recall on October 13.

Through October 19, Ford says it knew of zero warranty claims, zero field reports and no accidents or injuries tied to the problem. The part in question is Ford number FL34-9944411-AD, and Ford says the replacement cables meet its load rating.

More Ford truck reading on TruckDaily

• Ford recall 26V653: F-150 and Super Duty speedometer cluster
• Ford F-150 recall 26V655: front seat bolts
• Ford recall 26V606: Super Duty LED headlights
• Best tonneau covers for the 2021-2026 F-150

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