Ford’s unenviable record as the most recalled automaker of 2025 doesn’t look to be going away in 2026 either. The Detroit giant has just recalled a whopping 4.4 million vehicles, including America's best-selling vehicle, the F-Series pickup truck, and its smallest truck, the Maverick. What The Problem Is, And Which Vehicles Are Affected FordThe recall is said to revolve around an integrated trailer module (ITM), which is only used when the vehicle is towing a trailer, and can be fixed with a simple software update. Recalling 4.4 million vehicles is something that doesn't happen every day, but Ford points out that the problem may only affect around 1% of the total number. Still, that works out to around 44,000 vehicles spread across seven models, from both Ford and Lincoln.According to official documents from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the ITM can, intermittently, lose communication with its towing vehicle’s CAN Standy Control computer during initial start-up. This can result in the trailer’s brake and indicator lights not responding to commands from the driver.More worryingly, the NHTSA also states that this software blip could lead to “the loss of trailer brake function” as well, a potentially dangerous scenario for drivers towing loads at highway speeds and/or across great distances. Drivers will at least be notified of the problem via ‘Trailer brake module fault’ and ‘Blind Spot Assist System fault’ messages on the dashboard.FordPerhaps unsurprisingly, Ford’s best-selling F-Series range accounts for the vast bulk of that 4.4 million figure. This includes more than 2.5 million F-150s (2,297,857) and just over one million (1,135,063) examples of the larger F-250 Super Duty. Ford Recall (FMVSS 108). Models Affected How Ford Will Remedy This Issue LincolnHappily, this anomaly can be remedied with a quick software update at official Ford and Lincoln service centers across the United States. Alternatively for customers, an over-the-air software upgrade is currently in process for vehicles capable of such things. If things go according to plan, the Blue Oval hopes to roll it out by May this year. All potentially affected Ford/Lincoln owners will be notified before March 27, while potentially viable VIN numbers can be searched from March 17 onward.Oddly, this software issue can strike even when the trailer isn’t connected to the vehicle. The NHTSA documentation states that the loss of communication to the vehicle’s computer occurs when the Ford/Lincoln exits “sleep mode” once the engine is fired. As such, the aforementioned warning messages, as discussed during Ford’s initial investigation last November, are believed to flash whilst the vehicle is still stationary.This recall comes on the heels of another sizable Ford recall announced in February. Approximately 400,000 Explorer SUVs are at risk of suspension failure at the back due to excessive corrosion on certain components.Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration