Ford has recalled several vehicles in the past two months, but it's rare for an automaker to recall vehicles a second time because the first remedy failed.According to a report by Carcomplaints.com, Ford recalled more than 217,000 units of the Ford F-150 pickup truck model years 2018-2020 in the U.S. and Canada back in 2020. This was due to a problem related to daytime running lights (DRLs).Now, though, the company has issued a recall for 91,198 units of the F-150 again after engineers discovered that the correct software may not have been installed in the first recall.AdvertisementAdvertisementAccording to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recall report, the affected vehicles may not have received the Body Control Module (BCM) software remedy in the previous recall.black and yellow chevrolet crew cab pickup truck parked on dirt road during daytimeWhat Was the Problem?The recall report states that the DRLs remain illuminated even when the headlight is switched on in low beam. It reads:"According to Ford's records, certain 2018-2020 MY Ford F-150 vehicles did not have the remedy for Safety Recall 20C03 / 20V-097 installed correctly but were recorded as having the repair successfully completed."Because the correct software update remedy may not be installed on the vehicle, the underlying condition specified in Safety Recall 20C03 / 20V-097 may still exist, and Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) are illuminated, and the Master Lighting Switch (MLS) is manually rotated from the "Autolamp" position to the "headlamp on" (Low Beam) position, the DRLs remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamps as required by FMVSS 108, exceeding the photometric output allowed by FMVSS 108."AdvertisementAdvertisementThus, the safety risk continued to exist on the affected Ford F-150s despite the previous recall. The report adds that, "the increased photometric intensity from the DRL when combined with the low beam headlamp function does not comply with the requirements of FMVSS 108 and may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash."The issue was caused by an incompatibility between the DRL function control and BCM timing when the driver switched from autolamp mode to either the low-beam or parking-lamp position, causing the DRLs to remain illuminated.Ford's DRL Issue RemedyRevealing the remedy procedure, the NHTSA report stated:"Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the BCM software updated. Then, the software part numbers will be validated using the Software Validation Form in the Professional Technician System before the FSA is closed. There will be no charge for this service."AdvertisementAdvertisementAffected Ford F-150 owners who have paid for the remedy in the past may be eligible for reimbursement.Dealers will be notified by July 6, 2026, while letters to owners will be mailed starting on the same date, and the mailing campaign is expected to be completed by July 10, 2026.
