NHTSA recall 21V014000
A recall listed here may apply to a vehicle of this year, make and model. Only the manufacturer can say whether it applies to one vehicle: check the VIN with the official lookups.
| Published by | NHTSA (United States) |
|---|---|
| Campaign number | 21V014000 |
| Manufacturer's number | 21C01 |
| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
| Reported | 2021-01-15 |
| Owners notified | 2021-03-02 |
| Component | VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER |
| Units potentially affected | 283 |
| Report | Annual report 3, for 2025 quarter 1 to 2025 quarter 4 |
|---|---|
| Filed with NHTSA | 2026-01-13 |
| Vehicles in the campaign | 283 |
| Reported remedied | 249 (87%) |
| Reported unreachable | 0 |
| Reported removed | 0 |
These are the manufacturer's totals for the whole campaign at the end of 2025 quarter 4, as filed with NHTSA. They do not say whether one vehicle has been remedied: check the VIN with the official lookups. The reports are from data as of 2026-10-19.
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor Utility and 2020 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The affected vehicles contain windshield washer fluid that was contaminated with brake fluid. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 104, "Windshield Wiping and Washing Systems."
What can happen
A washer system contaminated with brake fluid can reduce the driver's ability to clear windshield, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will flush out the washer system, replacing the washer bottle neck, washer pump assembly, fluid level sensor and the front and rear wiper blades. Dealers will also inspect and repair the vehicle's paint and exterior components if affected, free of charge. The recall began March 2, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C01.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
| 2020 FORD EXPLORER POLICE INTERCEPT | Listed as a series or trim of this model. |
|---|---|
| 2020 LINCOLN AVIATOR |
A vehicle with no link is not in this site's catalog, which covers cars, multipurpose vehicles and trucks by model year. The campaign is from data as of 2026-10-19.
Bulletins for the same vehicles and component
| SSM 55069 | 2026-08-11. Service bulletin. Some 2020-2025 Explorer vehicles equipped with a power roof opening panel may exhibit a sunshield with localized bunching or binding/inoperative. This may be due to a broken or missing sunshield fabric retainer/clip. A revised sunshield clip (LJ6Z-5452118-B) is now available to address this condition. It is not necessary to replace the entire sunshield assembly if the clip(s) are broken or missing. Refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 501-17 Roof Opening Panel > General Procedures > Inspection and Replacement of the Roof Opening Panel Shield Clip. |
|---|---|
| 26N09 | 2026-07-01. Other. Customer Satisfaction Program 26N09 Certain 2020 Model Year Escape, 2020-2021 Corsair, 2020-2021 Aviator, and 2020- 2021 and 2023 Explorer Vehicles Front Windshield Wiper Motor Replacement, if Required After Dealer Evaluation |
A bulletin is the manufacturer's note to its dealers. It is not part of this recall.