If you're driving a newer Ford or Lincoln, you might want to check your mail—or your dashboard screen. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) posted recall notices on Thursday affecting more than 1.7 million vehicles from Ford Motor Co. (F). It's a two-part headache centered on the rearview camera, that little screen that's supposed to keep you from backing into the mailbox.
Let's break it down. The first recall covers about 849,310 vehicles, including 2021–2026 Ford Bronco and 2021–2024 Ford Edge models. The issue here is with the Accessory Protocol Interface Module (APIM), which can overheat and just… shut down. When that happens, the rearview camera image disappears. Not great for visibility, and the NHTSA notes it increases the risk of a crash. The fix is a software update that dealers can do during a service visit or push out over the air, free of charge. Owners should expect notification letters around March 30, 2026.
The second recall is a bit weirder. It affects roughly 889,950 vehicles, including the 2020–2022 Ford Escape and Lincoln Corsair, plus the 2020–2024 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs. In these, the rearview camera image might flip or invert when you put the car in reverse. That's not just disorienting—it fails to meet the federal safety standard for rear visibility. The remedy for this one is still being worked on. Interim notices are slated for April 17, 2026, with a final fix expected in the second quarter of 2026.
So, what does this mean for Ford as a stock? It's trading at $12.36, with a slight premarket bump. That price puts it just 1.1% above its 200-day simple moving average of $12.29, which suggests some longer-term stability. But it's still below the 20-day and 50-day averages, hinting at short-term pressure. The broader context doesn't help: rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran are pushing oil prices up, which tends to weigh on market sentiment overall.
Zoom out, and Ford has had a pretty good run, up 28.41% over the past 12 months. But the technical picture is mixed. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) at 31.63 is in neutral territory, while the MACD sitting below its signal line points to some bearish momentum. In other words, the stock is at a bit of a crossroads.
The next big date for investors is May 4, 2026, when Ford reports earnings. Expectations are for earnings per share of 19 cents, up from 14 cents a year ago, and revenue of $39.27 billion, up from $37.42 billion. Analysts, on average, have a Neutral rating on the stock with a price target of $13.33. Recent moves show a range of opinions: RBC Capital maintains a Sector Perform rating with a $12 target, Barclays raised its target to $13 while keeping an Equal-Weight rating, and JP Morgan is more bullish with an Overweight rating and a $15 target.
Ford also pops up in several ETFs, which means moves in those funds can trigger automatic buying or selling of the stock. It has a 2.60% weight in the iShares Select Dividend ETF (DVY), a 7.42% weight in the First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF (FTXR), and a 4.38% weight in the Adaptiv Select ETF (ADPV).
As for market momentum, Ford shows a moderate score, suggesting it's holding its own competitively. But with these recalls in the headlines and earnings on the horizon, investors have plenty to watch. Ford shares were down 0.32% at $12.30 in premarket trading Friday.
