Radar warning lights get a second comment round, a fuel fleet wants pulsing brake lights — and Ford recalls 102,000 pickups over wandering gauges

Federal regulators are weighing two trailer-lighting ideas that aim at the same deadly problem — the rear-end crash — while Ford recalls more than 102,000 pickups over gauges that can lie about speed, according to Overdrive on Oct. 27. The three items ran together in Overdrive's Tuesday news briefs, and each has a date a driver or fleet owner can act on: a comment deadline of Nov. 19, a second comment deadline of Nov. 25, and recall letters that were expected to begin Oct. 26.

First, the lighting system that watches behind you. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reopened the comment period for an exemption request from Grote Industries to allow motor carriers to operate commercial motor vehicles equipped with auxiliary warning lamps controlled by Grote's Rear-End Collision Warning system. FMCSA previously accepted comments on the request in February, but Grote provided additional information on the design and operation of the system, including the color and activation sequence of the auxiliary warning lamps, the interaction between the warning and brake-activated functionality, system operation on combination vehicles, and the operation of the radar detection system — and the new information is what comments are now open on.

The system itself works like this, as originally reported and clarified to the agency. Grote's system uses rear-facing, long-range radar to calculate time-to-collision for vehicles approaching from behind and activates auxiliary warning lamps when a collision risk threshold is reached. It activates a signal circuit when the time-to-collision is less than or equal to a specific safety threshold — typically between 2.1 and 4.0 seconds — representing the average time required for a driver and vehicle to react to a hazard. Grote clarified that when operating as part of the warning system, the auxiliary lamps pulse in amber for up to four seconds with each activation and do not transition to a steady-burning red indication; the transition from amber pulsation to steady-burning red belongs to the brake-activated auxiliary pulsating lamp function, not the warning function. The system uses the same auxiliary lamps as its brake-activated system, and when a warning event and a braking event occur at the same time, the brake-activated function takes precedence. Grote also clarified that the system does not require the vehicle's driver to activate or interact with it, and that operation of its radar would not interfere with other radar-based vehicle detection systems. FMCSA is accepting comments on the supplemental information through Nov. 19.

Second, a fuel fleet wants its brake lights to pulse. Fuel distribution fleet R.B. Stewart Petroleum Products petitioned FMCSA for its own lighting exemption, which would allow the company to install Intellistop lighting modules on its vehicles. The modules, which have been approved by FMCSA for use by other fleets in Overdrive's reporting, pulse the rear clearance, identification and brake lamps from low-level lighting intensity to high-level lighting intensity four times in two seconds when the brakes are applied, then return the lights to a steady-burning state while the brakes remain engaged. The company said using the modules would enhance visibility of its vehicles under braking and provide an additional layer of protection from rear-end collisions. FMCSA is accepting comments on that request through Nov. 25.

Third, the recall. Ford Motor Company is recalling more than 102,000 pickup trucks, most of them heavy-duty Super Duty models, over an issue with the analog cluster's tachometer and speedometer, which may become stuck or move erratically, providing inaccurate readings to the driver. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents, that causes the trucks to fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number 101, 'Controls and Displays.' Included are 91,588 model-year 2025–26 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD and F-600 SD vehicles, along with a single 2026 F-750 SD unit, and the remaining 10,570 trucks recalled are 2026 F-150 models. Dealers will replace the instrument cluster modules free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were expected to be mailed Oct. 26, with additional letters once the remedy is available, anticipated in December. Owners can contact Ford customer service at 866-436-7332 with recall number 26C46; NHTSA's recall number is 26V-653.

These are work trucks, not showroom toys: Super Duty pickups pull goosenecks, run service bodies, chase trailers and serve as the second vehicle in countless small fleets and owner-operator households. A speedometer that sticks or wanders is not a cosmetic defect in that world — it is a compliance and safety problem in every 55 mph zone, work zone and scale-house approach, which is exactly why the standard cited is the one governing controls and displays.

The practical takeaway splits by audience. Fleets with opinions on pulsing or radar-triggered warning lamps — for them or against them — have two live comment windows, closing Nov. 19 for Grote and Nov. 25 for R.B. Stewart, and a comment that describes real rear-end near-misses carries more weight than a form letter. Owners of 2025–26 Super Duty trucks or a 2026 F-150 should watch for the interim letter, run their vehicle identification number through the recall check rather than guessing from the model name, and note the remedy timing: letters now, fix anticipated in December, free at the dealer, Ford at 866-436-7332, recall 26C46.