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Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short, The Drive‘s news roundup that gathers the biggest automotive headlines from around the globe.
The Downshift summarizes stories into a couple of sentences and provides a link for those seeking more information. Here’s your bulletin for Friday, July 24, 2026.
🔧 Ford has announced a recall impacting 565,691 2021-2026 Bronco SUVs, including the Raptor, for exposed circuits in an engine compartment wiring harness that could short, spark, and potentially result in a fire depending on surrounding conditions. The automaker says it’s aware of 15 situations where this may have happened, and will install additional sheathing on all vehicles free of charge as a remedy. [NHTSA]
🕹️ Honda will pause Civic Si and Acura Integra A-Spec production following the 2026 model year due to an EPA certification issue related to the sports sedans’ powertrains, which notably incorporate six-speed manual transmissions. Fortunately, however, Honda seems confident that both will return in the future, once the hiccup is sorted out. [Car and Driver]
🍎 Ford is partnering with Apple to build Apple Maps navigation into its Universal EV Platform, which will underpin the automaker’s long-teased $30,000 compact electric pickup. This is notably the first partnership Apple has ever made to natively integrate Maps into a vehicle, unlike Google, which has been baking its rival software into models across various makes for years. [Ford]
🛞 Stellantis is recalling precisely 641 examples of the 2026 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator for a curious reason: poorly manufactured wheels with thin walls that are vulnerable to cracking. The company has determined precisely which vehicles use these out-of-spec wheels, and intends to replace them. [NHTSA]
🚪 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will not investigate the Tesla Model 3’s emergency door release system despite a petition that the latches are difficult to locate after a crash. [Reuters]
📉 Volkswagen Group has cut its forecasted revenue for the full year after another challenging quarter, where its operating profit underperformed 9.5% against the same period in 2025. [Automotive News]
🪖 General Motors is expecting a $1 billion order from the U.S. Army for 10,000 Chevy Colorado ZR2-based infantry squad vehicles, CEO Mary Barra said during an earnings call this week. [The Wall Street Journal]
🏁 Weekend races to watch (all times Eastern):
- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Indianapolis: Friday at 8 p.m. on FS1
- NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series at Indianapolis: Saturday at 4 p.m. on CW
- Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix: Sunday at 9 a.m. on Apple TV
- NASCAR Cup Series at Indianapolis: Sunday at 2 p.m. on TNT
- NHRA Drag Racing Northwest Nationals Finals: Sunday at 4 p.m. on Fox
Got a tip or feedback for TDS? Reach out to tips@thedrive.com
Backed by a decade of covering cars and consumer tech, Adam Ismail is a Senior Editor at The Drive, focused on curating and producing the site’s slate of daily stories.
