The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2026 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The seat belt anchor bolts at the second-row outer seating positions may be improperly secured.
The risk
A loose seat belt buckle may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect the second-row outer seat belt lower anchor bolts and replace or repair them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 30, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C18. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 19, 2026.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Ford Explorer | 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 |
| Lincoln Aviator | 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 |
Components: SEAT BELTS
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Explorer | 2020 | 1,241 | 33 |
| Ford Explorer | 2021 | 447 | 26 |
| Ford Explorer | 2022 | 271 | 24 |
| Ford Explorer | 2023 | 111 | 15 |
| Ford Explorer | 2024 | 21 | 10 |
| Ford Explorer | 2025 | 107 | 20 |
| Ford Explorer | 2026 | 42 | 14 |
| Lincoln Aviator | 2020 | 110 | 30 |
| Lincoln Aviator | 2021 | 40 | 28 |
| Lincoln Aviator | 2022 | 46 | 21 |
| Lincoln Aviator | 2023 | 24 | 16 |
| Lincoln Aviator | 2024 | 7 | 8 |
| Lincoln Aviator | 2025 | 18 | 15 |
| Lincoln Aviator | 2026 | 4 | 6 |
Other seat belts recalls in 2026
26 of the 666 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2026 concerned the seat belts; Ford Motor Company filed 737 campaigns in all.
| 26V674000 14 Oct 2026 | PACCAR Incorporated |
| 26V636000 2 Oct 2026 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC |
| 26V615000 24 Sept 2026 | Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC |
| 26V579000 9 Sept 2026 | Ford Motor Company |
| 26V510000 6 Aug 2026 | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) |
| 26V495000 30 Jul 2026 | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) |
| 26V452000 14 Jul 2026 | Hyundai Motor America |
| 26V425000 1 Jul 2026 | Nissan North America, Inc. |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2026