Ford Motor Company: Seat Belts
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Feb 14, 2025 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 240,510. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Explorer and Aviator vehicles. The seat belt buckle anchor bolts at one or more seating positions may be improperly secured. Additionally, vehicles may have an improperly secured seat belt retractor anchor bolt and/or seat belt anchor bolt at the second-row center seating position, if equipped.
The risk
A loose seat belt or seat belt buckle may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect seat belt buckle anchor bolts in all seating positions. Additionally, dealers will inspect the seat belt retractor anchor bolt and seat belt anchor bolt at the second-row center seating position, if equipped. If loose anchor bolts are found, the affected seat components will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 5, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S09.
4 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Ford Explorer | 452 | 26 | 6 | 14 |
| 2021 Lincoln Aviator | 41 | 28 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020 Ford Explorer | 1,249 | 33 | 10 | 37 |
| 2020 Lincoln Aviator | 110 | 30 | 1 | 2 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 25V093000.
Full record for the 2021 Ford Explorer → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →