Ford Motor Company: Seats › Mid/Rear Assembly
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Jul 14, 2026 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 387,911. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2027 Aviator and 2020-2026 Explorer vehicles. The switch for the easy-entry second-row outer seats may bind or stick, resulting in the seats unlatching, tipping, or sliding unexpectedly.
The risk
A seat that moves unexpectedly may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the bezel around the switch as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters explaining the safety risk were mailed August 19, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Lincoln Aviator owner notification letters were mailed August 21, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S52. This recall expands Recall 25V393. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 16, 2026.
15 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 Lincoln Aviator | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 Ford Explorer | 44 | 14 | 0 | 3 |
| 2026 Lincoln Aviator | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 Ford Explorer | 107 | 20 | 0 | 8 |
| 2025 Lincoln Aviator | 18 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 Ford Explorer | 21 | 10 | 1 | 2 |
| 2024 Lincoln Aviator | 7 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 Ford Explorer | 113 | 15 | 2 | 7 |
| 2023 Lincoln Aviator | 24 | 16 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 Ford Explorer | 271 | 24 | 1 | 17 |
| 2022 Lincoln Aviator | 49 | 21 | 1 | 4 |
| 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 26V451000.
Full record for the 2027 Lincoln Aviator → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →