Ford Expands Seat Recall to Nearly 388,000 Explorers and Aviators After Fix Falls Short

Ford is recalling another 387,911 SUVs after discovering a seat defect it thought it had fixed in June is still causing problems. The expanded recall covers 2020-2026 Ford Explorer and 2020-2027 Lincoln Aviator models with second-row easy-entry seats. What’s particularly troubling: some of these vehicles had already been repaired under the original recall, meaning the fix didn’t hold.

The issue centers on the easy-entry switch bezel for the second-row seats. Ford says the bezel can shift or pop out of place during normal use, causing the switch to stick in the pressed position. That can make the seat tip forward or slide unexpectedly while the vehicle is moving, which raises the risk of injury, especially in a crash.

The original recall in June 2025 blamed incorrectly installed bezels from the seat supplier and told dealers to check and replace damaged parts. Ford added production checks and thought the problem was solved.

But in late April 2026, new field reports came in. Ford found five cases of unintended seat movement in vehicles built after the original recall cutoff, plus four reports involving SUVs that had already gotten the repair. That triggered a new investigation, leading Ford to expand the recall to cover all affected vehicles built through June 24, 2026, the day the old bezel design was finally pulled from production.

As of mid-June. Ford had logged 14 reports of unintended seat movement tied to the defect. Eight of those vehicles weren’t covered by the first recall; six had already been fixed.

Ford says it knows of one complaint filed with NHTSA but no crashes or injuries. The new fix: dealers will replace the easy-entry switch bezel with a version that has stronger retention force. The hope is this one stays put.