Ford Recalls 387,911 Explorers and Aviators Over Rear Seat That Could Come Loose

Ford is calling back nearly 400,000 of its popular family SUVs because the second-row seats might not stay put in a crash. The recall covers 2020-2026 Ford Explorers and 2020-2027 Lincoln Aviators, models that have only been on sale for a few years. The automaker insists the high number of recalls shows its quality efforts are working, but owners of these brand-new vehicles might not see it that way.

The problem is with the easy-slide outboard seats in the second row. A switch bezel that controls the tip-and-slide release can shift out of alignment over time. When that happens, the switch may fail to latch fully, allowing the seat to slide or tip forward during a collision. Ford says it hasn’t heard of any injuries, but a loose seat could change how the seat belt and crash structure protect passengers.

The company first spotted the issue about a year ago while reviewing its assembly procedures. It thought the seat supplier had fixed the problem by changing how the switch was installed, but customer complaints kept coming in. So Ford upgraded its earlier service action to a full safety recall, covering vehicles built between October 2018 and June 2026.

Owners will get recall notices by mail, since the issue isn’t tied to a specific VIN range.

This is just the latest in a long string of recalls for Ford. Through mid-2026, the company has issued campaigns for millions of vehicles, some for minor software glitches, others for serious defects like engine failures, fire risks, and shift bushings that could cause rollaways.

Earlier this year, a few Explorers were recalled for loose rear seat belt bolts. Others came back for headlights that aimed the wrong way. And several hundred thousand older models were recalled again last week because roof rail trims can fly off at highway speeds. Ford says it’s still focused on improving quality, but the sheer volume of recalls, especially on models that just hit the road, makes that claim hard to swallow.