Ford recalls 420,000 Expedition, Navigator SUVs over seat belt flaw
Ford is recalling 419,967 Expedition and Navigator SUVs after a seat belt pretensioner can lock in place, raising crash-injury risk.
Ford is recalling 419,967 U.S. Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs because a defect in the driver or front passenger seat belt pretensioner can cause the belt to lock and stop moving properly. In a crash, a seat belt that will not retract or extend can keep the restraint system from working as designed, raising the risk of injury for the front occupants.
The recall covers certain 2018-2022 model-year Expeditions and Navigators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the pretensioner may inadvertently deploy or lock, leaving the belt stuck in position. Ford said it is aware of one injury tied to the problem, and NHTSA’s recall file said that as of May 6, 2026, Ford had logged two warranty claims and two field reports.
Ford said dealers will inspect and replace seat belt retractors as necessary at no charge. Owner notification letters are set to begin June 8, 2026, and a second mailing is expected in August 2026, when the repair remedy should be available. Ford’s internal recall number is 26S34.
The new action supersedes earlier safety recalls 24V099 and 25V197, which also covered certain 2018-2020 Expedition and Navigator vehicles. In those earlier campaigns, NHTSA said the seat belt pretensioner in the driver or front passenger side could inadvertently deploy or lock, and one remedy called for inspection and replacement of the seat belt retractors. Another earlier action also included adding an HVAC drain tube elbow if it was missing. Ford previously identified 77,515 affected 2019-model vehicles and later expanded the population in 2025, before widening the scope again to the current 2018-2022 group.
The recall is a test of how quickly Ford can move from defect identification to repairs on a large scale. Owners can contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at 1-888-327-4236 for more information.
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