Overview
- Ford filed a recall on July 28, 2026, for 79,579 SUVs — 64,409 Ford Explorers and 15,170 Lincoln Aviators from the 2026–2027 model years — because a driver’s seat can recline without an occupant.
- NHTSA says the unintended reclining can occur when the vehicle is remotely unlocked, remotely started, or when a memory seat position is recalled, and the rear seat occupant could be pinned by the moving front seat.
- Ford told regulators it has received reports of the problem and traced it to a specific recline motor and control strategy, but the company reported no known crashes or injuries and is still developing a remedy.
- Owners have not yet been scheduled for notification and Ford says affected drivers can contact the company or dealers for interim help until a software update or part replacement is issued.
- The recall adds to a heavy campaign of safety actions: Ford has issued dozens of campaigns in 2026 following a record 153 recalls involving about 12.9 million vehicles in 2025, and regulators have expanded fixes when initial repairs proved incomplete.