Ford has issued a recall for more than 550,000 SUVs and trucks, including the F-150, Explorer, and Expedition, because the seatbacks in the vehicles might not properly restrain people if the if there’s a crash.
The recall affects 10 different Ford models, specifically:
- 2018-20 Ford F-150
- 2019-20 Ford F-series Super Duty
- 2018-19 Ford Explorer
- 2019-20 Ford Expedition with a manual driver and/or front passenger seat-back recliner mechanism
- 2020 Ford Explorer
- 2020 Lincoln Aviator
While Ford says that it doesn’t know of any injuries caused because of the issue, the concern is that the trucks might not have a third pawl for seat strength, due to an improperly-assembled recliner mechanism. The company said a faulty mechanism might not properly restrain an occupant in a crash, which increases the risk of injury when operating the vehicle.
The issue impacts 483,325 vehicles in the United States and federal territories, 58,712 in Canada, and 8,149 in Mexico, the company said.
How to see if the Ford recall affects you
While the recall encompasses a wide range of vehicles, not every single one is impacted — only those that were made in certain plants during specific time periods. To see if your vehicle has been recalled, you can enter its VIN number on Ford’s website.
If you do happen to own one of the impacted vehicles, you can return it to the dealer to get a replacement of the seat structure free of charge.
Ford also recently released a safety recall for certain 2013-16 Ford Fusion, 2013-16 Lincoln MKZ, 2015-16 Ford Edge and 2016 Lincoln MKX vehicles in U.S. states and Canadian provinces that have “high-corrosion” conditions. The concern there is that in places that have snow and salt on the roads, the vehicles could potentially lose their power-steering assist because they did not receive a proper application of wax coating to protect them.
In June, Ford recalled 1.3 million Explorer and F-150 vehicles. That recall impacted mostly Explorers — 1.2 million of the SUVs made between 2010 and 2017 were recalled over an issue with the suspension that might affect the vehicle’s steering controls, causing an increased risk of crashing. Only vehicles made at the company’s Chicago plant were affected, the company said. The F-150 recall was limited to the 2013 model, which had a calibration issue that might cause an unintentional downshift.
