Vehicle recall 26V159000 · March 17, 2026
Lincoln Aviator and Ford Explorer
The seat belt anchor bolts at the second-row outer seating positions may be improperly secured.
Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.
- Summary
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2026 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The seat belt anchor bolts at the second-row outer seating positions may be improperly secured.
- Consequence
- A loose seat belt buckle may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the second-row outer seat belt lower anchor bolts and replace or repair them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 30, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C18. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on March 19, 2026.
Recall details
- NHTSA campaign
- 26V159000
- Reported to NHTSA
- March 17, 2026
- Filed by
- Ford Motor Company
- Manufacturer campaign
- 26C18
- Owner notification
- March 30, 2026
- Vehicles potentially affected
- 561
- Initiated by
- the manufacturer
- Components
- Seat belts
Vehicles covered
As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.
Has your Ford been repaired?
Recalls here come from NHTSA’s records for the model and year. Not every vehicle of a model is included in every recall, and this site can’t see whether a repair has been done. Only a VIN lookup can tell you that.
NHTSA’s VIN search doesn’t show recalls that were already repaired, recalls more than 15 years old, or some small manufacturers’ recalls. Recall repairs are free.