Ford issued a new recall for the driver’s seat adjustment motor in certain 2026-2027 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator models.
A new safety defect recall from Ford covers 79,579 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs built between November 25, 2025 and June 27, 2026. According to what the automaker told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a defective driver’s seat motor could force the seat to recline unintentionally, possibly pinning and trapping a second-row passenger.
Ford says the automatic memory recall function for the power driver’s seat could incorrectly interpret the seat’s position. The driver’s seat also lacks obstacle detector or a bounce back function (though it will stop moving), posing a risk of injuring the rear seat passenger unless the driver intervenes. In its internal investigation, the automaker cites a change in supplier for the seat recline motor, beginning in November 2025, for the issue. Older Explorer or Aviator models, as well as other vehicles in Ford’s lineup with memory seats, are not included in this recall campaign.
What’s the fix?
To-date, Ford says it is aware of 133 reports “from various sources” related to the issue. It also confirmed that the memory recall function cannot be triggered once the vehicle is moving faster than 3 mph. However, other ways the seats could inadvertently move into the wrong position during recall include locking/unlocking the vehicle with the key fob or mobile app.
At the moment, Ford is still working on a fix for the issue. As a result, it does not have an estimate as to when it will notify customers about a remedy repair. That said, it did determine all 2026-2027 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs are part of the recall population. Specifically, the problem impacts 15,170 Aviators, with the remaining 64,409 units being variants of the Explorer with memory recall driver’s seats.
We will post an update when Ford has more information to disclose, including when a repair is actually available. If you own a new Explorer or Aviator, though, you will want to keep your eyes peeled for more information.
More information is also available through the NHTSA’s recall website (NHTSA recall number 26V-470; Ford recall 26S53).
