Goodbye Ford – Recalls More Than 105,000 SUVs for Faulty Seatbelts That Could Increase Risk of Injury – These Models Are Affected

A new recall is going to take 105,000 Ford vehicles off the roads in our country due to a problem with the seat belts, specifically, with the front seat restraint mechanisms. The defect, which has been detected in the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator models, prevents the belts from extending and retracting normally, and this, as you can imagine, increases the risk of injury in the event of an accident.

This alert has been posted on the website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and Ford has launched an inspection and repair campaign as soon as they have been able to. We’ll tell you everything below:

The problem: belts that don’t do their job

The defect in these Ford models lies in the seat belt pretensioner, a component designed to automatically tighten the belt in case of a collision. It’s basically what makes the belt work properly and hold your body in place when there’s a sudden stop. In the affected vehicles, this mechanism can lock without reason, preventing the belt from working as it should.

Which models are affected?

The models affected by the recall are:

• Ford Expedition from years 2018–2020
• Lincoln Navigator from years 2018–2020

The recall notice was published on March 28, 2025, and the notification letters to owners began to be sent on April 14.

What should owners do?

Ford recommends all owners of the mentioned vehicles check the function of their seat belts and contact their dealership if they haven’t received the letter. By scheduling an appointment, the service team will inspect the manufacturing codes of the retractor and, if necessary, replace the parts at no cost.

If you have doubts, you can call Ford’s customer service number (1-866-436-7332), the number of this recall is 25S31, but you can also contact the NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 (recall 25V197000).

Has this happened before?

Let’s just say this year is not being Ford’s best. Already last February (2024), they had to recall 77,000 vehicles of the same models and years for a similar defect, but many units were not repaired, which forced the brand to repeat the procedure with a new campaign.

Have there been reported injuries?

So far, Ford says no injuries have been reported as a direct result of this defect. But the reality is that when this kind of failure happens in a vehicle’s safety systems, which are mainly there to protect us, it causes concern for both the public and the authorities.

For now, there is also no indication that any class action lawsuit will be filed by affected users, but consumer rights experts believe that this kind of incident can lead to collective actions if there is a serious case.

The most important thing here is that a problem has been found, even if it’s a problem that could have put us at extreme risk. Now, Ford is working to respond quickly and cover the repair costs to show that it takes the safety of its vehicles seriously.

Safety is not optional. If you drive one of the mentioned vehicles, check immediately whether your unit is affected by this recall. A defective seat belt is no joke, do not play and run (not literally, please) to your nearest dealership.

Quick facts