What is the defect?
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Explorer and Aviator vehicles. The seat belt buckle anchor bolts at one or more seating positions may be improperly secured. Additionally, vehicles may have an improperly secured seat belt retractor anchor bolt and/or seat belt anchor bolt at the second-row center seating position, if equipped.
What is the consequence?
A loose seat belt or seat belt buckle may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
What is the manufacturer's remedy?
Dealers will inspect seat belt buckle anchor bolts in all seating positions. Additionally, dealers will inspect the seat belt retractor anchor bolt and seat belt anchor bolt at the second-row center seating position, if equipped. If loose anchor bolts are found, the affected seat components will be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 5, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S09.
Vehicles covered
- Lincoln Aviator, 2020–2021
- Ford Explorer, 2020–2021
Is your vehicle included?
- Find the 17-character VIN on the driver-side door jamb sticker or at the base of the windshield.
- Enter it on NHTSA's recall lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls. It shows open recalls for that exact vehicle.
- Or ask any dealer for the make. A recall repair costs you nothing.
How this recall can matter to a lemon law claim
A recall repair counts as a repair attempt when the same problem keeps coming back. Keep every repair order, with the dates the vehicle went in and came out, because days out of service can count toward your state's threshold. If the problem returns after the recall repair, that history is what a claim is built on.
See your state's lemon law rules →