Ford Motor Company is recalling certain 2018-2020 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles

May 23, 2025 — Recall Campaign #25V197000

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently lock the seat belt, which will not allow the belt to retract or extend.

The recall was influenced by the Office of Defects Investigation with about 112,951 units affected.

See recall notice

NHTSA Safety Recall Notice

25V197000

Manufacturer:	Ford Motor Company
Recall date:	May 23, 2025
NHTSA Campaign #:	25V197000
Units affected:	112,951

Description:: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently lock the seat belt, which will not allow the belt to retract or extend.
Consequeces:: Seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Corrective action:: Dealers will replace the seat belt retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S31. Some vehicles in this recall that were previously inspected under recall 24V-099 and did not have parts replaced will need to have this new recall remedy completed.
Notes:: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-888-275-9171), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Affects the following:

2020 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints
The leather on the steering wheel keeps peeling off. It’s unsafe Becuse the steering wheel becomes slippery;
2020 LINCOLN NAVIGATOR Complaints
On August 20, 2026, I was driving my 2020 Lincoln Navigator and came to a complete stop at a traffic light. While I was sitting stationary at the light, with no collision, impact, sudden braking, or other event, I suddenly heard a very loud noise that sounded like a gunshot. At the same time, the driver-side seat belt violently tightened and pulled me back into the seat. The seat belt tightened with enough force to leave marks across my chest and stomach. I was able to get myself out of the seat belt, but afterward the seat belt remained extremely tight and locked in place and could no longer be used normally. My vehicle had previously been identified as being affected by a Lincoln/Ford recall involving the seat belt pretensioner. Several months ago, I received notification instructing me to bring the vehicle to a Lincoln dealership to have the recall addressed. I scheduled the repair and brought the vehicle to the dealership approximately two weeks later. At that time, I was informed that the recall had been paused and that the dealership could not perform the repair because Lincoln did not have an available remedy/replacement part. I continued driving the vehicle because Lincoln had not provided a repair or instructed me that the vehicle should not be driven. The seat belt pretensioner has now unexpectedly deployed while the vehicle was completely stationary and without any accident or impact. The Lincoln dealership has informed me that they expect it may take approximately one month to obtain the replacement part needed to repair the vehicle. I have also contacted Lincoln Customer Support, and a case has been opened regarding this incident. I am reporting this because this was a serious and frightening safety failure. The seat belt pretensioner deployed without a collision or other apparent reason and tightened with enough force to cause visible marks on my body. I am concerned that this defect could cause more serious injuries if it occurs to other drivers;