Ford recalls nearly 420,000 large SUVs in the US over seat-belt fault

The NHTSA recall report is numbered 26V344, while Ford’s internal campaign number is 26S34. The campaign is split clearly between the two models, with the Ford Expedition accounting for 342,283 vehicles, or about 81.5% of the total, and the Lincoln Navigator for 77,684 vehicles, or about 18.5%. Ford estimates the defect rate at 3%, which works out to roughly 12,600 potentially affected mechanisms.

This is not a minor comfort issue, but a core safety-system fault. The Expedition and Navigator are large, three-row SUVs that play the role of family vehicles in the US market, so they often carry children, trailers and cover long motorway distances. In a vehicle like this, the seat belt has to work every time the car starts, not just in a crash.

What exactly goes wrong with the seat belt

At the centre of the fault is the front-seat belt retractor pretensioner. According to Ford’s report, the pretensioner may deploy unintentionally. If that happens, the belt locks in place and can no longer retract or pay out normally. NHTSA says the belt’s basic functions still work correctly, but a locked belt cannot restrain an occupant as intended in a crash. In some cases, the rapid belt retraction itself can cause injury.

The technical cause lies in the material used in the pretensioner’s pyrotechnic gas generator. High heat can break down the ingredients in the older-type pyrotechnic charge, the breakdown products can oxidise internal components, and the system can eventually trigger without a collision. As an early warning sign, the airbag warning light may illuminate on the dashboard before failure.

Ford expands earlier campaigns

The new campaign is not an isolated case, but replaces and expands the earlier recalls 24S06 and 25S31. Ford reopened the investigation in early 2026, linking the unintended pretensioner deployments to a specific propellant and stabiliser combination. In February 2022, the supplier adopted a micro gas generator with a new composition, which Ford’s later tests showed had better chemical stability.

Ford is not simply replacing one component with another of the same type, but using pretensioners with different chemical stability. That means the company is trying to solve the root cause, not just remove the visible symptom.

The repair is free, but the final notice comes later

Ford will initially notify owners by letter from 8 to 12 June 2026. The final recall notice is scheduled to follow from 31 August to 4 September 2026. Dealers will inspect the retractor on both front seat belts and replace any units from the suspect production range free of charge. In the NHTSA report, there is no “Do Not Drive” instruction for this campaign, and no requirement to park the vehicle outside.

Even so, owners should not wait if a seat belt feels stiff, jams or if the car shows the airbag warning light. In that case, it is worth checking the VIN in Ford’s or NHTSA’s database and booking a service appointment, to avoid a situation in which the vehicle’s restraint system fails to hold an occupant properly in a crash.

From a European perspective, the risk mainly concerns imported vehicles

In Europe this is not a mass recall, because the Expedition and Lincoln Navigator are not part of Ford’s standard model line-up here. Ford’s official European range includes models such as the Puma, Kuga, Explorer EV, Capri, Mustang Mach-E, Ranger and commercial vehicles, not the full-size US Expedition or Lincoln Navigator.

That does not mean the risk is irrelevant for European readers. US-imported Expeditions and Navigators are also found on the used market in Estonia and other European countries. When buying one of these vehicles, the VIN should be checked in the NHTSA database and the buyer should demand documentation showing completion of campaign 26S34. A large, comfortable and powerful US SUV loses its real value quickly if the seat-belt history has not been checked.

Technical summary
Ford is recalling 419,967 vehicles in the US, namely 2018-2022 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator models.
The defect affects the driver and front passenger seat-belt retractor pretensioner, which may deploy without a crash.
Ford estimates the defect rate at 3%, meaning the issue may affect about 12,600 vehicles.
The failure is linked to a propellant that breaks down at high heat, which can cause oxidation of internal components.
The repair involves inspection of both front seat-belt retractors and, where necessary, free replacement.