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Ford Seat Belt Recalls Involving Anchors, Retractors, and Buckles
Ford seat belt notices repeatedly involve unsecured anchors or buckles, retractor problems, and front passenger belt assembly concerns. Ranger SuperCab vehicles appear in the 2019 assembly notice and the separate notice covering 2019-2021 vehicles with potentially misrouted belts. Explorer appears in the 2020 second-row center buckle notice and the 2020-2021 anchor bolt notice. Edge has separate 2019 pretensioner anchor and 2021 retractor pretensioner defects. Other patterns include child restraint concerns on 2021-2022 Transit and 2021 Transit Connect vehicles, locking belts on 2018-2020 Expedition vehicles, and rear buckle attachments on 2021-2022 Mustang Mach-E and 2022 Maverick vehicles. The 2015-2018 F-150 notice concerns fire after pretensioner deployment.
Warning signs to watch for
- February 2024 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator recall: a locked seat belt will not retract or extend.
- July 2021 Transit and Transit Connect recall: the front passenger automatic locking retractor may deactivate early, preventing proper child restraint securement.
- October 2021 Ranger SuperCab recall: the front passenger outboard belt may be misrouted.
Can you keep driving? What the notices say
The October 2021 Ranger SuperCab notice contains a conditional stop-driving instruction: owners who detect an issue with the driver's belt, are unsure of their inspection results, or do not want to inspect should not drive and should contact a Ford dealership. This is the one supplied seat belt notice with a stop-driving instruction, despite its summary flag. The remaining supplied notices do not tell owners to stop driving. None of the supplied seat belt notices instructs owners to park outside.
What the free repair involves
Free repairs vary by recall: 18S27 removes specified B-pillar insulation and harness tape and installs heat resistant tape; 19S23 inspects and replaces the Ranger right front belt as necessary; 20S50 replaces the Explorer second-row center seat assembly; and 21C36 repairs rear buckle attachments. The February 2024 notice provides free retractor replacement as necessary and installation of a missing HVAC drain tube elbow.
Severity at a glance
| Severity | Recalls |
|---|---|
| high | 15 |
| medium | 3 |
Models affected most
Where owners report seat belts problems most
NHTSA owner complaints filed under seat belts for the Ford models and years in this guide. Complaints are unverified reports and are not limited to the recalled defects.
| Vehicle | Seat belts complaints |
|---|---|
| 2019 Ford Expedition | 95 |
| 2020 Ford Expedition | 35 |
| 2019 Ford Edge | 22 |
| 2020 Ford Ranger | 6 |
Every recall in this group
Common questions
Does the Ranger seat belt notice include a driving restriction?
The October 2021 notice provides preliminary inspection instructions. Owners who find a driver's belt issue, are unsure of the results, or do not want to perform the inspection should not drive their vehicles and should contact a Ford dealership.
Why does the Expedition seat belt stay locked?
The February 2024 notice for certain 2018-2020 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles says a front pretensioner may inadvertently deploy, locking the belt against extension or retraction. Dealers replace retractors as necessary and install a missing HVAC drain tube elbow, free.
Which Ford seat belt notices involve child passengers?
The 2020 Expedition notice describes a tension sensor that may classify a child as an adult. The July 2021 notice covers early automatic locking retractor deactivation on certain 2021-2022 Transit and 2021 Transit Connect vehicles, potentially preventing child restraint securement.
A recall applies only to specific vehicles. Check your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.