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Lincoln Air Bag Recalls Involving Covers, Attachments, Sensors, and Deployment
Lincoln's air bag recalls repeatedly concern parts that affect deployment during a crash, but the defects differ by model. Certain 2019 Nautilus vehicles without Adaptive Front Steering have a driver air bag cover that may detach. The 2020 Aviator notice concerns improperly tightened side air bag or seat back attachments; the 2021 Aviator notice concerns attachment weld studs that could detach during deployment. Navigator appears in two distinct notices: damaged front-door side impact pressure sensor modules on certain 2021 vehicles, and a passenger side air bag that may deploy with excessive force on certain 2025 vehicles. Aviator and Navigator recur most often among these notices.
Warning signs to watch for
- The notices for these recalls do not describe any warning sign an owner would notice.
Can you keep driving? What the notices say
None of the supplied Lincoln air bag notices carries a stop-driving or park-outside instruction. The 2019 Nautilus driver air bag cover notice does not tell owners to stop driving. Neither do the 2020 Aviator loose-attachment notice nor the 2021 Aviator weld-stud notice. The same applies to the 2021 Navigator side impact sensor notice and the 2025 Navigator passenger side air bag notice. These notices do not provide a separate instruction to discontinue driving while awaiting their specified dealer remedies.
What the free repair involves
The listed remedies are free of charge. Dealers replace the driver air bag module for Nautilus recall 18S38, verify front-seat attachment tightness for the 2020 Aviator notice, and replace side air bag assemblies for 21C19. Navigator remedies replace front-door side impact sensors under 21C26 and passenger side air bags under 25S51.
Severity at a glance
| Severity | Recalls |
|---|---|
| high | 5 |
Models affected most
Every recall in this group
| Date | Recall | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 27, 2025 | Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator Airbag Force Defect | high |
| Oct 15, 2021 | Ford Expedition and Navigator Side Air Bags May Fail | high |
| Aug 23, 2021 | Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator Side Airbag Weld Defect | high |
| Aug 21, 2020 | Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator Airbag Bolts Loose | high |
| Nov 14, 2018 | Lincoln Nautilus Driver Airbag Cover May Detach | high |
Common questions
Which Nautilus vehicles have the driver air bag cover problem?
Recall 18S38 concerns certain 2019 Lincoln Nautilus vehicles without Adaptive Front Steering. The plastic driver frontal air bag module cover may detach during deployment, increasing injury risk in a crash. Dealers replace the driver air bag module free of charge.
What differs between the Aviator air bag attachment recalls?
The 2020 Aviator notice concerns side air bag or seat back attachments that may not have been properly tightened; dealers verify fastener tightness. The 2021 Aviator notice concerns attachment weld studs that could detach during deployment; dealers replace side air bag assemblies.
What do the Navigator air bag recalls repair?
For certain 2021 Navigator vehicles, recall 21C26 replaces driver and passenger front-door side impact sensors. For certain 2025 Navigator vehicles, recall 25S51 replaces passenger side air bags that may deploy with excessive force. Both notices specify free dealer repairs.
A recall applies only to specific vehicles. Check your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.