Ford and Lincoln trucks and SUVs may have faulty side airbag sensors

NHTSA campaign 21V805000 · Reported 2021-10-15 · Ford Motor Company

high How serious is it? About this label

Serious, because you could be injured in a side crash if the airbags do not deploy correctly, though the notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

What's wrong, in plain English

The side impact sensors inside the front doors may have been damaged when the supplier assembled them. These sensors are what tell the side airbags a crash is happening. If a sensor is damaged, the side airbags may not go off properly in a side crash, so you would not get the protection they are designed to provide. A dealer will replace the sensors in both front doors, driver side and passenger side, at no cost.

What you should do

1. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if your vehicle is on the list. 2. Contact your Ford or Lincoln dealer, or Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332, and reference recall 21C26. 3. Have both front door sensors replaced free of charge.

Affected vehicles (3)

2021 Ford Expedition
2021 Lincoln Navigator
2022 Ford F-250 SD

Who to contact

Ford — official Ford recall lookup

Customer service: 1-866-436-7332

Lincoln — official Lincoln recall lookup

Customer service: 1-866-436-7332

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Ford airbag recalls: which models and years keep coming back? · all 13 Ford recalls in this area
Why do Lincoln airbag recalls keep hitting Aviator and Navigator? · all 5 Lincoln recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:SIDE IMPACT
Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, 2021 F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The front-door side impact pressure sensor modules may have been damaged during supplier assembly, which can cause the side impact air bags to not deploy properly in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 214, "Side Impact Protection."
Safety risk: An air bag that does not deploy properly during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver and passenger front door side impact sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 3, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C26.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.