Ford is recalling nearly 420,000 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs because the front seatbelt pretensioners can degrade in high heat and either fire unexpectedly or fail to release afterward, locking the belt against the occupant. The recall, numbered 26V344 in NHTSA’s own filing, covers 2018 through 2022 model year vehicles, and there’s no repair part available yet.

Key Points

• The defect is in the front seatbelt pretensioners — the explosive charge designed to snap the belt tight the instant a crash begins. Heat exposure over time can degrade the propellant, according to Consumer Reports’ review of the filing.
• A degraded pretensioner can fire on its own with no crash at all, or it can deploy incorrectly during an actual crash and lock the belt permanently, meaning it won’t loosen to protect the occupant the way it’s designed to.
• This is Ford’s third pass at the same underlying issue: recall 26V344 formally replaces and expands two earlier campaigns, 24V099 and 25V197, that didn’t fully resolve it.
• Nearly 420,000 U.S. vehicles are covered, according to Fox Business’s reporting on the campaign.

What’s Affected

• 2018-2022 Ford Expedition
• 2018-2022 Lincoln Navigator
• Front row seatbelt pretensioners specifically — this is not a rear-seat or airbag recall

A seatbelt that locks up mid-crash defeats the entire point of the device. Pretensioners exist to remove slack instantly, then let the belt’s load-limiting mechanism manage how much force actually reaches your chest and shoulder. If the pretensioner has already misfired from heat degradation, or if it deploys wrong in the moment of impact, that second stage doesn’t happen the way engineers intended, and the belt can effectively turn into a rigid strap instead of a system built to absorb energy.

What Owners Should Do

• Confirm your VIN is covered using NHTSA’s recall lookup tool, referencing campaign 26V344.
• Expect two separate notices from Ford. Because replacement parts weren’t ready at the time of filing, Ford is sending an initial letter now explaining the defect, followed by a second letter once parts are available and dealers can actually perform the repair.
• Don’t wait on the second letter to inspect visually — if you notice your seatbelt feels unusually stiff, won’t retract normally, or has already fired without a crash, contact your Ford or Lincoln dealer immediately rather than waiting for scheduled parts.
• The repair is free. Dealers will inspect and replace the front pretensioners at no cost once parts ship.
• Call Ford directly at 866-436-7332 with questions about your specific vehicle’s timeline.

Three recall campaigns on the same component in three years is not a great look for a safety system you’re trusting with your life every time you get in the vehicle. If you own an Expedition or Navigator from this window, put the VIN check on today’s to-do list rather than the someday pile.