NHTSA recall 20V497000
A recall listed here may apply to a vehicle of this year, make and model. Only the manufacturer can say whether it applies to one vehicle: check the VIN with the official lookups.
| Published by | NHTSA (United States) |
|---|---|
| Campaign number | 20V497000 |
| Manufacturer's number | 20S48 |
| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
| Reported | 2020-08-21 |
| Owners notified | 2020-09-10 |
| Component | AIR BAGS:CRITICAL FASTENERS; SEATS; AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW |
| Units potentially affected | 488 |
| Part numbers | L1MA-608A14/5-A |
| Report | Annual report 3, for 2024 quarter 3 to 2025 quarter 2 |
|---|---|
| Filed with NHTSA | 2025-07-29 |
| Vehicles in the campaign | 488 |
| Reported remedied | 466 (95%) |
| Reported unreachable | 1 |
| Reported removed | 0 |
These are the manufacturer's totals for the whole campaign at the end of 2025 quarter 2, as filed with NHTSA. They do not say whether one vehicle has been remedied: check the VIN with the official lookups. The reports are from data as of 2026-10-19.
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Explorer and 2020 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The side air bag and/or seat back module attachments may not have been properly tightened in the front seat backs.
What can happen
If the side air bag or seat back fasteners were not properly tightened, the side air bag deployment could be affected, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
The remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove front seat back panels from one or both front seats (VIN-specific) and verify that the fasteners have been properly tightened, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S48.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
| 2020 FORD EXPLORER | |
|---|---|
| 2020 LINCOLN AVIATOR |
A vehicle with no link is not in this site's catalog, which covers cars, multipurpose vehicles and trucks by model year. The campaign is from data as of 2026-10-19.
Bulletins for the same vehicles and component
| SSM 55226 | 2026-10-12. Service bulletin. For 2020-2026 Aviator/Corsair and 2018-2026 Navigator vehicles, if diagnostics in Workshop Manual (WSM) Section 501-10A > Front Seats > Diagnosis and Testing lead to the replacement of the front seat cushion extension adjuster, a lower-level part is now available (14C720). It is not necessary to replace the front seat cushion extension adjuster if only the front seat cushion extension motor assembly is damaged. For Corsair, use service part LJ7Z-14C720-A. For Aviator, use service part R2TZ-14C720-A. For 2025-2026 Navigator (both sides) and 2018-2024 Navigator driver side, use service part NL7Z-14C720-A. For 2018-2024 Navigator passenger side, use service part NL7Z-14C720-B. |
|---|---|
| SSM 55100 | 2026-09-01. Service bulletin. For Various Ford and Lincoln vehicles, if diagnostics lead to the replacement of the front seat cushion cover J-clips, lower-level service parts are now available. Use service part W709919-S901 if the J-clip is completely detached from the seat cover and W715386-S424 if the clip is still partially attached. It is not necessary to replace the seat cover if only the J-clip is separating from the cover. Refer to PTS Home > Technical Assistance > Technical Support Videos > Section 501- Body and Paint > Seat J-Clips. For claiming, use causal parts from list below and labor operations 63100A and 63100A5. Causal Parts for claiming: Bronco/Bronco Sport/Escape/Explorer/Expedition/Navigator: 7862900 or 7862901 F-150/F-Super Duty: 1562900 or 1562901 Ranger/Maverick: 6062900 or 6062901 |
| SSM 52776 | 2024-08-16. Service bulletin. Some 2020-2025 Explorer/Aviator vehicles may have a concern where the second row outboard manual/power seats do not fold, exhibit excess effort to fold, or do not slide forward/backward easily. Power or manual second row seats must be pushed forward manually during easy entry function since the assist spring will reduce but not eliminate manual effort. Refer to the Owner's Manua |
| SSM 51720 | 2023-06-22. Service bulletin. Some 2020-2023 Explorer/Aviator vehicles may have a concern where the second row outboard manual/power seats do not fold, exhibit excess effort to fold, or do not slide forward/backward easily. Power or manual second row seats must be pushed forward manually during easy entry function since the assist spring will reduce but not eliminate manual effort. Refer to the Owner's Manual > Seats > Rear Seats > Adjusting the Second Row Rear Seats for further details. If the seats do not easily push forward manually, it maybe due to tension in the seat track due to uneven assembly torque. To correct these conditions, unbolt the second row seat frame from the floor to relax tension. Start the bolts by hand, then tighten in the correct sequence and torque per Workshop Manual (WSM) Section 501-10B. |
| SSM 50868 | 2022-06-29. Service bulletin. Some 2020-2022 Explorer/Aviator vehicles may exhibit a second row folding seat that is inoperative or requires excessive effort to fold. This may be due to tension built up within the seat and seat track that leads to more force required to manually fold the seat. To correct the condition, the second row seat frame will need to be unbolted from the floor and tightened in the correct sequence. Additionally, the sliding tracks of the seat should be inspected for proper alignment when tightening the bolts. It is important to note that the bolts should be started by hand before tightening to the correct torque. This sequence is outlined in Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 501-10. The WSM has been updated to reflect the updated bolt installation procedure. |
| SSM 50817 | 2022-06-01. Service bulletin. Some 2020-2021 Explorer/Aviator vehicles may exhibit inoperative third row power seat folding. This may be due to the software in the power fold seat module (SCMJ). To correct the condition, connect a battery charger and reprogram the SCMJ using the latest software level of the appropriate Ford diagnostic scan tool. After reprogramming the SCMJ, perform a manual re-learn procedure. With the engine running, tailgate open, and no objects in the third row seats, press and hold the both seat fold button for one minute until both seats completely fold and unfold. Refer to Owner's Manual for information. Verify that each seat operates correctly after the relearn procedure by pressing the left and then the right third row seat fold buttons. For claiming, use causal part 14F042 and applicable labor operations in Section 10 of the Service Labor Time Standards (SLTS) Manual. |
| TSB 22-2190 | 2022-05-16. Service bulletin. Some 2020-2022 Explorer/Aviator and 2021-2022 Bronco vehicles may exhibit an illuminated airbag warning indicator with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B1404:13 and/or B1407:13. This may be due to contamination and relative movement in the connection between the wiring harness and the side airbag. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure to replace the affected connector with a service pigtail and the affected side airbag. |
| TSB 22-2100 | 2022-03-22. Service bulletin. This article supersedes TSB 21-2185 to update the vehicle model years affected. Some 2020-2022 Explorer/Aviator/Corsair vehicles may experience seat pan looseness, lateral movement and/or clunk/thump noise on turns. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure steps to reinforce the cushion hook. |
| SSM 50502 | 2022-02-23. Service bulletin. Some 2017-2018 Focus/MKX/C-MAX, 2017-2019 MKC/Taurus/Flex/MKT, 2017-2020 Fusion/MKZ/Continental, 2017-2022 Mustang/Edge/Explorer/Police Interceptor Utility/Escape/F-150/F-Super Duty, 2018-2022 Expedition/Navigator, 2019-2022 Ranger/Nautilus, 2020-2022 Corsair/Aviator, and 2021-2022 Mustang Mach-E vehicles may exhibit a noisy, incorrectly operating, and/or inoperative seat motor. This may be due to a damaged or inoperative seat track motor. A lower level service part has been released to correct noisy, incorrect operation/inoperative seat track motors. |
| TSB 21-2297 | 2021-09-30. Service bulletin. Some 2020-2021 Explorer/Aviator and 2021 Bronco vehicles may exhibit an illuminated airbag warning indicator with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B1404:13 and/or B1407:13. This may be due to contamination and relative movement in the connection between the wiring harness and the side airbag. To correct the condition, follow the Service Procedure steps to replace the affected connector with a service pigtail and the affected side airbag. |
A bulletin is the manufacturer's note to its dealers. It is not part of this recall.