2021 Ford Explorer seats problems

Filed Nov 2, 2026 · Seats, Transmission · AR

Here's the updated submission, without the engine paragraph. **Form fields** - **VIN:** 1FM5K8GC7MGA77908 - **Incident date:** today's date - **Crash / fire / injury:** No - **Components:** Visibility (Windshield Wiper/Washer), Power Train (Automatic Transmission), Seats **Narrative** ``` I am filing because my 2021 Ford Explorer (VIN 1FM5K8GC7MGA77908) has three open safety recalls with no remedy available, and Ford has already missed its own remedy date on at least one. 1. the federal safety agency 26V117 / Ford 26S14 (filed Mar 3, 2026) – Front windshield wiper motor may become inoperative or operate intermittently, causing loss of visibility. Ford stated the remedy was anticipated in Q2 2026. As of November 2, 2026, the remedy is still listed as not available. 2. the federal safety agency 26V402 / Ford 26S48 (filed Jun 24, 2026) – Transmission may engage Park while the vehicle is moving, damaging the parking system so the vehicle could roll away while in Park. Ford's interim instruction is to always set the parking brake. The remedy is not anticipated until Q2 2027, leaving a roll-away risk unaddressed for roughly a year. 3. the federal safety agency 26V451 / Ford 26S52 (filed Jul 14, 2026) – Second-row easy-entry seat switch may stick, allowing the seat to tip or slide while driving. Remedy is listed as not yet available. I request that the federal safety agency require Ford to provide interim remedies or loaner vehicles for these open recalls and to commit to firm remedy dates. ENGINE: My vehicle has the 3.0L engine and was built in Chicago on January 16, 2021, before the June 7, 2021 start of the recall 24S55 (the federal safety agency 24V635) build range. I request that the federal safety agency confirm Ford's analysis supports excluding earlier 3.0L builds from the valve fracture population. ``` If you'd rather keep the engine question in, paste the short "ENGINE:" paragraph from my last message above the final request line. Save the confirmation number when you submit.

Filed Oct 7, 2026 · Seats, Transmission · GA

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 26V117000 (Visibility), 26V402000 (Power Train), and 26V451000 (Seats); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available.

Filed Oct 3, 2026 · Seats · TN · 1 injury

About 3 months ago, every time I started the vehicle, I heard a whining noise coming from the 2nd row passenger seat that my [XXX] sits in with her car seat that We could not figure it out for awhile. I then took her car seat out of the car 2 weeks ago to clean underneath it and the seat automatically folded up with force. I jammed it back into the lock position and it would hold, sometimes for an hour or so and sometimes for a couple days before it started whining again and folding back up. I switched the car seat to the other seat and put my [XXX] in the seat that kept folding to see if it would fold on her and It folded up on her while I was driving down the interstate causing a big bruise on her arm and causing her to severely stub her toe on the bottom of the seat in front of her due to the seat sliding forward and folding with such force. I pulled over on the interstate and put her in the 3rd row. I reached out to FORD customer relations on September 29th and told them all of this and this was their reply. " There is not a remedy for that until maybe end of October so I would just stop driving the vehicle with your kids in it" We argued back and forth about how that was not possible because this is the vehicle that I bought to haul my kids around and eventually I asked for a supervisor to call me back. He called me back and left a voicemail and this is what he said " We cant fix something that we don't have parts for so call the dealership and get put on a call back list so they will call you when the new parts come in" I will be contacting the dealership on Monday as soon as it opens to get my car in asap or to ask for a loaner until I can get it fixed since it is not safe for my children or any other adult to ride in it. As of now nothing has been inspected . There is no warning lights that have came on the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Sep 25, 2026 · Seats · 119,000 miles · KS

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 26V451000 (SEATS); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired because the remedy was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the rear driver’s side seat failed to lock into place, causing the seat to flip forward. The failure mileage was 119,000.

Filed Sep 15, 2026 · Seats · 60,000 miles · WA

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the electronic seat back adjustment malfunctioned, causing the right side of the seat to rise while the left side failed to respond, resulting in extreme discomfort for the driver while operating the vehicle. No warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was notified of the failure and offered the replacement part for purchase. The contact purchased the part to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.

Filed Jul 1, 2026 · Seats · 77,000 miles · GA

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear seat unlocked and flipped forward independently. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V393000 (Seats); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

Filed Apr 8, 2026 · Seats · TX

The third-row seat headrest in my 2021 Ford Explorer is stuck in the upright position and will not fold down, preventing the seat from fully collapsing. This affects rear visibility and cargo use, which may create a safety concern while driving. The issue appears to be a mechanical failure and has not been resolved despite repeated attempts to adjust it.

Filed Feb 18, 2026 · Seats · CA

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V393000 (SEATS); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Filed Sep 22, 2025 · Seats · MA

Passenger second row (Captain's) seat is loose, shakes (sometimes violently) and rattles loudly when vehicle is moving (and seat is unoccupied).

Filed Aug 14, 2025 · Driver assistance, Seats · 90,000 miles · KY

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image was blank. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 25V159000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V393000 (Seats). The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.