- Vehicles
- 1,412
- Built between
- From Jan 2024
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 29 October 2025
- Repaired
- 61%
- Unrepaired
- 544
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between January 2024 and an unspecified date. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2024-2026 Ford ExplorerBuilt January 2024 to unknown
- 2024-2026 Lincoln Aviator
Repair progress
544 of 1,412 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q2 2026.
61% repaired — 857 of 1,412 reported
- Owners not reachable
- 11
Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.
What the defect is
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Explorer and 2024-2026 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The trailer hitch assembly bolts may be loose.
What could happen
While towing a trailer, loose trailer hitch bolts can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, or cause the trailer to detach. Either of these conditions can increase the risk of a crash.
What gets fixed
Dealers will inspect and tighten the trailer hitch bolts, or replace them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 29, 2025.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtJanuary 2024 to unknown
- Recall reported to NHTSA10 October 2025
- Owners notified29 October 2025
- Latest repair reportQ2 2026 — 61% repaired
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 10 October 2025.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA3. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- 25SA3
- Recalling manufacturer
- Ford Motor Company
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.