Ford has recalled 419,967 vehicles due to an issue with the front seatbelt retractor pretensioners, which may cause the seatbelts to lock, making them unusable. This could lead to injury in the event of a crash.According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall report, the list of affected Ford vehicles includes:2018 model year Lincoln Navigator – 17,647 units2019 model year Lincoln Navigator – 21,113 units2020 model year Lincoln Navigator – 18,368 units2021 model year Lincoln Navigator – 15,030 units2022 model year Lincoln Navigator – 5,526 units2018 model year Ford Expedition – 64,874 units2019 model year Ford Expedition – 83,488 units2020 model year Ford Expedition – 89,610 units2021 model year Ford Expedition – 81,437 units2022 model year Ford Expedition – 22,874 unitsDescription of the Issue and Its Effects on the Occupantsa white suv driving down a desert roadThe NHTSA states that on some of the affected vehicles, the driver or front passenger "seatbelt retractor pretensioners may deploy inadvertently. The primary seatbelt locking functions continue to function properly."AdvertisementAdvertisementRevealing the potential consequences of the seatbelt issue, the report added:"Inadvertent deployment of the retractor pretensioner will result in the seatbelt being locked in position and not able to retract or extend, which is noticeable to the occupant. A seatbelt that does not retract or extend may result in injury in the event of a crash. In some cases, inadvertent retractor pretensioner deployment can cause occupant injury due to rapid seatbelt retraction."Highlighting the root cause of the issue, the report mentions excessive heat as a triggering factor. It reads:"The propellant in the retractor pretensioner may degrade in high-heat environments. Degrading propellant by products can result in oxidation of internal components and, over time, lead to inadvertent pretensioner deployment."AdvertisementAdvertisementOwners whose vehicles are listed above must look out for an airbag malfunction light on the instrument cluster, which usually appears before an "inadvertent deployment of the seatbelt retractor pretensioner."Ford Acknowledges One Injury Due to the Seatbelt IssueThe recall report adds that as of May 6, 2026, Ford was aware of "two warranty claims and two field reports related to this concern for the vehicle population outside of previous recall 24S06 and 25S31 windows and were received on July 18, 2024, October 7, 2024, October 21, 2024, and September 23, 2025."Ford is aware of one injury due to this condition that was not identified in previous recalls. As a remedy to the seatbelt issue, the American automaker will inspect and repair seatbelt retractors. The report states:"Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have both front seat belt retractors inspected and to replace retractors that fall within the suspect production date range. The date range is comprised of pretensioners that may have been produced with the legacy propellant/stabilizer combination. There will be no charge for this service."AdvertisementAdvertisementThe new replacement pretensioners are reportedly produced with a propellant and stabilizer combination that features "enhanced chemical stability."Interim owners will be mailed notification letters from June 8, 2026, to June 12, 2026. Remedy owner notification letters will be mailed from August 31, 2026, until September 4, 2026.