Loose Bolt in Front Seat Frame

Affected vehicles (2)

Component / system

Defect

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Ranger and Bronco vehicles. The front seats may have a loose or dislodged seat frame height-adjust pivot bolt.

Risk / consequence

A seat with a dislodged bolt may not properly restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the pivot links and bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 26S30. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning April 30, 2026.

Chronology of events

1. Oct 17, 2025

   On October 17, 2025, Ford approved safety recall 25SB5 (NHTSA 25V721) to address a population of vehicles produced from 2020 to 2022 with front seat pivot bolts that may be loose. Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG) continued to monitor an additional population of vehicles that were produced in 2024 and 2025 during the time a torque check for the front seat pivot bolts was in place at the seat structure assembly supplier.

2. Mar 13, 2026

   On March 13, 2026, the CCRG confirmed an increasing number of warranty reports for the monitor period. Upon investigation, CCRG discovered the torque check at the supplier was performed before the thread adhesive patch was fully cured, preventing full effectiveness of the adhesive patch. The CCRG investigation studied the design and performance of the joint and determined that the compromised thread adhesive patch, in conjunction with vibration associated with road loads, may result in a reduced break-way torque that can lead to loosening of the front seat pivot bolts. As of April 10, 2026, Ford is aware of 60 warranty claims and one field report, representing 59 unique VINS, for Ford Bronco and Ford Ranger vehicles produced during the time the supplier torque check was in effect. The reports were received from June 2, 2025 to March 27, 2026.

3. Apr 21, 2026

   On April 21, 2026, Ford’s Field Review Committee reviewed the concern and approved a field service action. Ford is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this condition.

Notification schedule

Dealer notification

Apr 29, 2026 - May 01, 2026 No Dealers

Owner notification

Jul 13, 2026 - Jul 17, 2026 Phased Recall