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Ford Motor Company is recalling more than 179,000 vehicles, including certain Bronco SUVs and Ranger pickup trucks, due to a defect in the front seat frame that could increase the risk of injury in a crash. The recall, announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), affects 62,255 model year 2024–2026 Ford Bronco SUVs and 117,443 model year 2024–2026 Ford Ranger pickup trucks, totaling 179,698 vehicles nationwide.
According to the NHTSA notice the issue involves a height-adjust pivot bolt in the front seat frame that may be loose or even missing. If the bolt becomes dislodged, the seat could fail to properly restrain occupants during a crash, raising the risk of injury. Ford has not reported any injuries related to the defect so far, but urges owners to take the recall seriously. Owners who notice squeaking, rattling, or loose-feeling seats may be seeing early signs of the problem.
Dealers will inspect the front seat components and replace the pivot links and bolts if necessary, free of charge. Ford will mail interim notification letters to affected owners starting Saturday, May 11, alerting them to the safety risk. A second round of letters, with instructions for the final repair, is expected in July once the remedy is finalized.
Owners can check if their VIN number is included on nhtsa.gov/recalls, or call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 and reference recall number 26S30. Additional information is available by calling the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.
This is the second recall for the 2024–2026 Ford Ranger in recent weeks. An earlier recall addressed a wiring harness issue that could increase the risk of fire. Repairs for both recalls will be made in phases, grouped by model year, with notices to be sent by mail through late July.