2020 Ford Explorer Seats Problems

The 2nd row seat folding buttons have been malfunctioning for years and folding unexpectedly but Ford would simply say that it was user error causing it to stick. In June of 2025 I received a recall for the issue stating the buttons on the second row may bind or stick. The notice said the parts werent available and that I would be notified again by Ford when the parts came in to schedule a service appointment to complete the repairs free of charge. However, the notice was misleading because when the follow up notice came it stated "Following an inspection/replacement, dealers will ensure proper operation of the switch free of charge." When the dealer came to service the vehicle they inspected the buttons and said that they "looked fine" and offered to dust the buttons off. After they left, the seats continued to sporadically fold until finally one day I went to remove my daughter's car seat to a booster and the seat kept folding as I went back and forth to remove the old seat and install the new one. I was able to record a video of the seat folding repeatedly and reached back out to the dealership. The dealership came out did an inspection and took the parts from the vehicle. They claimed they would resubmit the issue to Ford to approve the parts under the recall and/or the manager was willing to pay out of pocket for them. Jordan Ford insisted removing the parts so that the seats wouldn't unexpectedly fold on my daughter. They didn't know if the issue was mechanical, electrical, or something else. It's now Jan/2026 and they are refusing to take my calls and to give me back my parts or even an estimate if I have to pay out of pocket instead of the wires being exposed without a cover. It's probably not a great idea to drive with the windows down or the sunroof. The condensation from humidity will and/or has gotten into the seats by now. There are other components like the seat warmer and air bag sensor near this. Safety Recall Notice 25S67 / NHTSA Recall 25V393

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the second-row driver's side seat independently shifted backwards. In addition, the contact stated that the contact's [XXX] child was in a car seat attached to the second-row driver's side seat. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V393000 (Seats). The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer in April 2025. The vehicle was inspected, and the contact was informed that the parts were ordered. The contact made multiple calls to the dealer and inquired about the delivery status of the ordered parts. The contact was informed that the parts had not been delivered and were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that dealers were to perform the recall repair. The contact stated that no additional information was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

At 45,000 miles the third row driver side headrest broke and the seat will not fold and is a safety hazard for the seat since the head rest does not work as intended. The third row passenger side head rest broke while under bumper to bumper warranty. Given both have broken with minimal use and others having the same exact issue, the part is made inferior and causes a safety issue.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while loading her children into the vehicle, the driver’s, and passenger’s side rear second row seats collapsed and remained locked in the upright position. After a visual inspection, the contact observed that the “Easy Entry” switch was stuck. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V393000 (Seats); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 20,000.

1. Passenger rear middle seat folds up randomly and repeatedly when someone is sitting in it. It's triggered by pressing on the middle of the back of the seat. This is not related to the current recall, I've had that recall completed and the buttons passed inspection. Basically the seat is trying to eject the passenger repeatedly. Huge safety issue. Sheehy Ford of Ashland has documented this in their report when completing recall. 2.Sunshade has broke and sags down, creating zero visibility in the rear view mirror. Huge safety issue 3. Cupholders are falling through, plastic rivets broke. Cups fall through cupholder

While sitting in the 3rd row seat, my daughter felt the headrest smack the back of her head. When trying to put it back up, it will no longer stay in place. There are multiple reports of this exact thing happening. This is a known issue with these vehicles. I am now unable to allow anyone to ride in that seat, as the headrest will not stay up.

3rd row seats have a malfunctioning system causing the headrests to not lift back up after seat is down, seat goes down with an automatic button but then headrest on both sides do not lift up as they should. This poses a very serious risk to children in the back seat who are now leaned and pushed forward by this headrest which is folded down over the seat and will not go up. After a lot of research I have seen that this is a very common issue with this year of Explorers.

Driver side headrest does not properly lock in place. The headrest moves from the upright position to a forward angle position when jostled. While braking heavily in a car accident, my driver side headrest abruptly moved forward causing the headrest to slam into the back of my head.

The headrests of both of the back seats first locked and would not release, then suddenly released and were never able to lock back in place again. Because of the headrest mechanism failures, we cannot allow anyone to sit in the rear seats because they are not safe. We need to be able to use those seats for our children. We had them inspected by our local Ford dealer and they confirmed that this is a known issue for this model, but that there has not been a recall yet. They could fix them, but unfortunately it would be a significant cost to fix both of them out of pocket when this really is a safety issue and should be a recall. There were no warning messages other than one day they simply would not lock in place properly.

There are problems with these items which are covered under a Ford recall. My vehicle is at Liccardi Ford dealer in Watchung NJ and I feel a tremendous resistance from the dealer to repair the recalled ordered repairs.

Several years ago I reported to Elk Grove Fird that the middle right car seat would release and move forward when a personas seated in the chair. It wouldn’t happen otherwise and we seldom have a 3rd person in our car. They couldn’t duplicate the issue and did nothing. In May 2024, it took it in again. They replaced a seat release button and something else. In August, the unexpected seat release occur again. Another repair was done. The same problem happened again when I had my [XXX] granddaughter with me. On a 5 mile drive to Costco, it suddenly released about 10 times; each time propelling the seat forward and causing the seal belt around her neck. I stopped, placed my iPhone to catch what was occurring, as no body believed me. Within 5 minutes, as we returned home, I captured about 5 more releases. After one month of discussion with Ford, they said they would replace the entire seat and pay about $1,400 and I would pay $1,150. This is a safety issue that could cause serious injury or death to my grandchildren. I believe Ford doesn’t want to make safe a high-end car they know has a serious problem. I have video evidence of this defect. What can the NTSB do to help me? [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The drivers side outside seat valance broke and needs to be replaced.

When drivers side seat automatically goes back it will eventually break off the seat control cover with the adjustment controls on the left side of seat.

The left, middle row captain seat chair passenger fails to lock in place. The back part of the chair can be easily folded down or pushed back just by pressing or pulling on it. The back part of the chair won’t stay locked in whatever position is chosen via the adjustment level on the side of the seat. None of my children are allowed to sit in that chair as I fear it could crush them or allow them to slide out of their booster seats in an accident. I have not reported this to our dealership yet, but I do intent to have my vehicle looked at soon.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while exiting the vehicle, the front driver's side seat shifted backwards. Due to the failure, the front driver's side seat was installed slanted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a cracked seat assembly and the seat assembly needed to be replaced. The contact was informed of an unknown recall notification with the similar failure; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. In addition, the contact was advised that the vehicle was unsafe to drive until the repair was completed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.

When parked with the vehicle running a passenger exited the rear seat behind the driver. When they closed the door the drivers seat moved all the way forward and the seat back also moved forward pinning the driver to the steering wheel. After a few seconds the driver was able to move the seat back from the steering wheel. Not sure if there is a setting for the electric seats to move forward like that but it should not do it with the driver in it.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear seat headrests failed to remain in the upright position. The contact stated that while attempting to adjust the headrest, the headrest failed to lock into the selected position. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while attempting to engage the front driver's seat control buttons, he noticed that the seat control buttons housing was fractured internally. The contact stated that he replaced the part himself. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact they could not assist because the vehicle was out of warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

I’m having to replace the driver’s seat mounting/frame (underneath the seat) for a second time since I’ve had this vehicle. It happened last year as well.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the front passenger’s seat became detached. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had been diagnosed by the dealer and determined that the failure was due to a design flaw which cause the plastic clips used to hold the seat together had fractured. The vehicle was repaired several times, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to contact the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that she became aware that the rear passenger’s side head rest was fractured several months ago. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the head rest needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

Both front seats have brackets that have broken and come apart. Service says this is seen all the time. Pants and skirts get caught in it all the time.

Memory seat module issue. After parking vehicle and turning off ignition, the driver's seat will automatically move all the way forward and wedge the driver against the steering wheel.

DRIVER'S SEAT WILL NOT GO ALL THE WAY BACK OR ALL THE WAY DOWN. LIMITED RANGE OF MOTION AND WILL NOT POWER BACK TO A SAFE DRIVING POSITION. COMING UP ON 6 WEEKS AT THE DEALERSHIP AND FORD TECHS AND ENGINEERING CANNOT FIGURE IT OUT. THEY JUST KEEP CHANGING PARTS. I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT OTHER EXPLORER ST'S .

MIDDLE CAPTAIN SEATS FREE SLIDING DURING OPERATION WITHOUT WARNING TO DRIVER. CAUSED CHILD IN BOOSTER TO BE SLID FROM REAR MOST POSITION TO CONTACTING BACK OF PASSENGER SEAT DURING A HARD STOP. FINDING WAS THAT THE ELECTRONIC SEAT FOLDING BUTTON ON THE TOPS OF BUCKET SEAT WERE PHYSICALLY STICKING CAUSING THE SEAT TO BE LOSE ON TRACKS BUT NOT FOLDING BECAUSE OF CAR SEAT. DEALER EXPLAINED ROOT CAUSE AS BAD INSTALLATION FROM FACTORY ON PLASTIC HOUSING WHICH CAUSED A TAB TO BE BROKEN AND OPENING NOT CENTERED WITH BUTTON THEREFORE CAUSING FRICTION AND STICKING. THERE WAS NO INDICATION TO THE DRIVER THAN THE CHILD IN THE SEAT WAS IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE BUCKLED AND IDENTIFIED VIA DISPLAY AS IN SEAT. SINCE THIS BUTTON IS ELECTRONIC AND PRONE TO MALFUNCTION AND THE VEHICLE KNOWS WHEN AN OCCUPANT IS IN A SEAT THE DRIVER SHOULD BE NOTIFIED WHEN THERE IS AN OCCUPANT IN THE SEAT AND THE SEAT IS BEING RELEASED.

PASSENGER MIDDLE ROW CAPTAIN CHAIR WAS NOT LOCKED IN PLACE RESULTING IN CHILD OCCUPANT TO BE PROPELLED FROM SEAT IN REAR MOST POSITION ALL THE WAY TO FRONT MOST POSITION WHILE ABRUPTLY BRAKING CAUSING CHILD TO STRIKE REAR OF PASSENGER FRONT SEAT. UPON DEALERSHIP INSPECTION WE WERE INFORMED THAT THERE IS A TSB THAT STATED IF THE BATTERY IS DISCONNECTED OR DEAD FOR A PERIOD OF TIME REPROGRAMMING OF THE DOOR CONTROL MODULE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO RESET. PREVIOUS TO INCIDENT DEALER HAD DISCONNECTED BATTERY FOR REPLACING DOOR WINDOW SWITCH AND RETURNED VEHICLE TO US WITH THIS PROBLEM. THERE WAS NO WARNING OR INDICATION THAT THIS SEAT WAS UNSAFE TO BE OCCUPIED AND THAT REPROGRAMMING OF DOOR MODULE REQUIRED. ON TOP OF THE SAFETY CONCERN THIS WOULD ALSO MEAN THAT IF REPLACING A BATTERY YOU WOULD REQUIRE FORD TO SAFELY PERFORM THIS. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET SERIOUSLY HURT HERE AND OBVIOUSLY FORD KNOWS ABOUT THE ISSUE WITH TSB RELEASED. *TR

WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, IN THE LEFT MOST LANE, THERE WAS ROAD ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SIGHTED AHEAD THAT WAS EXTENDING INTO THE LEFT LANE I WAS TRAVELING IN. TO AVOID THE UPCOMING LANE INFRINGEMENT, I NEEDED TO ACCELERATE TO CHANGE LANES TO THE RIGHT OF ME. I HAD PLENTY OF ROOM TO EXECUTE EVASIVE MANEUVERS; THE 2020 EXPLORER ST HOWEVER, DID NOT ALLOW ME TO CHANGE LANES AND INSTEAD APPLIED THE BRAKES AND FROZE MY ABILITY TO STEER - ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE ON THE INTERSTATE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO FORD - NO EXPLANATION/CANNOT FIND A PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE ALSO UNEXPECTEDLY BREAKS WHEN NOTHING IS NEAR IT. THIS ALSO HAPPENS IN REVERSE. THE CAR WILL NOT LET ME REVERSE OUT OF MY GARAGE - NOTHING IS ANYWHERE NEAR IT!!! I HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART IT TO CLEAR ITS SENSORS. NOTHING IS THERE!!! I HAVE HAD THE CAR ABOUT 7 MONTHS AND ONLY HAVE ABOUT 2000 MILES ON THE CAR. I'M AFRAID TO DRIVE IT AND WANT TO RETURN IT. THE SENSORS ARE OBVIOUSLY MALFUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT REMEMBER SEAT SETTINGS OR MIRROR SETTINGS. IT ALSO INADVERTENTLY CHANGES THE SEAT LOCATION WHILE GOING FROM PARK TO DRIVE OR SITTING AT A LIGHT AND PUSHES IT ALL THE WAY FORWARD RAMMING MY KNEES/LEGS INTO THE DASH.... IT WILL NOT STOP GOING FORWARD UNLESS I TURN THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY OFF. THIS IS DEFINITELY A MALFUNCTION. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO FORD DEALER SERVICE - THEY CANNOT FIND A PROBLEM. *TR