The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·20V414000·Announced 2020-07-17

Ford Recalls Lincoln MKX and Nautilus for Air Bag Wire Damage Risk

Ford is recalling 2016-2020 Lincoln vehicles because seat tilt functions may damage air bag wiring, causing unintended deployment or failure to deploy.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect affecting air bag deployment, which the source text states increases the risk of injury in a crash, meeting the criteria for a Severe rating.

Plain-English summary

Ford Motor Company is recalling certain 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX and 2019-2020 Lincoln Nautilus vehicles equipped with 16-way electric tilt seats. The recall addresses a defect where the seat cushion frame edge may contact the wire harness when the occupant uses the seat's tilt function. This contact can damage one or more wires within the harness.

The damaged wiring can result in the air bag deploying inadvertently or failing to deploy in the event of a crash. An air bag that deploys without a crash increases the risk of a collision, while an air bag that fails to deploy increases the risk of injury to the occupant.

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install protective flocking tape onto the exposed edge of the 16-way seat cushion frames. Dealers will also inspect the wire harness for damage and repair or replace it as needed, free of charge. This recall began on August 12, 2020. Owners may contact Ford/Lincoln customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
LINCOLN MKX, NAUTILUS
Brand
LINCOLN
Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Category
Vehicle — Seat / Air Bag
Hazard
Affected units
19,299

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (2)

  • MKX
  • NAUTILUS

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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