Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator SUV Recall Issued Over Pre-Collision Assist Failures

More than 25,000 Ford SUV’s have been recalled due to a software defect, which may disable advanced collision warning features without notifying the driver, posing an increased risk of an accident and serious injury.

The Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator recall was announced by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on May 8, after the manufacturer identified a coding error in the Pre-Collision Assist feature modules, which disabled three crash avoidance systems, preventing the driver from accessing menu settings to enable them.

The impacted vehicles are equipped with a Pre-Collision Assist feature which consists of Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Dynamic Brake Support (DBS), and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) technologies which use cameras to detect a potential upcoming collision with a vehicle or pedestrian. The technologies are used to prevent, or significantly reduce, the impact of head on collisions.

Ford first learned on the defect on April 1, after receiving a report concerning the functionality of the Pre-Collision Assist System. Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group reviewed the report and found the features were unavailable in the vehicle’s cluster of options despite being built with the features.

After further evaluation, Ford has identified these advanced crash avoidance systems are not functional due to incorrect software programming in the modules that control the camera-only version of the Pre-Collision Assist System.

NHTSA indicates Ford customers will not receive a notification that the systems are disabled, which could increase the risk of a crash for drivers who are relying on assistance from the systems.

The recall includes an estimated 25,081 model year 2020 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with camera-only Pre-Collision Assist feature. Vehicles built with the optional radar-plus-camera Pre-Collision Assist system are not affected.

Ford announced they will begin notifying customers of the recall and will provide instructions on how to schedule a free repair appointment at their local dealer, who will be instructed to reprogram the software for the Body Control Module, Antilock Braking System, Instrument Panel Cluster and Headlamp Control Modules, and reset the Tire Pressure Monitor System.

The recall is expected to begin on May 25. Customers with additional questions or concerns regarding the recall may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332 and reference the recall campaign number 20S20.