Ford recalls 387,911 Explorer and Aviator SUVs because second-row seats can slide while driving

The expansion of a 2025 fix that did not hold adds 387,911 three-row SUVs to Ford's seat campaign, with VINs live now and a permanent part not due until January 2027. Plus Honda recalls 3,933 new Pilot and Passport SUVs over rear subframe bolts left undertorqued at the factory, and the FDA doubles down on the Taylor Farms cyclospora recall after retracting its one positive lab test.

The newest vehicle recall on NHTSA's list is the one an Explorer or Aviator family is most likely to own, and it is a recall-of-a-recall: the first attempt did not hold. There is no new CPSC consumer-product batch today (the last landed July 16), and no new FDA food recall, so the action is on the automotive side, with one fast-moving update on the cyclospora outbreak the FDA has spent the week clarifying.

Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator second-row seat recall

Ford is recalling about 387,911 three-row SUVs because the second-row seats can unlatch, tip, or slide forward on their tracks while the vehicle is moving. The campaign covers the 2020 to 2026 Ford Explorer and the 2020 to 2027 Lincoln Aviator, filed as NHTSA campaign 26V451 and Ford internal code 26S52 (AutoGuide, July 20; Delaware News Journal, July 20).

The defect sits in the plastic trim bezel around the "easy-entry" release switch on the second-row outboard seats, the switch passengers use to flip the middle row forward and climb into the third row. Per the NHTSA documents AutoGuide reviewed, that bezel can become misaligned or unseated over time and bind against the release button, trapping it in the pressed position. With the release stuck "down," the seat can slip loose and slide while the SUV is being driven. An unlatched seat will not properly restrain a passenger in a sudden stop or collision, which is the injury mechanism Ford and NHTSA describe. Neither outlet reports a specific injury or incident count for this population.

This is an official expansion of recall 25V393, the 2025 campaign that only had dealers inspect the bezel installation. Ford broadened the population after finding that seats repaired under that earlier inspection-only fix were still moving unexpectedly in the field, and it has since pulled the original bezel design out of production. In other words, the first remedy did not stop the seats from sliding, so Ford is now redesigning the part.

What to do. Vehicle Identification Numbers for this campaign became searchable on NHTSA.gov/recalls on July 16, so the only reliable way to know whether your Explorer or Aviator is included is to run your 17-character VIN there now. Ford will begin mailing interim warning letters on July 27 that explain the hazard, but the redesigned replacement bezels are not expected at dealerships until January 2027, so a permanent fix is months away. Until then, Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the second-row seating mechanism and replace the switch bezel as necessary, free of charge. Contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 and reference code 26S52, or call the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

Scale: 387,911 vehicles, across two of Ford's highest-volume three-row SUVs.

Honda Pilot and Passport rear subframe bolt recall

Honda is recalling 3,933 brand-new 2026 Pilot and Passport SUVs because the rear subframe bolts may not have been tightened to specification at the factory, a defect regulators say could let the subframe partially or completely detach. NHTSA campaign 26V424 covers 2,134 Pilot units built between April 27 and May 15, 2026 and 1,799 Passport units built between May 4 and May 15, with an estimated defect rate of 98.3 percent, essentially the whole production batch (GCN, July 20; corroborated by Yahoo Autos's July recall roundup).

Per the report Honda filed with NHTSA, the problem traces to a process change at the Honda Alabama plant: a new rear subframe pallet was introduced on the line, but the bolt-tightening equipment settings were not adjusted to match. Honda also cited inadequate grease application, an improperly adjusted tightening-equipment gearbox, and a misadjusted pallet clamp as compounding factors. The result is bolts that can loosen under driving loads or impact, producing abnormal noise, reduced vehicle stability, and in severe cases partial or complete detachment of the rear subframe. Honda caught the issue on May 15 during a line sampling check and decided to recall on June 25. As of that date there were zero warranty claims, injuries, or fatalities in the United States. The assembly error was corrected in production on May 15 by reverting to the old pallet.

This is a different Honda subframe problem from the 880,514-vehicle salt-belt corrosion recall covered earlier this month, which is about rust on older Pilot, Passport, Ridgeline, and Acura MDX models in winter-road-salt states. This one is about undertorqued bolts on a few thousand brand-new SUVs.

What to do. VINs for this campaign have been searchable on NHTSA.gov/recalls since July 10. Dealers will check all four rear subframe bolts to the 105 Nm torque specification, mark the ones that pass, and replace any that fall short, followed by a wheel alignment check if a bolt is replaced. The inspection and any replacement are free. Owner notification letters are due to be mailed August 24. Contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138, or the NHTSA hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

Scale: 3,933 vehicles, nearly all of which Honda believes actually carry the defect.

Tracking: FDA doubles down on the Taylor Farms cyclospora recall

The Food and Drug Administration spent Monday clarifying that retracting its one positive lab test does not weaken the case against Taylor Farms. Over the weekend the agency had announced, then retracted, a positive Cyclospora result on a Taylor Farms de Mexico lettuce sample collected during routine import inspection, calling it a false positive that "does not represent true amplification." On Monday the FDA posted on X that the false-positive sample "DOES NOT change the basis for FDA's ongoing outbreak investigation or the overwhelming epidemiological data supporting the current voluntary recall by Taylor Farms," and that its "traceback investigation and outbreak data continue to converge on shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms locations in central Mexico" (NBC News, July 20; SFGate, July 20).

The agency also pushed back on Taylor Farms' claim that the FDA had apologized. On a press call Monday, an FDA official disputed that an official apology was issued, and an HHS spokesperson said the FDA "did not apologize, but simply sent Taylor Farms the facts and what was found following the study." Acting Deputy Commissioner for Food Donald Prater called the original Saturday disclosure "actionable public health information" (Philadelphia Inquirer, July 20). As covered Monday, the practical advice for your kitchen is unchanged.

The recall still stands. Taylor Farms de Mexico's shredded iceberg lettuce and salad kits containing iceberg, distributed June 29 through July 16, remain under recall across 27 foodservice states and 15 retail states under the Walmart Marketside brand (12- and 24-ounce Iceberg Salad and 8- and 16-ounce Shredded Lettuce, Best if Used By July 18 through August 3). The CDC's five-state Taco Bell cluster (Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia) holds at 1,644 confirmed cases and 94 hospitalizations with zero deaths; Michigan alone is at 5,002 cases and 102 hospitalizations; the nationwide tally across 34 states sits near 7,000 with zero deaths reported (CDC; FDA outbreak page).

What to do. Throw out any recalled Walmart Marketside bags and do not eat recalled lettuce at restaurants; ask about the source before ordering. Walmart is offering full refunds at 1-800-925-6278. Taylor Farms customer care is at 855-455-0098. The CDC continues to advise that grocery-store and other-restaurant iceberg lettuce is not part of this recall.

Also still open

• Clover Hill soft-cheese listeria outbreak: still 12 illnesses, 10 hospitalizations, and 1 death in Maryland, unchanged since late June. La Ceiba requeson sold under the La Colonia and Selectos Latinos labels hit its July 10 expiration date 11 days ago, so if any is still in your refrigerator, throw it out. The CDC warns cheese may have been repacked under the Kesso, Quesos la Ricura, Izalco, De mi Pueblo, or Rio Lindo names (CDC).
• Nara Organics infant formula botulism: holds at 4 hospitalized infants in California, Pennsylvania, and Washington, with no new cases in over a month. The recall of all lots remains in force; the formula was sold at Target, Target.com, and Nara.com from July 2025 through June 2026 (CDC).
• California Dairies salmonella cascade: now in its fourth month, the April 20 recall of 2.7 million pounds of nonfat dry milk has pulled in more than eight downstream brands including Zapp's and Dirty potato chips, Ghirardelli drink mixes, and Motor City Pizza 5 Cheese Bread. Zero illnesses reported (FDA).

Check any vehicle you own at NHTSA.gov/recalls, and any food in your kitchen against the FDA recall list.