Ford · Recall 25V687000
Ford Recall 25V687000: Other safety defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Explorer and 2024-2026 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The trailer hitch assembly bolts may be loose.
Recall 25V687000 at a glance
| NHTSA campaign number | 25V687000 |
| Manufacturer | Ford Motor Company |
| Component | TRAILER HITCHES |
| Vehicles affected | EXPLORER, AVIATOR |
| Model years | 2024–2025 |
| Vehicles potentially affected | 1,412 |
| Reported to NHTSA | October 10, 2025 |
What can go wrong
While towing a trailer, loose trailer hitch bolts can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, or cause the trailer to detach. Either of these conditions can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix — and whether it has actually arrived
Dealers will inspect and tighten the trailer hitch bolts, or replace them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 29, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA3. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.
If the remedy is not available yet, or your dealer cannot tell you when the parts will arrive, ask for that in writing. A manufacturer that cannot repair your vehicle within a reasonable time is a manufacturer with a lemon law problem.
Your rights
Could this recall support a California lemon law claim?
It depends less on the recall than on what happened afterwards.
California's Lemon Law asks whether a substantial defect — one that impairs the vehicle's use, value or safety — survived a reasonable number of repair attempts, or kept the vehicle out of service for 30 or more cumulative days. A recall is the manufacturer's admission that a defect exists. What matters next is whether the remedy actually worked, and how long you waited for it.
It is also worth looking at the whole vehicle rather than this one campaign. Owners often come to us about a single recall and discover that the real claim is the repair history sitting behind it.
A recall is not automatically a lemon. It is the manufacturer admitting a defect and offering to fix it free — that is the system working. A lemon law claim arises when the fix fails, the fix never comes, or the defect has already taken the use of your vehicle away from you.
What to do now
Check whether your Ford needs this recall
Not every Ford is affected by 25V687000. Enter your 17-digit VIN in NHTSA's free federal database to see whether this recall — and any others — are open on your exact vehicle.
Look up your VIN at NHTSA.govRecall 25V687000 — common questions
What is 25V687000?
25V687000 is a safety recall issued by Ford Motor Company and reported to NHTSA on October 10, 2025. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2026 Explorer and 2024-2026 Lincoln Aviator vehicles. The trailer hitch assembly bolts may be loose.
Is my Ford included in recall 25V687000?
Not every Ford is affected. The recall covers 2024–2025 EXPLORER, AVIATOR, but inclusion depends on the specific VIN. Enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm whether your exact vehicle is covered.
Does recall 25V687000 make my Ford a lemon?
Depends. The recall itself is rarely the claim — the failed repair, the delay, or the rest of the repair history usually is.
What does it cost to have a lemon law attorney look at this?
Nothing. Case reviews are free, and under California's Song-Beverly Act the manufacturer pays your attorney's fees on a successful claim. You keep your recovery.
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Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome. Every case is different and depends on its own facts.
Is your Ford a lemon?
A recall is one data point. If your Ford has been back to the dealer for the same problem, or has sat waiting on parts, the recall may be the least of it. Speak to a Ford lemon lawyer before you agree to another repair attempt — our Ford lemon law attorneys will tell you straight whether you have a case.
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