Ford Motor Company, the second-largest U.S. automaker, recalled 2 million F-150 pickup trucks in North America because of a seat belt problem that could generate excessive sparks and cause fires. The recall affects 2015-2018 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles. Both driver and front passenger seat belts have defects. During a crash, a device in the seat belt buckle called the pretensioner uses an explosive charge to lock the seat belt in place. Ford said the device generates excessive sparks.
More than 1.6 million U.S. vehicles are included in the recall, as well as 340,000 in Canada and 37,000 in Mexico. The automaker said it received 17 reports of smoke or fire in the United States and six in Canada. However, the company was not aware of any injuries at the time of the announcement.
The recall comes just weeks after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a preliminary investigation in August. The investigation began after consumers filed five complaints of fires in the seat belt component—including three vehicles destroyed completely by fires.
Ford will fix the problem for free.
Ford said Takata built the defective components in the older 2015-2017 models, while German auto supplier ZF Friedrichshafen AG built the defective seat belt pretensioners in 2018 model year.
The Carlson Law Firm Can Help
A defective auto part can lead to severe injuries. The Carlson Law Firm handles all auto defect cases—including seat belt pretensioner failures. We will investigate the cause of your injuries. If we find that defective auto products were to blame we will fight tirelessly on your behalf to get the compensation you deserve.
Don’t let another moment pass without an experienced defective auto products advocate on your side. Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation with an Auto Product Liability attorney.
