The Ford Motor Company is recalling nearly 2 million F-150 pickup trucks because of faulty front seatbelt pretensioners that could spark a fire.
23 Reports of Smoke or Fire Tied to Malfunctioning F-150 Seatbelt Pretensioners
So far, malfunctioning seatbelts in F-150 pickup trucks have been implicated in 23 reports of smoke or fire, but, so far, no injuries or accidents have been tied to the defect.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began investigating seatbelt fires in Ford F-150 trucks on August 3, 2018. At the time, the agency had received 5 reports of fires resulting from the activation of the seatbelt pretensioner.
Flames engulfed and destroyed the vehicle in 3 of those incidents.
Ford F-150 Pickup Truck Recall Includes 1.6 Million Vehicles in the United States
The recall covers all 2015-2018 model-year Ford F-150 pickup trucks manufactured from:
- March 12, 2014 through August 23, 2018 in Dearborn, Michigan
- August 20, 2014 through August 23, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri
The majority of F-150 pickups affected by the recall – 1.6 million – were sold in the United States. Roughly 340,000 are in Canada and nearly 37,000 are in Mexico.
Excessive Sparks May Ignite Gas Emitted by Ford F-150 Seatbelt Pretensioners
Pretensioners are attached to the base of each seatbelt clip and are designed to force the clip down in the event of a crash to protect a seat’s occupant.
Some seatbelt pretensioners – including those behind the Ford F-150 truck recall – emit a gas when they are deployed. According to Ford, this gas may ignite in the presence of “excessive sparks,” causing insulation and carpets inside the truck to catch fire.
“Dealers will remove insulation material from the B-pillar trim, remove remnants of wiring harness tape in the B-pillar area, and apply heat-resistant tape to the carpet and its insulation,” Ford’s stated in its September 6th recall notice. “Dealers also will modify the back interior panels of Regular Cab vehicles.”
Ford dealers will provide the needed repairs free-of-charge.
Owners of Recalled F-150s Should Continue to Use Seatbelts While Waiting for Repairs.
The automaker will begin informing affected owners of the recall on September 24th.
In the meantime, owners of the recalled pickup trucks should continue using their front seatbelts. In all of the reported cases, the fire occurred after a crash. The F-150 seatbelt and pretensioner system had deployed correctly and protected the vehicle occupant.
F-150 truck owners can contact Ford at 866-436-7332 for more information about this recall.
They may also contact the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Were You or a Loved One Injured Because of a Ford F-150 Seatbelt Fire? Contact Our Undefeated Automobile Recall Lawyers for a Free Consultation at 1-888-603-3636 or by Clicking Here.
Our Undefeated Automobile Recall Lawyers are investigating injuries and accidents that may be linked to Ford F-150 seatbelt fires and will post an update should new information become available.
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If you or someone you love were injured because of a Ford F-150 seatbelt fire, call 1-888-603-3636 or Click Here to send us a confidential email via our “Contact Us” form.
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