- Seatbelt pretensioners cited
- Gases could ignite, causing insulation and carpet fires
- 2 million vehicles affected
A recall has been issued by Ford for about 2 million 2015-18 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab pickups for a defect in the driver and front passenger seat belt pretensioners that could cause fires. The affected vehicles were sold in North America.
The pretensioners tighten the seatbelts in the event of a collision and the company found that some units could generate sparks when deployed. Gases released by the system in a deployment may ignite in the lower portion of the B-pillar and surrounding insulation and carpet could catch fire.
There are reports of 17 incidents of smoke or fire in the U.S. and six in Canada, however, Ford says it is not aware of any accidents or injuries as a result of the defect.
Affected vehicles include:
- 2015-18 Ford F-150 vehicles built at Dearborn Assembly Plant, March 12, 2014 through Aug. 23, 2018
- 2015-18 Ford F-150 vehicles built at Kansas City Assembly Plant, Aug. 20, 2014 through Aug. 23, 2018
There are approximately 1,995,776 vehicles in North America relating to this concern, with 1,619,112 vehicles in the United States and its federalized territories, 339,884 in Canada and 36,780 in Mexico. The Ford reference number for this recall is 18S27.
The fix involves removing insulation from the B-pillar trim along with remnants of wiring harness tape and putting heat-resistant tape on the carpet and insulation as well as modifying rear cabin panels on Regular Cab vehicles. Ford will be sending out notices to owners of affected trucks to schedule inspection and needed repairs free of charge. Owners can also check the NHTSA recall website here to enter their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to see if truck is involved in the campaign.
