2 Million Ford Trucks Recalled Because Of Reported Seat Belt Fires

Enlarge this image toggle caption Keith Srakocic/AP Keith Srakocic/AP

Some two million Ford F-150 pickup trucks are being recalled by the company after more than 20 reports of smoke or fire coming from the seat belts.

The recall, which was announced Thursday, applies to certain Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles from model years 2015-18.

The problem, according to the company, is with a part of the driver and front passenger seat belts called a pretensioner. The pretensioner is a component attached to the base of a seatbelt clip. During a crash, it automatically forces the clip down, which is meant to protect the occupant by pulling them into the seat. Sometimes, this piece involves explosives.

You can see a pretensioner deploy in this video from The Slow Mo Guys:

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"Ford's investigation found that some front seat belt pretensioners can generate excessive sparks when they deploy," the company stated. These sparks could cause a fire in the insulation or carpet, Ford added.

It says it's seen 17 reports of smoke or fire in the U.S., and another six in Canada, and says it has not received reports of accident or injuries. Most of the affected vehicles are in the U.S., though Canada has nearly 340,000 and Mexico has about 36,000.

Federal safety regulators opened a preliminary investigation into this issue last month after receiving five complaints.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that "two fires self-extinguished, while the other three vehicles were totally destroyed by the fire."

In one recent complaint with NHTSA, according to The Associated Press, a car owner says a deer ran into their car, which deployed the airbag. Shortly after they noticed a fire near the seat belt. "The truck went up in complete flames in a matter of minutes and is a complete loss," they wrote, according to the AP.

In a statement Thursday, the NHTSA said that these car owners "should watch for recall notifications from Ford Motor Co. and take action when it's time to get the free repair." That involves removing some insulation material and applying heat-resistant tape.

The recall will be costly – as the AP reported, "Ford said in a filing Thursday with U.S. securities regulators that the recall will cost about $140 million and will be counted in third-quarter results."

Ford's stock value was down more than 0.6 percent by mid-afternoon on Thursday.

According to Reuters, some of the faulty parts were built by Takata, the maker of airbags that were the subject of the largest automotive recall in U.S. history:

"Ford said the components in the older 2015-2017 models were built by Takata, which was acquired by Ningbo Joyson Electronic Corp, while ZF Friedrichshafen AG built the parts starting with the 2018 model year."

Toyota also announced that it was recalling cars this week. As NPR's Cameron Jenkins reported, the manufacturer recalled some 192,000 Prius vehicles in the U.S. over concern about potential fires. More than 1 million of Toyota hybrids worldwide are being recalled, and the largest number of them is in Japan.</s>Ford Motor Co said Thursday it would recall 2 million F-150 pickup trucks in North America to address fire and smoke concerns in seat-belt pretensioners.

WASHINGTON: Ford Motor Co said on Thursday it would recall 2 million F-150 pickup trucks in North America to address fire concerns relating to seat belts that have been linked to three serious incidents but no injuries.

The second-largest U.S. automaker said it was aware of 17 reports of smoke or fire in the United States and six in Canada relating to seat-belt pretensioners, but was not aware of any accidents or injuries as a result. The mechanism of the pretensioner, which works in tandem with air bags, involves an explosive charge that locks a seat belt in place during a crash.

Some pretensioners in front seat belts could generate excessive sparks when deployed, resulting possibly in a fire, the company said.

The recall comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a preliminary investigation in August into 1.6 million Ford trucks after five complaints of fires in the seat belt component, including three vehicles destroyed by fires.

Owners should "take action" when they receive recall notices from Ford disclosing the timing for free repairs, NHTSA said in a statement Thursday.

The automaker "identified this issue through its normal quality processes. We have been cooperating with the agency, as we always do," Ford spokeswoman Elizabeth Weigandt said on Thursday, referring to NHTSA.

The recall covers 2015-18 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles in North America for driver and front passenger seat-belt pretensioners.

Ford said the recall included 1.62 million U.S. vehicles, 340,000 in Canada and 37,000 in Mexico.

Shares of the company were down about 0.3 percent in morning trading at US$9.46.

To resolve the issue, dealers will remove some insulation material and remnants of wiring harness tape from the vehicle's B pillar area, and apply heat-resistant tape to the carpet and its insulation. They will also modify the back interior panels of Regular Cab vehicles. The B pillar is the vertical support behind a vehicle's front seat windows.

Transport Canada, the Canadian auto regulatory agency, contacted Ford in November 2017, regarding a B-pillar area fire on a 2015 vehicle. That prompted a joint vehicle inspection by Ford and the agency, but the cause could not be determined.

NHTSA reached out to Ford earlier this year to inquire about the reports relating to the three fires before it opened its formal probe.

Ford said the components in the older 2015-2017 models were built by Takata, which was acquired by Ningbo Joyson Electronic Corp, while ZF Friedrichshafen AG built the parts starting with the 2018 model year.</s>Ford Motor said on Thursday it would recall 2 million F-150 pickup trucks in North America to address fire and smoke concerns in seat-belt pretensioners.

The second-largest U.S. automaker said it was aware of 17 reports of smoke or fire in the United States and six in Canada relating to belt pretensioners, but was not aware of any accidents or injuries as a result of this condition.

The mechanism of the pretensioner, which works in tandem with air bags, involves an explosive charge that locks a seat belt in place during a crash.

Some pretensioners in front seat belts could generate excessive sparks when deployed, resulting possibly in a fire, the company said.

The recall covers 2015-18 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles in North America for driver and front passenger seat-belt pretensioners.

Ford said the recall included 1.62 million U.S. vehicles, 340,000 in Canada and 37,000 in Mexico.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said last month it was investigating complaints of fire in the seat belt component.

There were five complaints alleging fires following the activation of seat-belt pretensioners, the NHTSA said.

To resolve the issue, dealers will remove some insulation material and remnants of wiring harness tape from the vehicle's B pillar area, and apply heat-resistant tape to the carpet and its insulation. They will also modify the back interior panels of Regular Cab vehicles. The B pillar is the vertical support behind a vehicle's front seat windows.

Transport Canada contacted Ford in November 2017, regarding a B-pillar area fire on a 2015 model year vehicle, prompting a joint vehicle inspection by Ford and Transport Canada.</s>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co said on Thursday it would recall 2 million F-150 pickup trucks in North America because of a seat belt problem that could generate excessive sparks and cause fires.

The second-largest U.S. automaker said it received 17 reports of smoke or fire in the United States and six in Canada but was not aware of any injuries.

During a crash, a device called a pretensioner uses an explosive charge to lock the seat belt in place. The company said the device may generate excessive sparks.

Ford will fix the problem for free and said in a securities filing the recall would cost about $140 million. The company said the cost would be reflected in third-quarter earnings but Ford left unchanged its guidance for full-year 2018 adjusted earnings.

The recall covers 2015-2018 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles in North America for driver and front passenger seat-belt pretensioners.

Ford said the recall included 1.62 million U.S. vehicles, 340,000 in Canada and 37,000 in Mexico.

Shares of the company closed down 0.5 percent at $9.45.

To resolve the issue, dealers will remove some insulation material and remnants of wiring harness tape from the vehicle’s B pillar area, and apply heat-resistant tape to the carpet and its insulation. They will also modify the back interior panels of Regular Cab vehicles. The B pillar is the vertical support behind a vehicle’s front seat windows.

The recall came just weeks after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a preliminary investigation in August after five complaints of fires in the seat belt component, including three vehicles destroyed by fires. The agency had asked Ford about fire reports earlier this year.

A Ford spokeswoman said the company “identified this issue through its normal quality processes.”

Transport Canada, the Canadian auto regulatory agency, contacted Ford in November 2017, regarding a B-pillar area fire on a 2015 vehicle. That prompted a joint vehicle inspection by Ford and the agency, but the cause could not be determined.

Ford also reviewed four reports of post-crash interior fires earlier in 2017 in the B-pillar area of trucks, but did not find any issues.

Ford said the components in the older 2015-2017 models were built by Takata, which was acquired by Ningbo Joyson Electronic Corp, while ZF Friedrichshafen AG built the parts starting with the 2018 model year. The auto suppliers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</s>DETROIT — About 2 million Ford F-150 pickup trucks are being recalled due to an odd problem with seat-belt equipment.

Some front seat passenger belt pretension devices “can generate excessive sparks when they deploy,” causing smoke or fire, Ford says in a press release.

The company knows of 23 reports of the issue generating smoke or fire in North America, most of them in the U.S., the Wall Street Journal reports.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation last month after learning of five fires, including three that engulfed and destroyed the vehicle, USA Today reports.

Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab F-150 vehicles between the model years 2015 through 2018 are affected; most are still in the U.S.. There are also thousands in Canada and Mexico.

The Ford F-Series is the most popular vehicle in the U.S., according to 2017 sales figures.</s>Ford Motor Company said Thursday it would recall 2 million F-150 pickup trucks in North America to address fire and smoke concerns in seat-belt pretensioners.

The second-largest U.S. automaker said it was aware of 17 reports of smoke or fire in the United States and six in Canada relating to the issue, but was not aware of any accidents or injuries as a result of this condition.

The recall covers 2015-18 Ford F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles in North America for driver and front passenger seat belt pretensioners. Ford said some front seat belt pretensioners could generate excessive sparks when deployed, resulting possibly in a fire.</s>About 2 million Ford F-150 pickup trucks are being recalled due to an odd problem with seat-belt equipment.Some front seat passenger belt pretensioners “can generate excessive sparks when they deploy,” causing smoke or fire, Ford says in a press release.

The company knows of 23 reports of the issue generating smoke or fire in North America, most of them in the US, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation last month after learning of five fires, including three that engulfed and destroyed the vehicle, USA Today reports.

Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab F-150 vehicles between the model years 2015 through 2018 are affected; most are still in the US. There are also thousands in Canada and Mexico.
• 3 Species Were Known to Go Through Menopause. Now It’s 5
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• Entire Arctic Expedition Perished, but Not Because of Lead</s>DETROIT >> Under pressure from U.S. safety regulators, Ford is recalling about 2 million F-150 pickup trucks in North America because the seat belts can spark and cause fires.

The recall, which covers trucks from the 2015 through 2018 model years, comes about one month after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating fires in the pickups, which are the top-selling vehicles in the United States.

Ford said Thursday that it has 23 reports of smoke or fire in U.S. and Canadian trucks, but it’s not aware of any injuries. NHTSA began investigating in early August after getting five fire reports, including three reports that trucks were destroyed.

According to Ford, seat belt pretensioners can generate excessive sparks when they tighten before a crash. That can ignite gases inside a support pillar between the front and rear seats, causing insulation and carpet to catch fire.

The seat belt pretensioners, which prepare seat belts to gradually restrain passengers, were made by ZF-TRW and now-defunct air bag and seat belt maker Takata, which was purchased by Joyson, another auto parts supplier.

The Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab trucks were built between March 12, 2014 and Aug. 23, 2018, according to documents posted Thursday by NHTSA.

Dealers will remove insulation and install heat-resistant tape to repair the trucks. They also will remove remnants of wiring tape and modify interior panels in Regular Cab trucks. Owners will be notified starting Sept. 24.

In one of the complaints filed with the U.S. government, an owner in Grand Rapids, Michigan, told NHTSA that on July 7, a deer ran into the driver’s side of a pickup, causing minor damage. The side air bags inflated, and after five to 10 minutes, a passenger noticed a fire on the bottom of the post between the front and rear doors where the seat belts are located. “The truck went up in complete flames in a matter of minutes and is a complete loss,” the owner wrote.

People who file complaints are not identified in the NHTSA database.

Ford said in a filing Thursday with U.S. securities regulators that the recall will cost about $140 million and will be counted in third-quarter results.

The company maintained its full-year adjusted earnings-per-share guidance of $1.30 to $1.50.

The problem surfaced in the spring of 2017 as Ford received four reports of post-crash interior fires in the trucks from April through October, according to documents Ford filed with the U.S. safety agency.

Ford began investigating but wasn’t able to identify any problems with the seat belt pretensioners from the trucks, and the company couldn’t re-create any fires. In November of 2017, Canadian safety regulators contacted Ford about a fire in a 2015 pickup. It received five more reports of fires between January and March of this year, but still couldn’t identify the source of the fires, according to the documents.

From April through June, Ford got six more reports of fires in 2015, 2017 and 2018 pickups and found the potential for excessive sparks in the pretensioners. The company also began analyzing exhaust gases from the seat belt mechanisms. Then NHTSA contacted Ford about three fire reports, and the agency and company jointly inspected one of the trucks on June 28.

From July through August, Ford did more tests and found that the sparks could ignite the exhaust gases, and Ford approved a recall on Aug. 24, according to the documents.</s>Ford Motor Company said on Thursday that owners of 2 million F-150 pickups built between 2014 and 2018 will need to bring their trucks back to dealers to have interior trim components modified due to concerns that their seat belts could catch fire.

Ford said in a release that it has received reports of 23 incidents in the U.S. and Canada involving the seat belt pretensioners smoking or catching fire in 2015 through 2018 model year F-150 pickup trucks built at its assembly plants in Michigan and Missouri. The trucks included in the recall were built between Mar. 12, 2014 and Aug. 23, 2018.

The recall comes after the NHTSA opened an investigation into the trucks earlier this summer after reports that gas from the pretensioner system—which pulls the seat belts taut during a crash—could ignite inside the roof pillars of the vehicles. Ford said that the trucks' carpet and insulation could catch fire.

The automaker said it is not aware of any injuries as a result of the gas-emitting seat belt pretensioners.

Ford said that 1.6 million of the trucks are in the U.S., while about 340,000 were sold in Canada and 37,000 were delivered to Mexico.

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Ford will not replace the seat belts. Instead, the automaker said that its 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" on crew cab and extended cab pickups. On regular cab trucks, the automaker said that it will "modify the back interior panels."

The repairs will be performed at no cost to consumers. Ford did not say when owners will begin receiving recall notifications.</s>FILE- In this Nov. 19, 2015, file photo a row of 2015 Ford F-150 pickup trucks are parked on the sales lot at Butler County Ford in Butler, Pa. Under pressure from U.S. safety regulators, Ford is recalling about 2 million F-150 pickups in North America because the seat belts can cause fires. The recall covers certain trucks from the 2015 through 2018 model years. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File) (Keith Srakocic)
Approximately two million Ford F150 trucks are recalled due to a manufacturing error which can cause the seat belt pretensioner to ignite the vehicle.