The Ford F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in United States for years and now the company is recalling approximately two million of them in a fire-related recall.
The recall involves F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew models from the 2015 to 2018 model years. Following an investigation, Ford discovered that some of the trucks might be equipped with front seat belt pretensioners which can generate “excessive sparks” when activated.
This is potentially dangerous as Ford says if enough sparks are created, then “gases exhausted inside the lower portion of the B-pillar … may ignite.” This, in turn, could cause the carpeting and insulation behind the B-pillar to catch on fire.
Ford isn’t aware of any accidents or injuries caused the issue, but there have been 23 different reports of smoke or fire. 17 of these came from the United States, while the rest occurred in Canada.
As part of the recall, dealers will remove insulation from the B-pillar and apply heat-resistant tape to the carpet and its insulation. On Regular Cab models, dealer will also “modify the back interior panels” to reduce the risk of smoke and fire.
The recall impacts 1,995,776 vehicles in North America and a bulk of them – 1,619,112 – are located in the United States and its territories. The recall also involves 339,884 F-150s in Canada as well as an additional 36,780 in Mexico.
All of the affected trucks were built at two plants in the United States. Those made at the Dearborn Assembly Plant were produced between March 12, 2014 and August 23, 2018. Likewise, affected trucks were also made at the Kansas City Assembly Plant between August 20, 2014 and August 23, 2018.
