Ford recalls over 680,000 Ford Fusions, Mondeos, and Lincoln MKZs for seat belt pretensioners
Fri, Dec 2 2016
The Basics: Ford is recalling 680,872 2013-2016 Ford Fusions, 2015-2016 Ford Mondeos, and 2013-2015 Lincoln MKZ s for an issue with front driver-side and passenger-side seat belt pretensioners.
The Problem: The seat-belt pretensioners did not have sufficient insulation applied. When the pretensioners are activated, the heat generated can cause the cables connected to the belts to separate, which in turn can prevent the seat belts from effectively restraining the occupant. This can lead to injuries.
Injuries/Deaths: Ford reports two accidents and two injuries have occurred that are related to this recall.
The fix: A dealer technician will inject an insulation coating around the pretensioner. This should effectively keep the heat away from the cables, ensuring the seat belt will properly restrain the user in a collision.
If you own one: Affected owners will be notified by mail on the week of January 16. Dealers will have the fix available that week, and owners will be able to bring in their vehicles for the fix to be implemented free of charge.
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By Joel Stocksdale
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