Ford recalls Mustang Mach-E and Maverick over ‘improperly attached’ seat belts

Dearborn, MI – January 7, 2022 – Ford (NYSE:F) is recalling 2,622 vehicles over faulty seat belts that may fail to protect passengers in a crash, putting them at a higher risk of injuries in a crash.

This Ford seat belt recall centers on the following vehicles:

  • 2021 Mustang Mach-E
  • 2021 Mustang Mach-E
  • 2022 Maverick

Recall summary

The rear seat belt buckles of the recalled vehicles are not attached to the rear floor assembly in the right way. This means that the seat belt can detach under load and fail to properly protect the passenger in the event of a crash.

The component involved in this recall is the “Rear Floor Assembly” with part numbers NZ6B-E11215-A/C/D and LJ9B-R11215-AN.

Recall risks

For information on the risks of this recall, please visit our recent article about a Ford F-150 recall because of the same issue.

Other Ford recalls 

This follows the recent recall issued for 2022 Ford Maverick units over an issue with the fuel tank, which may have been pierced by drilling holes during installation of a bed liner. Any damage or puncture to the fuel tank may result in a fuel leak, which increases the risk of fire or environmental pollution, apart from compromising the vehicle’s performance.  

Meanwhile, the last Ford Mustang recall was issued in October of last year over detaching windshields. The front glass on more than 17,600 Mustang Mach-E units was not properly glued in place, presenting a safety hazard for occupants. 

The repair

Dealers will inspect and repair the seat belt buckle attachments free of charge. Owners of affected units will be notified by mail between January 17 and January 22, 2022. 

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

More than 2,600 vehicles are being recalled because of this Ford seat belt issue. To do a Ford recall check, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.  

Joseph EstabilloFord recalls Mustang Mach-E and Maverick over ‘improperly attached’ seat belts

Ford tells owners not to drive F-150 trucks with faulty seat belts

Dearborn, MI – October 2,  2021 – Ford (NYSE:F) recalled F-150 trucks that have been equipped with incorrectly routed seat belts, which may increase the risk of an injury in a crash.  The recall includes 16,430 ​​2021 F-150 Super Cab pickup trucks.

Ford is advising drivers to perform a “preliminary self-inspection” on the vehicles and to NOT drive the car or use the front passenger seat if the respective seat belts are found to be improperly routed. Instructions on how to perform the inspection were set to be provided in the mail this week. 

The affected component is the “Front Outboard Seat Belt Assembly” with part numbers ML3B-18612D64-ADW and ML3B-18612D65-ADW.

Recall summary

Affected vehicles are equipped with front seat belts that have not been routed properly.  The faulty seat belt assemblies have only made their way onto the Super Cab body style – F-150 models with the Regular Cab and Crew Cab body styles have not been affected. As a result, models like the 2021 Ford F-150 SuperCrew Cab are not a part of this recall.

Recall risks

The improperly routed seat belt may not do an adequate job at restraining the occupant in the event of an accident. This can result in serious injury or even death. 

Other Ford F-series recalls

Last month, Ford advised F-series owners not to drive their cars over a concern that the vehicle’s wheels may fall off. A quick Ford recall check on our website will also bring up results on an investigation conducted by an auto-safety regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), over how the company handled a recall of over 600,000 vehicles to address issues with the rearview camera.

The repair

Owners should have received instructions on how to perform a self-assessment of their F-150’s seat belts in mail. The self-assessment will help them decide on whether their driver or passenger seat belt is faulty. If the driver seat belt is faulty, drivers should have the car towed for inspection where it will be replaced. For more information, please see the recall notice. All repairs are free.

Is your vehicle part of the recall?

To find out if your vehicle is a part of this Ford truck recall, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Vishal VenugopalFord tells owners not to drive F-150 trucks with faulty seat belts

Ford Recalls 108,000 Midsize Cars Over Seat Belt Failing

Laguna Hills, CA – Aug. 21, 2019 – Ford Motor Company says it will pull 2015 Ford Fusions and Lincoln MKZs from circulation by the tens of thousands due to a seat belt pretensioner issue. Once the front-passenger seat belt is pulled from its anchor to lock into the clasp, the heat that’s generated over time can reduce the tensile strength of the cable. This could prevent the occupant from being properly strapped in. Riding unbuckled dramatically increases the risk of injury or death during a crash.

This recall will get underway soon, but the specific timeline for when owners will received word has not yet been disclosed.

The Defect

In a press release by Ford, the automaker plans to recall 108,000 midsize cars  – the 2015 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ – over a manufacturing flaw that affects the seat belt. In the problematic population, the high temperature generated from deploying the belt may cause the pretensioner to not perform its main function, which is to keep the belt taut and restrain occupants. Over time, the heat that emanates and causes wear could render the seat belt assembly useless.

Ford says it believes the automobiles that contain this flaw came from its manufacturing and distribution plants in either Flat Rock, Michigan or Hermosillo in Mexico. Additionally, the Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles were developed between Aug. 1, 2014 and Jan. 30 2015 (Flat Rock) or Aug. 1 and Nov. 21 (Hermosillo).

Timeline of Events

This latest Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ seat belt recall appears to be an expansion of the original one, which occurred a few years ago. At that time, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Ford coordinated to recall nearly 603,400 Fusions and MKZs also because of a seat belt pretensioner defect. This may have spurred the automaker to look into other models whose seat belt assemblies were potentially compromised. Typically when recalls are announced, NHTSA provides a timeline of events that led up to the action, but this wasn’t available at the agency’s website as of Aug. 21.

The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker has a separate seat belt recall underway affecting approximately 7,600 2019 Ford Rangers. The flaw involves the truck’s poke yoke fixture, a component that when compromised can prevent the seat belt from locking. This recall is already underway and began July 29.

Seat belts are proven to save lives – when there’s an issue with them, they almost always result in a recall. In 2018, the most recent year in which data is available, 89.6% of Americans used his or her seat belt while on the road, according to NHTSA data. Of the 37,133 individuals who died in car accidents the year prior, close to 50% were not wearing one at the time of the crash. Had they been, an estimated 2,549 lives might have been spared.

States are serious about ensuring motorists buckle up, as 35 states have primary enforcement laws, meaning motorists can be pulled over and ticketed if they’re not wearing a seat belt. The usage rate is higher in states where these laws are in place, averaging 90% to 86%, NHTSA data shows.

Ford says it’s not aware of any fatalities linked to this seat belt issue but one person was injured, The Associated Press reported.

The Solution

To ensure drivers observe the law and stay safe, the automaker urges those that receive notifications pertaining to the Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ seat belt recall to have an area dealer replace the unit with a fully functional one. This will come at no cost for the repair.

For more information, visit MotorSafety.org.

Sean ReyesFord Recalls 108,000 Midsize Cars Over Seat Belt Failing