Ford Motor Company announced that it is recalling nearly two million Ford F-150 trucks because they are at risk of catching on fire. The car company said the issue is related to a small explosive charge that is used to tighten the seat belt when the truck suddenly stops.
"Ford’s investigation found that some front seat belt pre-tensioners can generate excessive sparks when they deploy. When sufficient sparks are present, gases exhausted inside the lower portion of the B-pillar by the pre-tensioners may ignite. If this gas ignites, components behind the B-pillar such as insulation and carpet may subsequently catch fire."
The recall impacts 2015-18 Ford F-150 vehicles built at the Dearborn and Kansas City Assembly Plants. Ford said that it knows of seventeen incidents of vehicles catching on fire, but has said that there were no reports of accidents or injuries relating to the issue.
Jake Aufenkamp, the service manager for Woodhouse Ford in Blair, tells NewsRadio 1110 KFAB that Ford will be contacting any F-150 owners that are affected by the recall. "They should be getting a mailer from Ford around the week September 24th giving details as far as what the next step is for them."
Aufenkamp says the repairs should put the trucks out of commission for very long. "Takes roughly about an hours time in the shop as far as the repair process, so it shouldn't take too long."
The recall is expected to cost Ford around $140 million, which will require them to 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."