Anyone in Illinois who drivers a Ford F-150 should be aware of a recent recall the manufacturer put out. The company has issued a recall of nearly two million of its pickup trucks due to a seat belt defect. The recall impacts F-150 models produced between 2015 and 2018. The issue at hand relates to a problem with the seat belt pretensioner, which can trigger sparks when deployed. The presence of sparks, in addition to gas emanating from the B-pillar, can result in ignition. As of now, there have been 23 instances of fires breaking out in Ford vehicles, although, thankfully, there are no reports of injuries yet.
This recall is a result of a nearly year-long investigation after some F-150 owners reported experiencing small interior fires after collisions. It is only recently that the company was able to identify the root cause of the problem. Owners of Ford F-150s should take their vehicles to a local dealership for repairs. Professionals at the dealership will remove the truck’s insulation to put heat-resistant tape inside the vehicle.
Toyota Prius
Another major recall that took place recently involved the Toyota Prius. The automaker announced that it needs to recall approximately 192,000 of its Prius models in the United States due to a problem with the wire harness. There is a component in this harness that can collide with the connection, resulting in the parts short-circuiting, which could lead to a fire. Similarly to Ford, no injuries have occurred yet. However, anyone with this model should take the vehicle to a certified Toyota dealership. Professionals at the location will replace the faulty part with a new one at no charge.
Anyone unsure of whether her or his vehicle falls into the recall can provide the VIN to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The website will tell you whether your specific make and model of vehicle falls within the recall parameters.