103,000 Ford Fusion, Lincoln MKZ sedans recalled for faulty seat belt parts
The seat belt pretensioner may not have the strength to restrain a passenger.
A group of Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ owners will find a recall notice in their mailboxes sooner rather than later. On Wednesday, the automaker announced a new recall for both sedans .
The Blue Oval said a total of 103,374 vehicles are part of the recall. That includes both the Fusion and more-luxurious MKZ that share a platform. Breakdowns for both cars were not available. The issue surrounds a problem with a faulty seat belt pretensioner that only affects 2015 model year Fusions and MKZs. These cars were built between Aug. 1, 2014 and Jan. 30, 2015.
The automaker said the pretensioner may be susceptible to degradation during deployment of the seatbelt anchor pretensioner. Thus, the component may not have the strength to actually restrain and protect the driver or passengers in the event of a crash. Without proper restraint, the risk of injury increases.
Thankfully, it's an easy fix. Vehicle owners will need to bring their Fusion or MKZ to a dealer where a technician will apply a coating to protect a specific cable when the pretensioner deploys during a crash. Ford didn't provide a time frame for when the recall will start, but as mentioned, owners should keep an eye on their mail.
