650,000 Units Of Ford Fusion, Lincoln MKZ Recalled Over Seat Belt Anchor Pretensioners

Ford Motor Company is recalling certain units of the Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ over an issue with the seat belt pretensioners.

The defect: in the affected vehicles, increased temperatures generated during deployment of the seat belt anchor pretensioner could cause pretensioner cables to separate.

The hazards: if a pretensioner cable separates, it may inadequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing risk of injury. Ford is aware of two accidents and two injuries associated with this issue.

Affected vehicles:

• 2013-15 Ford Fusion built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant between November 2, 2012 and July 31, 2014
• 2013 Ford Fusion built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant between August 13, 2012 and November 1, 2012
• 2015-2016 Ford Fusion built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant between August 1, 2014 and April 2, 2016
• 2015-2016 Ford Fusion built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant between August 1, 2014 and February 22, 2016
• 2014-2015 Ford Fusion built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant between April 12, 2013 and July 31, 2014
• 2013-15 Lincoln MKZ built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant between November 14, 2012 to July 31, 2014

Number of vehicles affected: 680,872 vehicles, of which:

• 602,739 are in the United States
• 35,614 are in Canada
• 8,665 are in Mexico
• 653 are in federalized territories

The fix: dealers will inject a conformal coating into the front driver and passenger seat belt anchor pretensioner to protect the cables from increased temperatures generated during deployment at no cost to the customer.

Owners should:

• Ford owners who wish to know if their vehicle is included in this Ford Fusion recall can visit http://owner.ford.com and click on Safety Recalls at the bottom of the page. There, they can enter their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to see any open safety, compliance or emissions recalls, as well as customer satisfaction programs.
• Lincoln owners who wish to know if their vehicle is included in this Lincoln MKZ recall can visit http://owner.lincoln.com and click on Safety Recalls at the bottom of the page. There, they can enter their Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to see any open safety, compliance or emissions recalls, as well as customer satisfaction programs.

Owners may also contact Ford customer service or Lincoln Customer Service using the information below.

Contacts:

• Ford Customer Service: 1-866-436-7332
• Lincoln Customer Service: 1-800-521-4140
• Ford Recall Number: 16S42
• NHTSA Toll Free: 1-888-327-4236
• NHTSA (TTY): 1-800-424-9153
• NHTSA Website: www.safecar.gov
• NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V875000