In one of the latest surprises, Ford Motor Company has declared a recall of about 240,000 SUVs from the market. This is because they fear that some of the seatbelt anchor bolts may have not been secured correctly to the body shell of their 2020-2021 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator models. Since I am a great advocate of vehicle safety, this kind of news inevitably affects me.
The Scope of the Recall
It only affects the vehicles from October 2020 to June 2021. It is Ford’s assumption that these seatbelt anchor bolts may not have been tightened correctly during the time of assembling both vehicle models: the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator. Well, at first sight, this seems to be rather a technical problem, yet we have all the reasons to think that it is a rather serious one. The lack of a proper clamp could not effectively hold the passenger in case of an impact, hence raising the possibility of the accident victims getting seriously injured.
However, I must admit that I have never thought that there are cars with relatively low safety ratings still on the market. You always expect that things as basic as a seat belt will work and work well but indeed, this may not be the case. According to Ford’s statement, they are not very sure about the root cause, however, they asserted that the supplier could have done rework, which is not documented and may have deviated from the standard operating procedure. It is unfortunate to think of the reliability of automobiles when such incidents happen, I am a car owner as well.
Potential Signs and Fixes
This may cause a squeak or rattle in the seatbelt anchor and anchor retractor bolts, which may be pointed out by the owner. This is quite important information, particularly for the drivers with the mentioned models. Fortunately, Ford has not mentioned any other accident or injury involving this problem; nonetheless, the four warranty returns and one complaint from Transport Canada are proof of the severity of the problem.
Ford was made aware of this on the 5th of November and consequently launched an investigation. They thought the findings were sufficient for a recall, thus planning on it. This, I feel, highlights the need for companies to be more aggressive in looking into such issues to prevent the unfortunate vice from happening.
Personal Reflection
These kinds of recalls are, however, helpful for all of us who drive a car day and night but at the same time, the thought of having a universal automobile key comprised of systems that are generally used for medical purposes is quite worrying. Threatening because it increases concerns relating to the safety of even some of the leading automotive manufacturing companies. Relevant because it shows that Ford is concerned with the problem, as fixing it is central to the well-being of passengers.
From this case, one can infer that this is a wake-up call to producers as well as consumers. It is good advice to be alert on the vehicles we use and to never underestimate recall issues. That is why they are there to serve us and we must be proactive about them as far as possible.
End Note
To sum up, the decision of the automobile giant – Ford to recall some models of SUVs over faulty seat belts is a clear indication of their commitment to the safety of their clients. Consumers should be sensitive to cases of recall, as they directly affect them as consumers. This is a chance for Ford to convince its customers that it trusts them back by acting in the quickest and best way. As such, I hope that this will be a learning experience and this way the quality control of future projects will be enhanced.
Via Ford