Two additional investigations into possible flaws with Ford automobiles have been launched by the US auto safety authority.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated in separate statements on Friday that its Office of Defect Investigations (ODI) was investigating complaints regarding a seat belt retractor and loss of motive power in Ford Broncos and Ford Mavericks from the most recent model year.
According to ODI, it has been notified of three complaints about the retractors in Ford Expeditions from the 2019–20 model year.
“The complaints allege hearing a loud sound immediately followed by the seat belt rapidly tightening,” according to the announcement. The pretensioner mechanism may have been used as a result of a collision or crash, according to the allegations. Additionally, following the deployment event, the seat belt stays fastened in place.
According to ODI, Ford has previously issued a recall about this problem, but it did not cover the Expeditions or any possible problems with Lincoln Navigator models from 2018 to 2019.
According to a statement, the separate motive-power examination is in response to 15 concerns filed by owners of Ford vehicles regarding potential shortcomings in the remedies for a prior recall.
Ford agreed last week to pay the NHTSA’s second-largest civil penalty ever in order to settle allegations that company did not correctly and promptly file recall information.
The CEO of Ford, the second-largest carmaker in America, Jim Farley, has stated that the firm is committed to resolving the quality control problems that have plagued the company in recent years.
In an email, a Ford representative stated that the firm is assisting the NHTSA with its investigations.
