If you’re the proud owner of a 2014 F-Series pickup, 2014-2015 Ford Escape, 2014 E-Series van, or 2015 Lincoln MKC SUV, then you may have trouble on your hands. 117,000 of these vehicles were recalled because the bolts that keep seat belts in place could fracture. These particular bolts are used in the buckle, seat belt and seat, and any of them could present a problem.
20,681 of the affected vehicles are situated in Canada, 1,510 in Mexico, and the rest here in the United States of America.
The worst part is when the bolts are most likely to fracture–during an impact. In other words, if you own one of these vehicles and you get involved in an accident or make a sudden stop, the bolts could fracture and you might find yourself flying from the car, suddenly at risk for serious injury or even death. So far, Ford doesn’t believe the defect is responsible for any injuries or accidents. Because they’d like to keep it that way, vehicle owners should bring their car back to the dealership in order to receive a free replacement batch of bolts.
Even though Ford isn’t aware of any accidents, that doesn’t mean they haven’t occurred off the record. If you were injured because of the aforementioned defect, then make sure to seek prompt legal counsel and document any injuries, damage, or bills that may have resulted. The automaker is responsible for those damages–not you.
While news of this recall may have damaged consumer confidence in Ford only slightly, the CEO of the company, Jim Hackett, is busy making plans for the future. At the moment, Ford is making a full review of its products and plans for overseas business ventures in India and other growing markets. Hackett is still getting ready to unveil a 100-day review of these operations in order to foster better trust from investors. That review should provide details on an overall plan for luxury vehicles, small vehicles, and investments in other markets like India (the third largest automobile market globally).
Hackett has only been in charge since May, and he’s ready for change.
Ford recalls aren’t even the biggest problem the company faces. Like most other automakers, Ford is working on driverless technology. It plans to release an automated vehicle as early as 2021. This may or may not be a consumer model, however. For now, the company is attempting to get in on the ride-sharing action, and is therefore building a shuttle that can grab a piece of the pie. Because markets are changing so drastically so quickly, automobile makers are being forced to get more creative. Simply building the vehicles might not be enough in five years time. We’ll see soon enough.
