Ford recalls 850,000 vehicles for glitch affecting airbags, seat belts
The affected vehicles include the 2013-14 Ford C-Max, Fusion, Escape and Lincoln MKZ. Ford said in a statement today the restraints-control module in the vehicles could short circuit, causing the airbag warning indicator to illuminate.
This is the 12th recall of the 2013 Escape, although a spokeswoman said last month that no single Escape has been involved in all the recalls.
Flaws that other recalls on the Escape have addressed include fluid leaks that could cause an engine fire, doors that can open while the vehicle is moving and rollover airbags that may not deploy quickly enough.
"Depending on the location of the short circuit, the deployable restraint systems (e.g. airbags, pretensioners, side curtains) may not function as intended in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury," Ford said in a release. "The short circuit may also affect the function of other systems that use data from the restraints control module, including stability control," also lighting the corresponding warning indicators.
Ford said it was not aware of any accidents or injuries resulting related to a malfunction of the module. Dealers will replace the restraint control modules free of charge, the company said.
A Ford spokeswoman said a letter will go out to affected customers Nov. 10. She said the repair takes less than half a day. If circumstances dictate the repairs will take longer, Ford will put customers in loaner vehicles, she said.
Ford has sufficient replacement restraints-control modules for all affected vehicles except the Fusion, for which there is a backlog, she said.