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Ford recalls over 680,000 Ford Fusions, Mondeos, and Lincoln MKZs for seat belt pretensioners

Update: We spoke with a Ford representative who said that owners will be notified by mail during the week of January 16 . Dealers will also have the fix available at the same time. Owners can bring in their vehicles to dealers for an evaluation in the mean time. The main text has been updated to reflect this. The Basics: Ford is recalling 680,872 2013-2016 Ford Fusions, 2015-2016 Ford Mondeos, and 2013-2015 Lincoln MKZ s for an issue with front driver-side and passenger-side seat belt pretensioners. The Problem: The seat-belt pretensioners did not have sufficient insulation applied. When the pretensioners are activated, the heat generated can cause the cables connected to the belts to separate, which in turn can prevent the seat belts from effectively restraining the occupant. This can lead to injuries. Injuries/Deaths: Ford reports two accidents and two injuries have occurred that are related to this recall. The fix: A dealer technician will inject an insulation coating around the pretensioner. This should effectively keep the heat away from the cables, ensuring the seat belt will properly restrain the user in a collision. If you own one: Affected owners will be notified by mail on the week of January 16. Dealers will have the fix available that week, and owners will be able to bring in their vehicles for the fix to be implemented free of charge. Related Video:

Ford flips switch on GT350, GT350R configurators

Today is the day, folks. If you've been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to configure your ideal Shelby GT350 Mustang, you need to get over to the Ford consumer page and check out the new online builder tool. You can design your ideal GT350 or go hardcore and build an R model. It's all there, including exterior colors, stripe options, and the limited array of optional packages. Everything has prices, with the GT350's starting price coming in just a smidge above what we reported in late May. The base model kicks off at $48,695 while the R adds $13,500 to the total. That means both versions of the Shelby significantly undercut more mainstream and more hardcore competitors. For example, you can get into a GT350R for $62,195, or $3,000 less than a completely basic BMW M4 and $12,805 less than a Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. In fact, even a fully loaded GT350R, with stripes, a painted roof, and the $3,000 Electronics Package (Sync 3, dual-zone climate control, rear-view camera, a seven-speaker stereo, and SiriusXM satellite radio) and you'll still come in at over $8,600 less than the Z/28. As for the GT350, its $48,695 starting price should give pause to anyone thinking of purchasing a high-priced Germans while also stealing some Camaro 1LE customers. Head over to Ford's configurator and build up your ideal car. Finding the GT350 is a bit tough at first, so just be sure to scroll to the bottom of the body style menu on the left side of the page and select "Shelby Fastback," then have at it. Related Video:

Ford says utility vehicles are key to global growth

While most of us believe that small, fuel efficient cars are the key to global expansion for US automakers, Jim Farley, Ford's vice president of Global Marketing, thinks otherwise. Last week, we attended an exclusive sneak preview of the Ford Edge Concept in advance of the Los Angeles Auto Show, and Farley told us that it's actually utility vehicles that will help the Blue Oval gain market share overseas. "There is no other segment in our industry that is growing like utilities," he said. "We expect over the next five years this full family of [utility] vehicles to really drive our growth as a company."
And Farley has the numbers to back it up, too. Ford projects overall automotive sales to grow 23 percent from 2012 to 2017, but the company's utility vehicles are expected to boom by an impressive 41 percent during that same period. Much of that growth will be in China, where Ford estimates its utility sales will explode. "The biggest opportunity for us globally for utilities is in China," Farley said. "China utility growth is expected to more than double from where it is today to 2017, which isn't that far away." Most astounding is that Ford projects its own utility sales in China will eventually increase by more than 2,000 percent when smaller crossovers, such as the EcoSport and Kuga (sold as the Escape in North America), and the Edge and Explorer, are factored in.
Ford's VP also expects utilities to lead the way in the struggling European market. "With all the difficulties of the European market, there is one segment that has actually expanded in volume over the last several years even though the market is way down, and that's utilities," Farley told us. Ford estimates that their utility sales will grow 65 percent in Europe from 2012-2017. "The utility segment is projected to grow we think about thirty percent between now and 2017 in Europe, and we think we are going to grow twice that rate as a brand," Farley continued.