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Again? Ford issues second 2015 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ seat belt recall

In 2016, Ford issued a recall for 603,392 2013-2016 Fusions and 2013-2015 Lincoln MKZs due to potentially faulty seat belts. Apparently, that wasn't the end of it. Ford announced another recall this week for the same issue, this time covering 108,399 2015 Fusions and MKZs.  In both cases, the seat belt anchor pretensioners are the issue. According to Ford, "increased temperatures generated during deployment of the driver or front-passenger seat belt anchor pretensioner could degrade the tensile strength of the cable below the level needed to restrain an occupant." Basically, heat could weaken the seat belts, and in extreme cases, they wouldn't be able to keep up proper safety standards. Ford knows of at least one injury that has occurred due to this issue.   The recall includes 103,374 vehicles in the United States, 4,002 in Canada, and 1,023 in Mexico. Possibly affected Fusions were built at Ford's Flat Rock Assembly Plant between August 1, 2014 and January 30, 2015. The MKZs were built at the Hermosillo Assembly Plant between August 1, 2014 and November 21, 2014.  As a fix, Ford says dealers will add an extra coating to the seat belt pretensioner cable for protection from the heat. If this recall might affect your vehicle, call your local Ford dealership and use recall reference No. 19S25. This news comes after Ford recalled 1.3 million Fusions and MKZs in 2018 due to the possibility that the steering wheels could fall off. Fusions have also been recalled due to the risk of rolling away.

Jeep Wrangler and Mitsu PHEV driven, and Ford is up to something | Autoblog Podcast #539

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Green Editor John Beltz Snyder and Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale. We talk about driving the 2018 Jeep Wrangler and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV we had at our office. We speculate about the Ford Maverick and Michigan Central Station, talk Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid news, and help spend a listener's money on a pair of vehicles. Autoblog Podcast #539 Your browser does not support the audio element. Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars in the office: Jeep Wrangler and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Ford trademarks Maverick and Timberline Ford to buy Michigan Central Station? Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid details Spend my money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Green Podcasts Rumormill Ford Jeep Mitsubishi Porsche Car Buying Used Car Buying Crossover SUV Electric Hybrid Luxury Off-Road Vehicles michigan central station

Ford EV Chief: 150 kW fast charging could be the norm

Ford's electrified-vehicle sales aren't exactly at the top of the charts this year, but that hasn't stopped Mike Tinskey, the automaker's global director of electrification and infrastructure, from being rather enthusiastic about advancements in various forms of more environmentally sustainable mobility. Tinskey, in an interview with The Verge, spoke of a world with really fast plug-in vehicle chargers. And of vehicles that can be re-parked using a remote driver. How fun. Tinskey, who touts SAE/combo fast-charging charging specification as the most likely to take the global leadership position, said a 150-kilowatt charger could be on the market "very soon." That'd mean an electric vehicle could be 80-percent recharged in just 20 minutes. Today's quickest units, the Tesla Supercharger, can crank out up to 120 kW. Some companies are touting 100-kW charging times, despite the lack of compatible chargers. Tinskey also spoke about Ford studies of a so-called "Remote Repositioning" feature, which would allow cars to be re-parked at night using a remote driver over a cellular network as spaces empty up, cutting down traffic, needless driving and pollution as a result. We're sure ready for such a thing. Through the first quarter of this year, sales of Ford's hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles are down 28 percent from a year earlier to about 15,000 units. Sounds like those improvements Tinskey speaks of can't come soon enough. Featured Gallery 2012 Ford Focus Electric: Quick Spin View 18 Photos News Source: The Verge Green Ford