“Do Not Drive” Warning Issued For 2021 Ford F-150 Super Cab Pickup Trucks

Ford is warning owners of more than 16,000 recalled F-150 Super Cab pickup trucks from the 2021 model year to inspect their front seat belts, and advising “do not drive” if the seat belts are incorrectly installed, or the owner is unable to perform the inspection.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the Ford F-150 Super Cab recall on August 26, due to a risk that the front seat belt webbing may be incorrectly routed. Owners are being urged to immediately inspect their seat belts before driving the vehicles, and the manufacturer will also be scheduling inspections.

Although no injuries have been reported related to the F-150 seat belt problems, the potential defect is serious enough that owners are being told to not operate the vehicle if problems are noticed during self-inspections, or to have the vehicle towed to a deal for inspection if they are not comfortable performing a preliminary inspection themselves.

If a seat belt is misrouted, it may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury in an accident. Ford warns the seat belt webbing may be routed through a rubber trim sleeve instead of through a solid anchor. This may not provide sufficient restraint in the event of a crash.

Owners will be notified by mail with instructions on how to perform a preliminary self-assessment of the vehicle’s seat belts, which does not replace the need for an inspection by a Ford technician.

If the driver side seatbelt fails inspection, owners should not drive their vehicle until the repair is performed. The vehicle should be towed-in to a Ford dealer to have the seat belt repair completed.

If the passenger side seatbelt fails inspection, owners should not use the passenger seat until the repair is performed.

Ford indicated it will install a new seat belt assembly into affected F-150 pickup truck seats. The regular cab and crew cab body styles use a different seat belt assembly and are not affected by the recall.

The recall affects roughly 16,500 model year 2021 Ford F-150 Super Cab vehicles manufactured from January 2 through May 27, 2021, at the Dearborn, Mich., and Kansas City, Mo., manufacturing plants. Vehicles assembled after May 27 use seat belt assemblies that were put together using an updated process and are not affected by the recall or the “Do not drive” warning.

Vehicle owners should either call Ford’s toll-free line at 866-436-7332 or contact a local Ford or Lincoln dealer who can help with recalled vehicles using the Ford Online Automotive Service Information System database.

Vehicle owners can also visit NHTSA.gov/recalls and enter the 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) for more information on the recall and to determine if their vehicle is affected by the “Do not drive” warning.