Two million F-150 trucks were recently recalled by Ford, following 23 reports that the vehicle’s seat belts caused smoke or fire.

Reportedly, 17 accidents in the United States and Canada resulted from issues with the seat belt pretensioners.

What caused the fire?

A pretensioner is the mechanism in a seatbelt that is deployed during crash situations in order to restrain the passenger. The F-150 pretensioners were found to generate excessive sparks, which, when combined with gases exhausted by the B-pillar, can ignite a flame.

Which F-150s are being recalled?

The affected vehicles were built between March 12, 2014 and Aug. 23, 2018 at Ford’s Dearborn and Kansas City assembly plants.

Dealers will adjust recalled truck for safety by removing insulation from the B-pillar trim, removing wiring harness tape and using heat-resistant tape.

When should I seek legal help for a car issue?

Manufacturers are legally required to fix any recalled problems for free as long as the car is less than 3 years old, covered under initial warranty and has less than 18,000 miles on it.

If the dealership refuses to fix the part or attempts to charge you for a repair under these circumstances, contact the manufacturer. Manufacturers who fail to repair replace, repurchase or compensate you are violating the law.

If you are in one of these situations, contact a Lemon law attorney for help. A Lemon Law attorney can help you work with manufacturers to get your vehicle safe and functional without unlawful charges.