Ford Motor Co. on Friday issued a recall of nearly 500,000 vehicles at risk of catching fire after a crash.
Part of a seatbelt mechanism that deploys during an accident can "generate excessive sparks," which the company said may start a fire in carpet or carpet insulation.
This fire could spread from an area called the B-pillar to the rest of the vehicle, posing a threat to passengers.
Affected vehicles include select Super Duty SuperCrew truck models with carpet flooring, with model years 2017 to 2019. The models were built between Oct. 8, 2015, and Oct. 29, 1019, at Ford's Kentucky plant, the company said.
At least one fire has occurred in regard to the issue, Ford said. However, Ford is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue.
The recall affects approximately 490,574 vehicles in the U.S. and U.S. territories, Canada and Mexico.
To fix the problem, dealers will apply foil tape to carpet and carpet insulation in the vehicle, and alter the sound deadener on the back of the B-pillar trim panel, Ford said.
