Ford recalls 2 million F-150 trucks because of fire risk in seat belts

Ford is recalling about two million pickup trucks after it received reports of a seat-belt equipment malfunction that could cause smoke or fire, marking a setback for its top-selling F-Series product line that generates the bulk of its profit.

The recall affects 2015-2018 F-150 Regular Cab and SuperCrew Cab vehicles manufactured at its Dearborn Assembly Plant in Michigan and its Kansas City Assembly Plant in Missouri, Ford said in a statement.

Ford said devices that automatically tighten passenger seat belts, known as pretensioners, “can generate excessive sparks when they deploy” and that it knows of 23 total reports of smoke or fire in North America, the bulk of which took place in the U.S.

"Dealers will remove insulation material from the B-pillar trim, remove remnants of wiring harness tape in the B-pillar area, and apply heat-resistant tape to the carpet and its insulation," Ford's statement said. "Dealers also will modify the back interior panels of Regular Cab vehicles."