Woman Has To Brake Suddenly While Driving. Then Her Ford’s Seatbelt Traps Her Son: ‘Turns Out There’s A Recall’

A woman says a routine drive in her Ford Expedition took a terrifying turn.

Cassie (@bird_and_bear), an artist and children’s book author based in Louisiana, shared her experience after she says a recent drive with her 19-year-old son ended with questions about whether her SUV is safe.

“This video is for Ford,” she says.

Cassie drives a Ford Expedition Limited Stealth Edition, which she loves. But recently, she says, she had an experience that changed how she felt about the vehicle.

Cassie says she was driving with her son in the passenger seat when “all of a sudden” she heard something near the front of her car. She says the sound was akin to a rifle going off. “I thought we’d been shot,” Cassie says, adding that the noise “rocked the whole vehicle.”

When she looked over at her son, Cassie says he was “plastered against the seat” because his seatbelt had tightened around him and would not release.

She says she was eventually able to get him out without cutting the seatbelt, but the seatbelt no longer worked afterward because it would not retract or extend.

Then, Cassie says she received a letter from Ford.

“Turns out there’s a recall,” she says.

Cassie claims the letter involved a seatbelt recall, so she contacted the dealership to have it addressed. But according to Cassie, she was told “there’s no solution available” yet and that a fix may not be ready until September.

“What am I supposed to do?” Cassie asks. “What if my kid had been hurt?”

She says the incident left her questioning whether the Expedition is “safe to drive.” As of this writing, her video has more than 529,300 views.

What Is The Ford Expedition Seatbelt Recall?

Cassie’s experience comes as Ford is recalling hundreds of thousands of Expedition SUVs over a seatbelt issue.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Ford recalled nearly 420,000 vehicles, including certain 2018 to 2022 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator models, because the driver or front passenger seatbelt pretensioner may accidentally lock. When that happens, the seatbelt may no longer retract or extend properly.

The agency warned that a seatbelt that does not function properly could increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Seatbelt pretensioners are designed to tighten a seatbelt during certain crashes to help keep occupants secured. But according to NHTSA documents and Ford, the recalled parts may activate when they are not supposed to, leaving the belt locked.

Ford’s fix involves having dealerships inspect the seatbelt retractors and, if needed, replace them at no cost to owners, according to Reuters.

Vehicle owners can check whether their specific car is affected by entering their VIN into NHTSA’s recall lookup tool. The widget shows open safety recalls tied to a specific vehicle and whether a repair is available. Ford owners can also check recalls directly through the automaker’s website using their VIN.

In the meantime, Ford says owners can still drive their vehicles if the seatbelts are functioning normally. However, if a seatbelt does not pull out, retract, or latch correctly, drivers should contact their dealership before continuing to use that seat.

According to CBS News, the automaker said it expected to send owner notification letters in June, though remedy parts were not immediately available when the recall was filed. A second notice is expected once the repair is ready, likely in August.

Until the repair is completed, owners should check that their seatbelts are working correctly. Drivers should also contact their local Ford dealership immediately if they notice a seatbelt will not pull out, retract, or latch correctly.

Via email, a Ford spokesperson told Motor1 they would comment on the incident. As of this writing, Ford has not provided a comment. We’ll be sure to update this if they do.

Ford Owners React To Seatbelt Recall Concerns

Viewers in the comments shared Cassie’s frustration, with many debating what they would do if they were in the same position.

“People have got to quit buying this new junk!” one commenter wrote. “Take it back to the dealer and tell them you want your money back, maybe try the lemon law.”

Another suggested that Cassie push Ford for a temporary solution while waiting.

“Request Ford to pay for you [for] a rental,” they wrote.

Others said they had dealt with their own frustrations involving newer vehicles.

“We had this issue with our Bronco," one person claimed, adding they “made Ford” buy the car back from her. “Told us it may take 2 years before they can fix it. I went back to Jeep!”

To this, Cassie responded: “TWO YEARS?!?!”

Some viewers took the opportunity to criticize Ford.

“Never buy a Ford,” one person wrote.

“Go buy a Chevy,” another added.

Others made jokes about the situation, including one commenter who wrote: “Ford sells duct tape.”

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“I don’t know why this comment tickled me so bad, but honey, IT DID,” Cassie responded.

Motor1 reached out to Cassie via direct message on TikTok. We’ll update this story if we hear back.

 

 

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