Ford Recalls 2 Million Pickup Trucks Over Fire Risk

Ford is recalling two million pickup trucks in North America because of a defect in its seat belt system that increases the chance of a fire, the company announced Thursday.

The recall affects Ford's popular F-150 pickups, the best-selling auto in the United States, due to a fault in the component that locks the seatbelt in place during a crash.

A Ford investigation found excessive sparks when the component -- called a seatbelt pretensioner -- is deployed, creating the risk of fire.

The automaker reported 17 cases of smoke or fire in the United States and six in Canada, but said it is not aware of injuries or accidents due to the problem.

Affected vehicles were built between 2014 and 2018 at Ford plants in Michigan and Missouri.