The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Bronco vehicles built with the 5-Door body style. The first-row seat belt latch plates may be difficult to access from their stowed position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
The risk
Difficulty accessing the seat belt latches may result in occupants not wearing their seat belts, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will add a sliding clip latch stop to the driver and front passenger seat belts, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 14, 2023. Owner letters informing owners that parts are available were mailed on October 2, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C16.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by OVSC
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Ford Bronco | 2021, 2022, 2023 |
Components: SEAT BELTS:CRITICAL FASTENERS
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Bronco | 2021 | 230 | 20 |
| Ford Bronco | 2022 | 383 | 23 |
| Ford Bronco | 2023 | 230 | 18 |
Other seat belts recalls in 2023
26 of the 894 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2023 concerned the seat belts; Ford Motor Company filed 737 campaigns in all.
| 23V861000 19 Dec 2023 | Van Hool N.V. |
| 23V845000 14 Dec 2023 | General Motors, LLC |
| 23V827000 7 Dec 2023 | Volvo Car USA, LLC |
| 23V786000 22 Nov 2023 | General Motors, LLC |
| 23V785000 22 Nov 2023 | General Motors, LLC |
| 23V782000 21 Nov 2023 | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) |
| 23V717000 26 Oct 2023 | PACCAR Incorporated |
| 23V716000 26 Oct 2023 | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2023