Ford recalling 175,550 Broncos because their seatbelts may be hard to use

Ford is recalling 175,500 five-door Bronco SUVs built from Sept. 23, 2020 through May 9, 2023, due to an issue with their front seatbelts.

A safety audit of the vehicles conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) determined that the location where the belts are stowed when not in use is not in compliance with the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard's "latch plate access" regulations.

The current design can make it difficult for the driver and front passenger to reach the belts when the seats are in certain positions, due to the clearance between the seat back and the interior trim, according to NHTSA.

The recall does not affect two-door versions of the Bronco.

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The regulation is based on the "nominal design position for a 50th percentile adult male occupant."

"Difficulty accessing the seat belt latches may result in occupants not wearing their seat belts," the NHTSA recall notice said.

No accidents or injuries related to the issue have been reported, according to Ford.

The automaker will install "a sliding clip latch stop (barrette clip)" into the affected vehicles, which will allow the belt to be stowed in a compliant location.

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Letters will be mailed to owners beginning on June 30, and they can also contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 for more information.

The recall is the eighth for the Bronco since it debuted in 2021.

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Ford told NHTSA that it is "investigating the causal factors related to the noncompliance."