DETROIT—Ford Motor Co. is recalling 108,399 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ midsize cars from the 2015 model year for a defect in the front seat belt assemblies.
Ford said that a temperature increase in the driver or front-passenger seat belt anchor could degrade the strength of the cable and prevent the belt from adequately restraining a person in an accident.
The majority of the affected vehicles are in the U.S., with 4,002 in Canada and 1,023 in Mexico.
The recall concerns 2015 Fusions built at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan from Aug. 1, 2014, to Jan. 30, 2015, and at the Hermosillo Assembly Plant in Mexico from Aug. 1, 2014, to Nov. 24, 2014. It also concerns 2015 MKZ vehicles built at the Hermosillo plant from Aug. 1, 2014, to Nov. 21, 2014.
Ford says it is aware of one injury related to the defect. A Ford spokeswoman said the injury report did not drive the recall.
"We take the safety of our customers very seriously, and we continuously evaluate our processes for potential improvements and are confident in our current methods for quickly identifying and addressing potential vehicle issues," a Ford spokeswoman told Automotive News.
Dealers will apply a coating to protect the cable during a pretensioner deployment to correct the issue. Customer notifications will begin Sept. 9.