— Ford is recalling 49 model year 2015 Transit vans because a seat belt label is missing the model and model year printed on the label.
Recalls such as these are considered absurd by safety advocates because many vehicles are never recalled because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) doesn't consider certain problems a matter of safety.
A good example is a rusted floorboard an automaker would consider a cosmetic issue, not a safety problem. Forget the fact your feet could end up dragging on the highway. Yet, a misprinted seat belt label might cause death and destruction?
Ford says the dangerous misprinted seat belt label has the words "prototype sample" where the label should indicate the model and model year of the van.
NHTSA says the labels are a safety defect because:
"In the event of a safety issue with the affected seat belts, the vehicle owner may not be able to identify the seat belt if the seat belt label does not include a date of manufacturer." - NHTSA
While you're trying to figure out what that means, Ford says all 49 vans belong to one company, so a Ford rep will personally travel to the van locations and install a new less-dangerous and destructive seat belt label.
If by some chance you own the company that owns all 49 recalled vans, you can always call Ford customer service at 866-436-7332.
Read complaints about Ford vehicles that are much more problematic than a misprinted seat belt label.