A Fredericton man is refusing to drive his 2014 Ford Fusion after the company issued a recall notice on seatbelt problems, but has yet to fix the issue.
Greg Durling purchased the vehicle back in October. But a couple of weeks ago, he discovered it may not be safe to drive.
“So as you put your seatbelt on and you lock it in place, it’s is supposed to keep you completely strapped in in three points … so that you don't lunge forward in an accident,” said Durling.
The seatbelt is supposed to lock if you move forward too fast. It's a good feature to have if you find yourself in a collision,
According to Ford, the seatbelt function is recalled in some 2013 to 2016 Ford Fusions and some 2013 to 2015 Lincoln MKX models. The company says they're aware of two incidents with injuries "associated with this issue."
“I'm not going to drive a vehicle that's not safe,” said Durling
Durling hasn't driven his Ford since he learned about the recall. Notified of the defect on his Ford account, Durling was told to contact the local dealership, who told him they don't have the parts to fix the problem yet and referred him back to the company.
“We are working with our suppliers to expedite parts as quickly as possible. There are 35,614 vehicles in Canada affected by this recall,” said Ford Canada in a statement. “We do not believe the safety risk requires customers to stop driving their vehicles. As soon as parts are available, customers should have the recall performed. “
Durling says he's not taking the risk and feels Ford should be doing more.
“Why am I putting myself in further risk of injury when a device that's supposed to protect me has a possibility of failing?”
This week, Durling is looking to return the car for good.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Laura Brown.
