Inflatable rear belts will soon be replaced by other technologies, such as load limiters and pre-tensioners.
Ford F-Series will enter its 14th year. The new F150 will be available in the fall 2021. Its 40-page order manual is full of options, features, and equipment. You won’t find inflatable rear seats belts in this mix. However, you won’t find inflatable rear seat belts in the mix. CarsDirect stated thatthe safety feature was not available for the new truck. A Ford spokesperson confirmed this via email to Motor1.com.
Ford confirmed that the inflatable rear seat belts on other models will be removed as soon as they are updated or refreshed. Other technologies will replace the inflatable belts. For the F-150, this means standard-issue pre-tensioners or load limiters on the outboard rear seats. Ford predicts that similar technologies will be available for other vehicles.
This was a major issue for Ford back in the day. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety highlighted Ford’s inflatable belt as a potential solution to reduce rear-seat injuries in a crash. Although it was first introduced to the 2011 Ford Explorer with mixed reviews, it wasn’t without controversy. Ford issued a recall in 2017 for more than 117,000 F-Series trucks due to defective inflatable seat belt assemblies.
We expect that the F-150 will have many other features that will attract buyers’ attention. The hybrid model will offer 700 miles of range, an onboard generator, and a variety of trims. PowerBoost is a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 that features a 35-kilowatt motor and 1.5-kilowatt battery. Although the F-150 will not be able to run on electric, we expect it to have the highest power ever made by the factory.
Ford will announce specific pricing and horsepower ratings for the F-150 closer to its on-sale date.