NHTSA Forces Ford To Recall Almost 3 Million Vehicles With Takata Airbags

Ford has issued a recall in North America for nearly 3 million older cars, equipped with the dangerous Takata airbag inflators.

The desiccated propellant in the defective parts could degrade over time, after long-term exposure to temperature cycling and humidity, causing it to rupture during deployment, potentially leading to serious injury or death.

However, Ford claims that after analyzing the data, a safety recall was not warranted for the driver-side airbag, and back in August 2017, they petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The safety agency denied their request in January 2021, so the Dearborn automaker said that it respects their decision, therefore it is “proceeding with this recall accordingly”.

Read Also: Ford Repaired Some Vehicles Using Defective Takata Airbags, Now It’s Recalling Them

Approximately 2.6 million vehicles in the United States and federal territories, 274,737 in Canada, and 46,078 in Mexico will have to be taken back to the dealers for repairs, who will replace the driver-side front airbag inflator or module. The action covers the 2006-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge, 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Lincoln MKZ / Zephyr, 2007-2010 MKX, and 2006-2011 Mercury Milan.

The recall is expected to kick off in early April.

After receiving a defect notification from Continental Tire of America, Ford has announced a second recall for 15,769 vehicles in the U.S. and federal territories, 3,082 in Canada, and 138 in Mexico. Certain 2019 Escape, 2018 F-150, 2018-2020 F-250 and F-350 may have been equipped with tires cured beyond specification, which could experience sudden air loss, framework break in the sidewall or belt edge separation, increasing the risk of a crash.

In this case, authorized technicians will inspect the tires and replace those that match the suspect list supplied by Continental. The recall should begin at the end of the month.