The Ford Maverick is one of the hottest trucks on the market thanks to a winning combination of affordable pricing and a fuel-efficient hybrid powertrain. However, the model has been hit with a recall that impacts 64,974 vehicles built between February 3rd and July 9th of this year.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the trucks are equipped with side curtain air bags that may not deploy properly.
The NHTSA says their Office of Vehicle Safety Compliance contacted Ford on June 29th regarding results from a compliance audit involving ejection mitigation requirements. Without getting too technical, the government said “displacement results for the front lower primary target was 111.9 mm (4.4 inches), which exceeds the federal regulation of 100 mm (3.9 inches).” This stood in contrast to Ford’s certification testing from December 2020, which indicated a displacement of between 82.5 and 88.4 mm (3.2 and 3.5 inches).
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Ford analyzed the data from the NHTSA test and compared it to their own results, but was unable to identify an explanation for the differences. In July, Ford conducted a test with “new, current batch side curtain air bags from the [Hermosillo] assembly plant” and these too exceeded federal limits, although by a smaller margin. A Stop Ship order was then issued at the plant and on August 1st, Ford decided to issue a recall.
The automaker isn’t aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue, but Mavericks will be equipped with new side curtain air bag modules that feature a different design. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on September 22nd and the repairs will be made free of charge.
