The recall impacts several model years of the Ford Ranger, Mustang, GT, Fusion, and Edge.
The ongoing saga of Takata airbag inflators, the potentially fatal faulty part equipped on millions of vehicles, swept up Ford Motor Company today. In conjunction with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is overseeing the massive recall, the Detroit automaker announced a recall of more than 953,000 vehicles in the U.S. and Canada.
According to Ford’s recall site, “airbags can explode in the event of a crash, spraying shrapnel that can injure or kill.” While Ford said it has received no reports of injuries from its vehicles, the NHTSA has confirmed deaths resulting from Takata airbags.
The AP reported Ford will notify owners of affected vehicles beginning Feb. 18. But right now, Ford owners can look up their vehicle’s VIN number here to see if it is included in the recall.
Ford Recall: Takata Airbags
Ford urged owners to look up their VIN numbers to see if their vehicle requires service under the recall. But it also advised consumers not to disable their airbags, saying that even faulty airbags may save lives and that “the majority of Takata airbags will perform as expected.”
While the NHTSA identified certain model years of the Edge, Fusion, GT, Mustang, and Ranger that fall under the recall, Ford listed the highest-risk vehicles: 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2006 Ranger, and 2005-2006 GT. See the full list below.
Ford Recall of Takata Airbags
- 2007-2010 Ford Edge
- 2006-2012 Ford Fusion
- 2005-2006 GT (high risk)
- 2005-2014 Ford Mustang (high risk)
- 2004-2011 Ford Ranger (2004-2006 high risk)
For more information on the Ford recall, visit Ford’s Takata Airbag Recall page.
Takata Airbags
In 2013, several automakers began to recall vehicles made with Takata airbags. To date, more than 30 motor companies from around the world have been impacted by this recall. The issue also resulted in Takata filing for bankruptcy protection and selling off its assets in 2017.
The issue stems from a non-desiccated ammonium nitrate airbag inflator. With prolonged exposure to high heat and humidity, the propellant can degrade and the inflator may rupture when deployed in a crash. This can cause a spray of shrapnel capable of killing vehicle occupants.
According to the NHTSA, by December 2019, the number of recalled Takata airbags could reach 70 million. Visit the NHTSA Takata Recall Spotlight to learn more.
