An important announcement from Ford and Mazda. On Tuesday, both car manufacturerssued the owners of more than 457,000 vehicles with recalled Takata airbags that prohibited them from driving. All of these vehicles – some of them are now over 20 years old – have already been recalled but have not yet been repaired.
This “Do not drive” warning applies everything unrepairedrecalled Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles as well as all Mazda vehicles equipped with undried Takata airbags.
Read the Here is a consumer warning from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NTHSA says IIf you own one of these vehicles, do not drive it until repairs are completed and the defective airbag is replaced.
ford
Ford also issued its own press release urging consumers with unrepaired vehicles to contact a Ford dealer immediately. The alert affects 374,290 vehicles from model years 2004 through 2014 that were previously recalled as part of the following campaigns:
- 17V787, 17V788
- 15V319
- 2005-2006 GT
- Mustangs 2005-2014
- 16V384, 17V024, 18V046, 19V001
- 2005-2006 GT
- Mustangs 2005-2014
- 2006-2012 Merger
- 2006-2012 Lincoln MKZ/Zephyr
- 2006-2012 Mercury Milan
- 2007-2010 Edge
- Lincoln MKX (2007–2010)
- Rangers 2007-2011
The first of the three recalls listed above occurred in 2015.
Vehicles where both the driver and passenger airbag inflator are affected:
- 2004-2006 Ford Ranger Trucks
- 2005-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles
- 2005-2006 Ford GT cars
Vehicles with passenger airbag inflators:
- 2006-2012 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ / Zephyr vehicles
- 2007-2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles
- 2007-2011 Ford Ranger Truck
This is Ford’s second Takata-related warning, designed to prompt car owners to make the free repairs under the recall promptly. The automaker says that as vehicles age, it’s increasingly likely that a part inside the airbag could explode in an accident, throwing out sharp metal fragments that could cause serious injury or death to the driver or passengers.
Worldwide, approximately 765,600 airbag gas generators in Ford and Lincoln vehicles are affected, including 374,300 in the USA Ford says the company continues to try to inform customers about these recalls. In the U.S. alone, the company has made over 121 million contact attempts to date, including letters, emails, phone calls, text messages and over a million home visits to customers. As a result, 95% of U.S. customers have successfully completed the Takata recalls.
Parts for the repair are available now. Ford says customers can request mobile service, or dealers will tow vehicles directly to the dealer for repairs. Dealers will even provide a free loaner vehicle if needed.
Ford says it will continue to notify known owners each month through various communication channels with the updated no-drive alert message. To see if your vehicle is affected by this safety recall, visit the Ford recall website or the National Highway Safety Administration recall website.
HYUNDAI
Mazda’s warning affects 82,893 vehicles from model years 2003 to 2015 that were previously recalled as part of the following campaigns:
- 17V806, 17V807
- 16V499, 17V013, 18V016
- 17V474, 18V402, 18V403, 18V404, 19V488, 19V781
- 2003-2008 Mazda6
- 2006-2007 Mazda Speed6
- 2004-2011 RX-8
- 2004-2006 MPV
- 17V429, 17V457, 18V018, 18V717, 19V782
- 2009-2013 Mazda6
- 2007-2012 CX-7
- 2007-2015 CX-9
According to NHTSA, some of these vehicles are now over 20 years old, which increases the risk of an airbag bursting in an accident. If an explosion occurs, the vehicle’s occupants could be seriously injured or killed.
NHTSA urges all vehicle owners to immediately check if their vehicle has an open Takata airbag recall. If so, owners should contact their dealer as soon as possible to schedule a free repair and heed any warnings from the vehicle manufacturer. Ford and Mazda offer free towing, mobile repair and loaner vehicles if needed.
Ford customers with questions or concerns can contact the car manufacturer Recall website and check if your vehicle is affected. Mazda customers can contact Recall website for more information and to check for recalls.
Deaths caused by Takata airbags in the USA so far
So far, the NHTSA has confirmed that 27 people in the U.S. have been killed by exploding defective Takata airbags. In addition, at least 400 people in the U.S. have reportedly been injured by exploding Takata airbag inflators. According to safety officials, even minor accidents can result in exploding Takata airbags, which can be fatal or cause life-changing, gruesome injuries. Older vehicles put their occupants at greater risk, as the age of the airbag is one of the contributing factors.
For Takata information on specific vehicle manufacturers, please Click hereFor more information from NHTSA on the Takata airbag safety recall, please visit Click here.
How to check if callbacks are occurring
- Use the NHTSA Callback search tool to enter your license plate or vehicle identification number and search for open safety recalls, including the urgent Takata recall.
- Download our SaferCar App and have it checked automatically for you.
- If your vehicle is subject to a safety recall, contact your local automaker dealer to schedule a free recall repair.
- Register at NHTSA.gov/Alerts to be notified by email if your vehicle is affected by a future recall.
Photo credit: Ford/Mazda.
