DETROIT — Ford and Mazda are warning owners of more than 475,000 older vehicles in the U.S. not to drive them because they have dangerous Takata airbag inflators that have not been replaced.
The warning issued on Tuesday affects more than 374,000 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles from model years 2004 to 2014 and nearly 83,000 Mazdas from model years 2003 to 2015.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the inflators can explode with too much force in a crash, tearing apart a metal container and sending out fragments that can seriously injure or kill people. All have been recalled previously, but repairs are ongoing.
Ford models affected by the warning include Ranger pickups (model years 2004 to 2011), Mustangs (model years 2005 to 2014), Ford GTs (model years 2005 and 2006), Fusions (model years 2006 to 2012) and Edge SUVs (model years 2007 to 2010).
Affected Mercury and Lincoln models include Milan, MKZ and Zephyr from 2006 to 2012 and MKX from 2007 to 2010.
The warning affects the Mazda models B-Series (model years 2004 to 2009), Mazda 6 (model years 2003 to 2013), Speed6 (model years 2006 and 2007) and RX-8 (model years 2004 to 2011). Also affected are the MPV (model years 2004 to 2006), the CX-7 (model years 2007 to 2012) and the CX-9 (model years 2007 to 2015).
According to the government, 27 people in the United States have been killed by faulty Takata inflators, which used volatile ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion and inflate the airbags in an accident. The chemical can degrade over time when exposed to high temperatures and humidity. More than 400 people in the United States have been injured.
At least 35 people worldwide have died from Takata gas generators in Malaysia, Australia and the USA.
Owners can check if their vehicle is subject to the recall policy by going to the NHTSA website and entering their vehicle identification or license plate number. Ford and Mazda also have recall websites.
If a vehicle has an unrepaired Takata inflator, owners should stop doing it and call a dealer to schedule a repair. Ford and Mazda offer free towing or mobile repairs and loaner vehicles if needed, the NHTSA says.
“Even minor crashes can result in Takata airbags exploding, which can be fatal or cause life-changing, gruesome injuries,” the agency said in a statement. “Older model vehicles put their occupants at greater risk.”
