A slew of vehicles equipped with Takata airbags are being recalled in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Included in the affected 58,669 (approximate) Ford vehicles being recalled are 2005-2007 Mustangs, 2005-2006 Ford GTs, and 2004 Ford Rangers.
Ford vehicles are not the only ones involved in the regional field action, as several other automakers including Chrysler, Nissan, Mazda, and Honda have also taken action to replace airbags.
Early this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began investigating a large number of vehicles produced, citing the threat of a rupturing of the airbag upon deployment. This rupture could cause debris to disperse within the cabin on impact.
According to the New York Times, Takata, the Japanese manufacturer of the airbags, is one of the largest air bag manufacturers in the world, and carries a “spotty safety record,” including previous occurrences relating to air bag and seatbelt safety.
CBC News reports that a spokesperson for Ford Canada explained that Ford is complying with the NHTSA request to recall all of the airbag inflators, but insists that they have not been made aware of any incidents involving Ford vehicles.
According to the NHTSA website, Ford will notify owners and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any defective air bag inflators, as necessary, free of charge, but the manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. If you believe you own one of the affected vehicles, contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford’s number for this recall is 14B04.