Dearborn, MI – May 14, 2023 – Ford (NYSE:F) has issued a recall that expands and supersedes the one below after it found more vehicles were affected by this issue than originally thought. If your Ranger already had its airbag replaced, please contact your dealer to see if you need a new remedy or an inspection.
Dearborn, MI – March 18, 2023 – Ford (NYSE:F) is issuing a recall for 98,550 2004–2006 Ranger pickup trucks because the passenger airbags on these vehicles were not installed correctly after a series of previous recalls. This increases the risk of an injury in a crash as the airbag may not inflate.
Recall summary
The front passenger airbag rapidly inflates when a crash is detected, shielding the occupant from directly hitting the dashboard or windshield.
In the affected vehicles, the airbag inflator – which is what is responsible for the airbag going off – was improperly installed following several Takata airbag recalls.
Recall risks
The airbag may not inflate in a crash, increasing the likelihood of injury.
Background of the recall
There was a Ford Ranger recall in December 2017 due to the degradation of airbags made by Takata. In 2018, the manufacturer recalled additional vehicles whose inflators were also at risk of rupturing.
By November 2022, Ford initiated an investigation into the repairs following reports that the replacement airbag inflators were improperly installed. This resulted in the present recall.
Other Ford recalls
In November 2022, Ford recalled Bronco SUVs due to the dashboard screen’s failure to display the rearview image whenever the Reverse gear is engaged.
In January 2023, Ford issued a recall for Lincoln Navigator and Lincoln Corsair SUVs due to a defective chime that drivers may not hear when being prompted to wear their seat belts.
The repair
Dealers will reinstall the front passenger airbag inflator free of charge. Ford will reimburse owners who paid for their own repairs before the recall was officially announced.
Owners of affected vehicles will be notified by March 31, 2023.
Is your vehicle part of this recall?
More than 98,000 vehicles are affected by this Ford airbag inflator recall. To see if your vehicle is among them, run a Ford recall check using MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.
