Dearborn, MI  – May 14, 2023 – Ford (NYSE: F) is recalling 231,942 2004 – 2006 Ford Ranger pickup trucks because their passenger airbags may fail to deploy in a crash. This reduces occupant protection, increasing the risk of injury. 

This recall is an expansion and replacement of one conducted just recently, in March 2023, over the same issue. 

Recall summary  

The affected vehicles originally had Takata airbags which, as reported, are prone to exploding when deploying. In 2017 and 2018, these airbags were swapped for new ones that did not have that defect. However, dealers botched the repair, resulting in airbags that may not inflate during a crash.

Recall risks

An airbag that fails to deploy in a crash ups the risk of an injury. 

Background of the recall

The manufacturer already recalled a range of these vehicles for the exact same issue in March, as reported. However, in April, it found one additional vehicle that was not included in the original recall that had an incorrectly installed airbag. On the back of that, Ford decided to conduct the current recall, expanding the number of vehicles to 230,000 from 98,000. The current recall supersedes the one conducted in March.

Other Ford recalls

In February Ford issued a second recall for Lincoln Navigator, Corsair and Ford Explorer SUVs due to malfunctioning rearview cameras. The first recall was done in October 2021 but proved to be insufficient, as reported.

In March, Ford recalled over a million vehicles whose brakes may become less responsive than usual due to a brake fluid leak, also as reported.

The repair

Dealers will reinstall the airbags properly. The repairs are free of charge. It is not clear if vehicles that already had their airbags replaced will need a new remedy. Contact your dealer to find out if that is the case.

Owners should also receive letters with more information between May 22, 2023 and May 26, 2023.

Is your vehicle a part of this recall?

More than 230,000 trucks are affected by this Ford airbag recall. To do a Ford recall check and see if yours is one of them, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.