New 2007-2011 Ford Ranger Airbag Recall

[Jim Oaks]

DEARBORN, Mich., March 12, 2021 – Today, Ford Motor Company announced details of two safety recalls in North America.



Ford proceeds with previously announced safety recall for multiple vehicles with certain Takata driver-side front airbag inflators, in accordance with NHTSA’s denial of Ford’s petition
In affected vehicles, the driver-side front airbag inflators were installed as original equipment and contain a calcium sulfate desiccant. Takata determined that desiccated propellant in these inflators may degrade after long-term exposure to high humidity and temperature cycling, which could cause an inflator to rupture during airbag deployment. While this condition could result in serious injury or death, Ford is not aware of any reports of a rupture of an airbag with calcium sulfate desiccant.

Unlike previously recalled Takata airbag parts, these driver-side airbags contain a moisture-absorbing desiccant and perform differently. Ford believes its extensive data demonstrates that a safety recall is not warranted for the driver-side airbag and in August 2017 petitioned the National Highway Traffic Administration. However, the company respects NHTSA’s decision issued in January 2021 to deny Ford’s petition and is proceeding with this recall accordingly.

This action affects approximately 2.6 million vehicles in the U.S. and federal territories, 274,737 in Canada and 46,078 in Mexico. It includes 2006-12 Ford Fusion, 2007-10 Ford Edge, 2007-11 Ford Ranger, 2006-11 Mercury Milan, 2006-12 Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ, and 2007-10 Lincoln MKX vehicles.

Dealers will replace the driver-side front airbag inflator or airbag module. Owner notifications will begin the week of April 1.

The Ford reference number for this recall is 21S12.



Safety recall issued to recover 19 tires over-cured by the supplier
According to defect notification 21T-001 filed by Continental Tire of America, certain tires supplied to Ford and other auto manufacturers may have cured beyond specification. Affected tires may experience a framework break in the sidewall, with sudden air loss, or a belt edge separation that could lead to a partial or full tread/belt loss. While these conditions may increase the risk of a crash, Ford is not aware of any related reports of accident or injury.

This action affects 15,769 vehicles in the U.S. and federal territories, 3,082 in Canada and 138 in Mexico. Covered vehicles include select 2018-20 Ford F-250 and F-350, select 2018 F-150, and select 2019 Ford Escape vehicles.

Dealers will inspect tires and replace those that match the suspect tire list provided by Continental Tire of America. In those cases, dealers will also replace the corresponding tire on the opposite side of the axle. If a pair of tires is replaced, the new tires will be installed/moved to the rear axle.

Owner notifications will begin the week of March 29.

The Ford reference number for this recall is 21S10.

 

[Saddle Tramp]

So no worries Florida trucks. Got it.

 

[Dirtman]

So no worries Florida trucks. Got it.

Oh no no no, Florida people gonna die first... It's a humidity issue.

 

[Saddle Tramp]

Yep. It's a mold issue.

Luckily we never have to worry about zombies. They rot in less than a week.

 

[dvdswan]

I thought these Tanaka bags were all fixed.

 

[Dirtman]

I thought these Tanaka bags were all fixed.

Nope. The issue was the inflators would rust when exposed to moisture. When that happened they blew up wrong and shot out metal bits at you. On some of these inflators Ford had little drying packs in them (like those things that come inside new shoes that say "do not eat"). Ford insisted that since these certain airbags used the drying packs that they would not suffer the same problems with moisture. There was a long legal fight with the NTSB or whoever, Ford eventually lost the argument and now have to replace all the ones with the drying packs they said were fine.

 

[dvdswan]

NTSB sounds like the spouse everyone has. Argue all you want but eventually you'll just cave in so you don't have to hear the squeaky wheel.

 

[Saddle Tramp]

I wonder if Ford would let me cut open my replaced airbag one the new replacement comes in to see if there's any rust on the inside like NTSB says it would. (I keep my windows down during the day at work.)

 

[Dirtman]

I wonder if Ford would let me cut open my replaced airbag one the new replacement comes in to see if there's any rust on the inside like NTSB says it would. (I keep my windows down during the day at work.)

No. And you don't quite understand the issue. The airbag is fine. Its the piece that goes boom. They don't touch the actual airbag during the recall, only the little bomb that makes it work. Tiny explosive gizmo that blows up the bag. 99% of them are probably fine. This was a recall from more than a decade ago...

 

[Saddle Tramp]

 

[racsan]

just how long can they go back for a recall? youd think at some point it would just get dropped. Who knows if a air bag would even work at all after 10 years?

 

[Saddle Tramp]

Did they ever fix those seats for mites on the Model T?

 

[Dirtman]

just how long can they go back for a recall? youd think at some point it would just get dropped. Who knows if a air bag would even work at all after 10 years?

If your airbag fails on a 10 year old car. You gonna be a millionaire.... i don't know of any line they have drawn yet as far as airbags or seatbelts age.

 

[19Walt93]

Safety recalls never expire. The problem wasn't with rust, the inflator(which used to be called the ignitor) uses ammonium nitrate which degrades and gets more volatile after years of exposure to moisture. The first person killed by a Takata airbag was in a Honda in 2001, the car was in a ditch with minimal damage, a deployed airbag, and a dead driver. The cops thought someone had stabbed her in the neck and rolled the car down the bank and were investigating it as a murder until the autopsy found air bag shrapnel in her neck. By 2004 Honda had evidence of several deaths. They announced a recall in 2014 when NHTSA forced them to do it. Being generous, Ford or GM would have been ordered to initiate a recall in 2004.

 

[sgtsandman]

I wonder when they are going to do a recall on the curtain airbags in the seats. It seems pretty much all the air bags are getting recalled over time by pretty much every manufacturer. IN any case, they already did the passenger bag on the 2011. I figured it was only a matter of time before the went for the driver's side. I'll wait for the letter.