Ford said it was not aware of any injuries associated with these potentially defective inflators in any affected cars.
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The design of the airbag’s inflator has been identified by federal safety regulators as the problem that led to at least 13 deaths and more than 100 serious injuries. “But it’s unconscionable that they are putting these knowingly defective airbags into brand new cars”.
Additionally, Ford is expanding the safety recall for vehicles with Takata (TKTDY) airbags after the Japanese auto parts manufacturer notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that more airbags are defective. The recall now includes airbag inflators on certain Gold Wings from model years 2006 to 2010.
Until then, cars with these inflators are safe to drive, and are better than older models without this many safety features, says the NHTSA.
Takata agreed May 4 to the recall expansion, and more recalls will be announced later. It also says the inflators were uniquely made for GM trucks and SUVs with greater venting and machined steel end caps.
What’s more, the report found that some vehicles that have already been recalled – almost 70 million individual airbags, and counting – have been fitted with replacement inflator systems that will need to be replaced again, because they have the same problem as the originals.
“What’s troubling here is that consumers are buying new cars not realizing they’re going to be recalled”, said Sen.
Fiat Chrysler, Mitsubishi, Toyota, and Volkswagen were all mentioned in the report for equipping new models with the non-desiccated ammonium-nitrate inflators that have caused airbag ruptures.
The problematic inflators contain ammonium nitrate, which can deteriorate over time when exposed to moisture and high temperatures. The vehicles being recalled were built between 2002 and 2011 and include pickups, SUVs and cars. Hanif died at the scene of the accident, with one officer telling Fox News, (5/4/16) that Hanif died in seconds of the accident.
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Takata inflators do not pose unreasonable risk when installed in a new vehicle or for several years afterward, NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said last month.
