A recall originally announced by Ford in February because of defective airbags in its F150 trucks has expanded by more than one million vehicles. The original recall claimed the defect was found only in 150,000 F-150 trucks from the 2005-2006 model years. Under pressure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Ford initiated a more thorough review of the fleet and found potential problems in 2004 F150s, as well as its Lincoln Mark LT pickup trucks. That brings the total number of vehicles involved in the recall to 1.2 million.
The recall stems from a possible short circuit that could cause the airbags to deploy unexpectedly (more detail about the defect here). While airbags are designed to protect drivers in an accident, they are also capable of causing injuries, especially if they deploy without warning, while the vehicle is in motion.
Ford calls the defect “progressive,” meaning that an air bag warning light will illuminate well before there is any risk of airbag deployment. The company says drivers who see the air bag symbol light up on their dashboard should take the vehicle into a dealer as soon as possible and get the problem fixed, free of charge. Ford says there have been no reports of accidents or injuries connected with the defect. Letters will begin going out next month to inform owners of the problem.
**Meanwhile, the NHTSA has made it easier to stay on top of what’s been an especially active period for vehilce recalls (see previous posts on Toyota and Mazda recalls). You can sign up for an email notification system that will alert you of any recalls affecting your specific vehicles. Click here to sign up for the service.
The Personal Injury Law Update is a servi ce of D’Amore Law Group
