• Ford is recalling nearly 100,000 older Ranger vehicles in connection with Takata airbags.
• During the first Ranger recall in 2016, some replacement airbags were improperly installed.
• Takata airbags have so far been responsible for more than 30 deaths worldwide. One of those fatalities took place aboard a Ford Ranger.
This week, another chapter in the Takata airbag saga, which has included the tragic deaths of just over 30 vehicle occupants worldwide. Ford has informed the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), the equivalent of Transport Canada, that it is recalling just under 100,000 older Ranger pickup trucks.
This new recall is actually meant to fix the faulty replacement of airbag inflators during a previous recall. The replacement parts installed as part of the original Takata recall, which was launched in 2016 in the case of the Ford Ranger, were not oriented correctly, which could prevent the airbag from functioning properly in a crash.
In this new case, there is no risk of shrapnel exploding into people’s faces; but if the airbag doesn't deploy properly, that poses an obvious risk in itself.
Ford has already identified and repaired seven vehicles with new inflators that were improperly installed. Here's the automaker's explanation of the current situation:
“Ford service instructions include diagrams and instructions for proper airbag inflator installation,” it said. “Technicians who mis-installed the inflator told Ford they did not review the instructions prior to installation.”
Ford went though its records and were able to determine which models were likely to have been repaired incorrectly. Notices will be sent to owners starting in March.
Of course, many of these older Ranger trucks have changed hands since then, so current owners should be made aware.