Ford Recalls Recalled Ranger Trucks Over Faulty Airbag Inflators

Ford Recalls Recalled Ranger Trucks Over Faulty Airbag Inflators

Ranger Recall Recalled. Image: Ford

If a job’s worth doing then it’s worth doing well. If you’re cleaning the kitchen, do it properly or you’ll be back an hour later to do it again – the same is true for any wrenching project, bike maintenance or other bit of DIY you might have on hand. Sadly, Ford didn’t quite get that same lesson, so it is now recalling a recall of Ranger trucks that could be fitted with faulty airbag inflators.

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According to Reuters, Ford has issued a recall for 98,500 Ranger trucks produced between 2004 and 2006. The affected models are fitted with faulty airbag inflators, but it wasn’t a defect fresh from the factory. Instead, the issue stems from a recall of those very same trucks back in 2017. Reuters reports:

“Ford Motor said it is recalling 98,500 older Ranger pickup trucks in the United States because replacement front passenger air bag inflators may have been installed incorrectly.

“More than 30 deaths worldwide – including 24 U.S. deaths and three in older Ranger pickup trucks – are linked to Takata airbag inflators that can explode, unleashing metal shrapnel inside cars and trucks.”

The recalled trucks were originally called back to Ford due to faulty Takata airbag inflators. The defect components were found to employ an unstable chemical that could create violent explosions in the event of an accident, sending shrapnel into the cabin. To date, at least 23 people have been killed and 400 injured in the U.S. by defective Takata inflators.

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A photo of a white Ford Ranger Pickup truck.

The recall affects 2004 to 2006 Ford Ranger trucks. Image: Ford

To uncover the affected vehicles, Ford reviewed recall repair records across dealers and mobile repair teams. In the process, the Blue Oval found that some affected vehicles had been fitted with replacement frontal passenger airbag inflators that “may have been installed in the incorrect orientation,” according to documents shared by Ford.

If a vehicle with one of these incorrectly installed inflators is involved in an accident, Ford warned that the airbag may not deploy correctly, which would increase the risk of injury.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the recall affects nearly 100,000 pickup trucks produced between May 13th 2003 and May 2nd 2006. These trucks must now have the replacement inflators re-fitted or replaced.

So far, just seven trucks have been identified as having these incorrectly installed inflators. So far, Ford says it is unaware of any reports from the field relating to the issue.

To fix the impacted trucks, Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the recalled vehicles. Any that are found to have the defect will have their previously replaced passenger frontal airbag inflator inspected and reinstalled properly. Ford says there will be no charge for this service.

If you think your car has been impacted by a recall, there are a few ways to check if you’re affected. First up, the NHTSA has a super handy app that you can use to see if your vehicle is impacted by a recall, or you can head to the regulator’s website and plug your VIN into its recall search tool.

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