Ford and Mazda have issued a critical do-not-drive advisory for certain vehicles that have yet to be repaired under previous Takata airbag inflator safety recalls. The advisory, announced on Tuesday, underscores the increasing risk of the airbag inflators exploding and releasing sharp metal fragments during a crash, which could result in severe injury or death.
Ford’s advisory specifically targets several older models, including the 2004-2006 Ford Ranger trucks, 2005-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles, and 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles. Additionally, it covers unrepaired passenger airbag inflators in 2006-2012 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ, and Zephyr vehicles; 2007-2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles; and 2007-2011 Ford Ranger trucks. In total, three previous recalls, dating back to 2015, involve approximately 765,600 air bag inflators in Ford and Lincoln vehicles worldwide. Of these, 374,300 are in the United States, with a 95% completion rate, according to Ford.
The Dearborn automaker urges affected vehicle owners to contact a Ford dealership immediately. The company offers mobile service to perform repairs at the customer’s location or tow the vehicle to the dealership at no cost. If necessary, Ford will also provide a free interim loaner vehicle until the repair is completed.
Mazda also issued a similar warning for its vehicles, including the 2004-2009 B-Series pickup, 2003-2013 Mazda 6, 2006-2007 Speed6, 2004-2011 RX-8, 2004-2006 MPV, 2007-2012 CX-7, and 2007-2015 CX-9.
Both automakers emphasize the importance of this advisory, which marks Ford’s second do-not-drive notice related to the Takata airbag recalls. The companies are committed to continuing efforts to notify owners through various communication channels to ensure these critical repairs are made.
Owners can check if their vehicle is involved in the safety recall by visiting Ford’s recall site or the NHTSA recall site.
