An initial recall was issued for about 150,000 Ford F150s in February, but due to crackdowns, Ford Motor Company has widened its recall to over 1.1 million F150 pickups.
A defect was found in 2004-2006 model year Ford F150 pickup trucks. The airbags suddenly deploy without warning with no accident or crash occurring. The sudden airbag deployment is due to a short circuit in the electrical wiring of the airbag system. Though the defect was traced back to its source in the manufacturing process and corrected at the beginning of 2006, Ford has waited 5 years to issue an actual recall.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) uncovered over 260 different instances where the airbags suddenly inflated without warning, 98 of which resulted in bodily harm (burns, bruises, neck pain, back pain, cuts, chipped & broken teeth, broken arms, etc.).
Ford officials said the recall was put off for so long because the short circuit would cause the airbag warning light to come on, which they saw as a sufficient notice. However, many say that Ford withheld the recall because it is an expensive repair and will wind up costing them $180 million dollars.
If you own a 2004-2006 Ford F150 and you are having issues with the airbags, or any other vehicle related problems, call us today!