So far, Ford Motor Company has issued three recalls and two do-not-drive warnings for vehicles equipped with non-desiccated air bag inflators manufactured by Takata. The second warning affects approximately 765,600 vehicles, including nearly 374,300 sold in the United States.
Mazda USA’s Do Not Drive advisory covers nearly 82,900 recalled passenger cars, pickups, utility vehicles and multi-purpose vehicles. Unfortunately, it is unknown how many of these vehicles have had their original air bag inflators replaced with safer units.
It should be noted that both Ford Motor Company and Mazda offer free towing and mobile repair. Replacement vehicles can also be arranged if needed. At the time of writing, replacement inflators are readily available at dealerships across the country.
The Dearborn and Hiroshima automakers will continue to notify owners through a variety of channels. Those who prefer to take matters into their own hands can simply type in the 17-character vehicle identification number on Ford's website, Mazda's website, or National Workers Association (NHTSA)the website of .
Before continuing, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration highlights that deadly air bag inflators made by Takata have – so far – killed 27 people in the United States of America. In addition, more than 400 peeps have been injured by shrapnel from exploding inflators in the United States.
Photo: Ford
Given the above, those affected would be better off spending a couple of hours at the dealership getting the fix done than losing their lives or suffering life-altering injuries. At Ford Motor Company, affected models include the 2004-2006 and 2007-2011 Ranger, 2005-2006 GT, 2005-2014 Mustang, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln MKZ and Zephyr, Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Edge, and the technically similar Lincoln MKX.
For Mazda, vehicles that were originally equipped with Takata non-desiccant airbag inflators include the 2004-2006 and 2007-2009 B-Series pickup, the 2003-2008 Mazda6, the 2006-2007 MazdaSpeed6, the 2004-2011 RX-8, the 2004-2006 RX-8 MPVMazda6 2009-2013, CX-7 2007-2012, and CX-9 crossover 2007-2016. Since the vast majority of these vehicles are over 20 years old, there is a greater risk that the inflator could explode during activation.
The reason these inflators are so dangerous? It is said that the propellant is degraded by exposure to high temperatures, high temperature cycles, and high absolute humidity. Approximately 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide, 67 million of which were used in vehicles destined for the United States.
As of April 2024, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 88 percent of the 67 million inflators had been replaced. That means just over 8 million had yet to be replaced, which is puzzling when you remember that replacement inflators and labor are free.
As the main photo and photo gallery suggest, the Ford GT is the most expensive model in the target population. The first generation was produced for the 2005 and 2006 model years at Ford's Wixom, Michigan assembly plant. When new, the 2005 Ford GT retailed for $139,995, excluding destination, gas guzzler tax, and optional extras. Adjusted for inflation, it would be $232,840 in 2024.