Ford and Mazda on Tuesday issued “do not drive” warnings to owners of more than 457,000 older vehicles across the United States due to a severe safety threat posed by defective Takata air bag inflators.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which announced the car manufacturers warning, the warning affects all unrepaired, recalled Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles, as well as all Mazda vehicles that are equipped with unrepaired Takata air bags. The advisories cover more than 374,000 vehicles from Ford spanning model years from 2004 through 2014 and nearly 83,000 Mazda vehicles from 2003 through 2015 model years.
Consumers are urged to not drive the vehicles until repairs are made on the air bags.
“If you have one of these vehicles, do not drive it until the repair is completed and the defective air bag is replaced…Some of these vehicles are now more than 20 years old, which increases the risk of an air bag rupturing in a crash. If an explosion occurs, it can severely injure or kill vehicle occupants,” the NHTSA said in a statement.
Newsweek reached out to Ford and Mazda via email on Tuesday for comment.
The world headquarters for the Ford Motor Company seen 15 April 2005 in Dearborn, Michigan. Ford and Mazda issued “do not drive” warninsg on Tuesday to owners of more than 457,000 older vehicles across the United States due to a severe safety threat posed by defective Takata air bag inflators.
JEFF HAYNES/AFP/Getty Images
The models at risk include Ford’s 2004-2011 Ranger pickups; 2005-2014 Mustangs; 2005-2006 Ford GTs; 2006-2012 Fusions; and 2007-2010 Edge SUVs. Affected Mercury and Lincoln vehicles include the 2006-2012 Milan MKZ, Zephyr and the 2007-2010 MKX.
Mazda’s lineup under this warning features the 2004-2009 B-Series pickup; 2003-2013 Mazda 6; 2006-2007 Speed6; 2004-2011 RX-8; 2004-2006 MPV; and the 2007-2015 CX-7 and CX-9 models.
The NHTSA has continuously advised that these faulty air bag inflators could explode with excessive force during a crash, sending shrapnel flying into the vehicle cabin.
Incidents involving the Takata air bags have already resulted in severe injuries and fatalities with 27 deaths reported in the U.S. alone, according to the NHTSA.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the global death toll stands at 35, with cases reported in Malaysia, Australia and the U.S.
In response to the latest warning, NHTSA is urging all vehicle owners to immediately check to see if their vehicle has an open Takata air bag recall. If it does, owners should contact their dealership to schedule a free repair as soon as possible and follow any warnings from the vehicle manufacturer.
Additionally, Ford and Mazda are offering free towing, mobile repairs, and even loaner vehicles to ensure owners can address the issue without delay.
The Takata airbag crisis has triggered the largest recall in automotive history, involving at least 67 million inflators in the U.S. alone, with approximately 100 million recalled globally.
In May, Nissan told owners of nearly 84,000 vehicles manufactured between 2002 and 2006 not to drive their cars due to concerns over exploding air bags.
The warning was for 2002-2006 Nissan Sentras, 2002-2004 Nissan Pathfinders and 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4s. These models are reportedly equipped with Takata air bags that can explode upon deployment.
“Due to the age of the vehicles equipped with defective Takata airbag inflators, there is an increased risk the inflator could explode during an airbag deployment, propelling sharp metal fragments which can cause serious injury or death,” Nissan said on the recall page on its website.
In addition, the NHTSA warned drivers last month about faulty replacement air bag inflators in used cars following a string of deaths and severe injuries in the past nine months.
The warning concerned “cheap, substandard replacement air bag inflators” in used cars that can cause death or serious injury in a crash, according to a statement from the NHTSA.
The message came after three people were killed and two suffered severe injuries due to “faulty aftermarket replacement air bag inflators.”
According to the NHTSA, the vehicles in all five instances had previously been involved in a crash, and the original air bags were replaced. The agency said inadequate replacements can lead to large metal fragments being sent into drivers’ chests, necks, eyes and faces during traffic accidents.
