Last week, the Ford Motor Company announced that they were recalling 365,000 automobiles that were manufactured here in North America. This is the third recall that has been linked to exploding Takata airbags that have been attributed to at least 18 deaths.
In this latest attempt to prevent further serious injuries or deaths, Ford proactively announced the voluntary recall after discovering that the passenger airbags in the front seat use inflators with chemicals that violently explode. They are especially at risk in locations with hot and humid climates, which further exacerbate the airbags’ tendencies to rupture.
The automaker is urging consumers to park the recalled vehicles and get the potentially hazardous airbags immediately replaced. In a separate recall related to malfunctioning windows in the rear doors, a few hundred new model Lincoln Navigator and Expedition sport utility vehicles (SUVs) have been taken off the market.
Ford dealerships will offer replacement components in the affected vehicles at no charge to consumers. To learn whether your automobile is included in the recalls, drivers may enter the vehicle’s VIN number into the website for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Consumers have the right to expect that the products available for purchase have passed rigorous tests and are safe to use for their intended purposes. Drivers and passengers were injured or killed by the exploding airbags when they ruptured violently during low-speed collisions that would otherwise have been considered survivable.
There are legal remedies available that could provide compensation to those who suffered injuries and other damages because of the malfunctioning airbag inflators.
Source: New York Daily News, “Ford expands Takata airbag recall, calls back 2018 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator SUVs,” Amanda Silvestri, Jan. 18, 2018
