Ford Recalls 2005-2006 Ford F-150 Trucks
Ford is recalling 144,000 F-150 pickup trucks from the 2005 and 2006 model years for airbags that deploy when there isn’t an accident. There have been several reports of injuries, but no reported deaths as a result of the deployments.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) explains,“Ford reports that the inadvertent airbag deployments are most likely caused by the airbag horn mounting plate’s sharp metal edge that eventually can chafe/cut the airbag clockspring jumper wire leading to a short-to-ground condition.”
The administration adds, “One hundred and eighty two (182) of the 230 reports were for airbag deployments resulting in 56 injuries with remaining 48 reports for an airbag illumination condition. Injuries included abrasion, contusion and cuts to the arm/hand/face and/or upper body regions. One owner reported a broken tooth, and two owners reported being knocked unconscious as a result of the airbag deployment. In addition, My2004 and My2006 F-150 vehicles also contain the same design that resulted in an additional 89 reports with 37 airbag deployments and nine injuries. Ford made an interim design change to the horn mounting plate in January 2006 and then major changes to the horn mounting plate, airbag module and clockspring jumper wire designs in June 2006 for the My2007 vehicles.”
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this investigation is that Ford may not have recalled enough vehicles and that the investigation is more than a year old. “The recall, however, is much smaller in scope than what the government had requested,” writes The Boston Globe. “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, citing 77 injuries, told the company in a November 2010 memo that the recall should cover 1.3 million F-150 trucks from the 2004-2006 model years.” This investigation opened in September 2009 and closed in January 2010.
The Boston Globe continues, “A Transportation Department spokeswoman said the agency was currently reviewing Ford’s response to see if the recall was adequate. If the government determines that the recall is too limited, it could lead to a rare public hearing to decide whether Ford should expand its safety action.”
We’ll keep you posted as to whether or not more vehicles are affected by NHTSA’s investigation.
If you own a 2005 or 2006 Ford F-150 contact NHTSA at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or go to www.safercar.gov. Ford will notify affected owners in March, and dealers will replace the wiring harness for free.
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