765,000 owners still have airbags recalled in 2015; stop driving, Ford says

The “largest and most complex” automotive safety recall in US history is still not over, nine years after the first owners were contacted about a fix. Today, Ford issued a “do not drive” advisory for owners who have still yet to have their Takata airbags replaced, for a mix of vehicles that range from Ranger pickup trucks to the mid-engined GT supercar.

The Takata airbag scandal stretches back to the year 2000, when the company first learned from testing that some of its airbags might not deploy properly. A lack of a chemical drying agent, or desiccant, can allow the explosive ammonium nitrate propellant to take on moisture when exposed to hot or humid environments. As a result, the airbag may not inflate properly during a crash, and there were even cases of metal shrapnel being thrown around the vehicle interior.

The first US case of a faulty Takata airbag inflator occurred in 2005. In 2009, a faulty airbag inflator killed the driver of a Honda Accord in Oklahoma, sparking a recall by Honda later that year. A formal safety investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began in 2014 and concluded a year later when Takata agreed that its inflators were defective.

In 2017, Takata filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations. By this year, more than 100 million cars have been recalled worldwide.

Only a small percentage affected cars have yet to get their fix, but a small percentage of a very big number is still a quite big number, hence the periodic and increasingly urgent reminders from automakers. Last year, BMW issued a Takata recall related “do not drive” order for 90,000 cars, then another recall last month to ensure drivers who performed steering wheel swaps aren’t driving with dangerous airbags.

Don’t ignore three recalls!

Ford says there are still some owners who have ignored three official recalls to replace Takata airbags, with the first issued in 2015.

“Approximately 765,600 airbag inflators in Ford and Lincoln vehicles are impacted globally, including 374,300 in the US. Ford continues trying to contact customers about these recalls, with more than 121 million outreach attempts to date in the US alone, including letters, emails, phone calls, text messages and more than 1 million canvassing visits to customer homes. As a result, 95 percent of US customers completed Takata recalls,” Ford said in a press release.

Some cars need their driver and passenger airbag inflators replaced: model year 2004–2006 Ford Ranger pickup trucks, 2005–2014 Ford Mustangs, and 2005–2006 Ford GTs. Others just need the passenger airbag replaced: 2006–2012 Ford Fusions, Mercury Milans, Lincoln MKZs, and Lincoln Zephyrs 2007–2010 Ford Edges, 2007–2010 Lincoln MKX, and 2007–2011 Ford Rangers.

Ford seems quite eager for any remaining owners of these vehicles to get the recall performed as soon as possible, noting that the parts are all in stock and that the repair can be performed as a mobile service or by towing the car to the dealership. The company is even offering loaner vehicles “if necessary.” So if your truck or car is on this list and you’re still driving around with a Takata ‘bag in it, maybe it’s time to have that fixed?