Ford Recalls Taurus, Flex, and MKS for Air Bag Defect
Ford is recalling specific 2008-2012 Taurus, Flex, Taurus X, Sable, and MKS vehicles because the driver's frontal air bag may inflate improperly during a crash.
What this means for you
Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).
Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.
Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a safety-critical component (air bag) that increases the risk of injury in a crash, but the source text does not report any specific injuries or fatalities, fitting the 'High' criteria for risk-of-harm products where injury has not yet been reported.
Plain-English summary
Ford Motor Company is recalling certain model year 2009-2012 Ford Flex, 2008 and 2010-2012 Ford Taurus, 2008-2009 Ford Taurus X, 2008 Mercury Sable, and 2009 and 2011 Lincoln MKS vehicles. The recall addresses a defect where the driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high-speed crash. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the driver's frontal air bag module, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on June 13, 2016.
Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C06. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
The recalled product
- Product
- FORD, LINCOLN, MERCURY TAURUS, TAURUS X, FLEX, MKS
- Brand
- FORD
- Manufacturer
- Ford Motor Company
- Category
- Vehicle — Air Bag
- Affected units
- 695
Is your product affected?
Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.
Model numbers (5)
- TAURUS
- TAURUS X
- FLEX
- MKS
- SABLE
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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