The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·17V024000·Announced 2017-01-10

Ford Recalls Vehicles for Air Bag Inflator Rupture Risk

Ford is recalling specific 2005-2012 vehicles because passenger air bag inflators may rupture in a crash, potentially causing serious injury or death.

NHTSA safety advisory

Do not drive this vehicle

NHTSA advises owners to stop driving this vehicle until the recall repair has been completed.

This is the agency’s own advisory, not our assessment. Contact the manufacturer or a dealer, and see the official NHTSA notice for the current guidance.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 4/5 (Severe).

The hazard poses a serious risk of illness, injury, or structural failure. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.

Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that the defect may result in 'serious injury or death' and involves a structural vehicle safety component (air bag inflator), which aligns with the rubric criteria for a Severe (4) rating involving significant injury reports or structural defects.

Plain-English summary

Ford Motor Company is recalling certain 2005-2012 Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles due to a defect in the passenger frontal air bag inflators. The affected vehicles were originally sold or registered in specific U.S. states and territories, categorized into three geographic zones based on humidity and temperature exposure. The recall covers models including the Ford Fusion, Mustang, Ranger, Edge, GT, Lincoln Zephyr, MKZ, MKX, and Mercury Milan.

The defect involves propellant degradation in the air bag inflators after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling. In the event of a crash that requires the passenger frontal air bag to deploy, the inflators may rupture. This rupture can release metal fragments that strike vehicle occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator free of charge. Interim letters informing owners that parts were not yet available began mailing on March 1, 2017, with a second notice to follow when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
LINCOLN, FORD, MERCURY MKZ, FUSION, GT, ZEPHYR
Brand
LINCOLN
Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag System
Hazard
Affected units
654,695

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 (9)

  • MKZ
  • FUSION
  • GT
  • ZEPHYR
  • MUSTANG
  • MILAN
  • RANGER
  • EDGE
  • MKX

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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