The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·17V787000·Announced 2017-12-11

Ford Ranger Recall: Driver Air Bag Inflator Rupture Risk

Ford is recalling 2004-2006 Ranger trucks to replace driver air bag inflators that may rupture during deployment, posing a risk of serious injury.

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 could result in 'serious injury or death' due to metal fragments striking occupants, which aligns with the rubric criteria for a Severe rating involving significant injury reports or potential for serious harm.

Plain-English summary

Ford Motor Company is recalling certain 2004-2006 Ford Ranger trucks to implement a final repair for the driver side frontal air bag inflator. This recall supersedes a previous interim repair campaign (16V-036). The defect involves excessive internal pressure that may cause the inflator to rupture upon deployment.

In the event of a crash where the driver's frontal air bag deploys, the rupturing inflator could release metal fragments that strike vehicle occupants. This poses a potential risk of serious injury or death. The recall affects 328,213 vehicles.

Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternate inflator free of charge. The recall began on January 16, 2018. Owners who received a replacement under the previous campaign must return to a dealer to have the alternate inflator installed. Ford's number for this recall is 17S42.

The recalled product

Product
FORD RANGER
Brand
FORD
Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag / Inflator
Hazard
Affected units
328,213

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 (1)

  • RANGER

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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