The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·18V023000·Announced 2018-01-11

Ford Recalls 2006 Rangers Due to Air Bag Inflator Explosion Risk

Ford is recalling 33,310 2006 Ranger trucks because the driver-side air bag inflator may explode during deployment, 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 could result in 'serious injury or death' due to exploding inflators, which aligns with the rubric criteria for a Severe (4) rating involving significant injury reports or potential for serious harm.

Plain-English summary

Ford Motor Company is recalling 33,310 model year 2006 Ford Ranger trucks. The recall was initially issued for 2,700 vehicles in January 2018 and expanded in February 2018 to include the total population of affected vehicles built with specific driver-side air bag inflators.

The defect involves the driver-side frontal air bag inflator, which may experience excessive internal pressure upon deployment. This pressure can cause the inflator to explode, sending sharp metal fragments into the vehicle cabin. In the event of a crash requiring air bag deployment, these fragments could strike occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death.

Ford has instructed owners not to drive these vehicles until they have been repaired. Dealers will replace the front driver-side air bag inflator with an alternate inflator free of charge. Owners can contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 for more information.

The recalled product

Product
FORD RANGER
Brand
FORD
Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag
Hazard
Affected units
33,310

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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