The Recall Desk
Our severity:SevereNHTSA·21V076000·Announced 2021-02-17

Ford Recalls 2004-2006 Rangers for Air Bag Inflator Defect

Ford is recalling 2004-2006 Ranger vehicles because certain replacement air bag inflators may explode during deployment, potentially causing serious injury or death.

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' due to sharp metal fragments, 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 certain 2004-2006 Ranger vehicles that may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part. These specific inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature, and temperature cycling.

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. 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
FORD RANGER
Brand
FORD
Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Category
Vehicle — Air Bag
Hazard
Affected units
144,340

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.

Related recalls

Same brand · FORD

Same manufacturer · Ford Motor Company

See all →

Same hazard · air bag explosion

See all →

Similar recalls