OAN Staff James Meyers
8:17 AM – Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Ford and Mazda issued do-not-drive warnings that cover more than 457,000 vehicles that contain recalled Takata airbags.
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The warning issued on Tuesday covers over 374,000 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles from the 2004 through 2014 model years and close to 83,000 Mazda’s from the 2003 through 2015 model years.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is urging owners of the vehicles to not drive them until a repair is completed and the defective airbag is replaced.
Ford models include 2004 to 2011 Ranger pickups, 2005 through 2014 Mustangs, 2005 and 2006 Ford GTs, 2006 through 2012 Fusions and 2007 through 2010 Edge SUVs.
Additionally, Mercury and Lincoln models include the Zephyr, Milan and MKZ from 2006 through 2012, and the MKX from 2007 through 2010.
Mazda’s covered by the warning are the 2004 to 2009 B-series pickup, 2003 through 2013 Mazda 6, 2004 through 2011 RX-8 and the 2006 and 2007 Speed6. Also included are the 2004 through 2006 MPV, the 2007 through 2012 CX-7 and the 2007 through 2015 CX-9.
According to the NHTSA, 27 people have been killed in the U.S. by faulty Takata airbags that exploded, with at least 400 people in the U.S. reportedly have been injured by them.
Meanwhile, across the globe more than 35 people have been killed by Takata inflators in Australia, Malaysia and the U.S.
Almost 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide, which caused Takata to go into bankruptcy.
Owners can check to see if their vehicles are covered by going to the NHTSA website and inputting their vehicle identification or license plate numbers.
Furthermore, if a vehicle has an unrepaired Takata inflator, owners should stop driving them and call a dealer to fix the issue. Ford and Mazda are offering free towing services and loaner vehicles if necessary, according to the NHTSA.
“Even minor crashes can result in exploding Takata air bags that can kill or produce life-altering, gruesome injuries,” the agency said in a statement. “Older model year vehicles put their occupants at higher risk.”
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