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PRODUCT RECALL: Ford Recalls F-150 Due to Inadvertent Airbag Deployment

February 23, 2011

Norfolk, Virginia – Ford Motor Corporation has issued a recall of their best-selling F-150 pickup trucks due to front seat airbags that accidentally inflates even if the vehicle is not involved in a collision, the company said Wednesday.

The recall will cover trucks that were built at Ford’s factory in Norfolk, Virginia, which is now closed, from November 2004 to June 2005, and were sold in 2005 and 2006 model years. The company said that they were aware of the 238 incidents of inadvertent airbag deployment that caused 77 injuries.

Federal safety regulators are reviewing Ford's recall plans to know if the company will repair enough vehicles. They also want the manufacturer to recall 1.3 million of the trucks, with vehicles ranging from the 2004 through 2006 model years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is also looking at Ford's data to determine whether it captures enough vehicles to solve the problem.

The company said that the airbag problem is reportedly preceded by the illumination of a dashboard warning lamp. This indicates that the restraint system should be serviced. In most instances, the airbag inflated shortly after the engine was started, but there were cases wherein the truck was already on the road when the airbag inflated.

The problem may have started as early as the truck’s construction. A wire in the steering wheel “could have been improperly positioned so that it may chafe, expose bare copper and create the potential for short-circuit that would illuminate the warning lamp. If not serviced and unique circumstances occur, an inadvertent driver frontal airbag deployment may occur.”

Ford spokesman Wesley Sherwood III said the company decided that it could correct the problem with limited recall. Owners of the truck will be notified in early March. They will have to bring their vehicles to the local dealer for replacement of wiring harness, which will take half of a day.

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