Lemon Law News – Ford Expands Ranger Recall over Takata Airbags
Lemon Laws Protect Ford Customers
Ford Motor Company expanded an earlier recall for their popular Ranger line of pickup trucks containing potentially dangerous Takata airbag inflators.
The manufacturer sent a safety recall report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Feb. 8, 2018 stating they are expanding their previous recall to 33,310 2006 Ford Ranger vehicles built from Sept. 21 to Dec. 15, 2005.
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Reuters reported on Jan. 11, 2018 Ford confirmed a death caused by a defective airbag inflator and urged the affected Ranger owners to not drive their trucks until they can get replacement parts. Ford confirmed the driver of a 2006 Ford Ranger died after their Takata-built airbag inflator ruptured in a July 1, 2017 crash in West Virginia.
The expanded recall is the latest addition to the already huge Takata recall, credited as the largest and most complex recall in U.S. history. The recall affects possibly 42 million vehicles across America, including 3.3 million additional vehicles reported in a Jan. 7, 2018 USA Today report. That announcement covered model year 2009, 2010 and 2013 vehicles from Honda, Toyota, Audi, BMW, Daimler Vans, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Tesla.
The Takata-manufactured airbag inflators use non-desiccated phased-stabilized ammonium nitrate wafers as propellant. The inflators consist of a metal cartridge loaded with these wafers. A crash ignites the propellant, expanding the airbags. However, the recalled inflators can rupture, sending metal shards into the car’s passenger cabin. These shards can injure or kill occupants. USA Today’s report states the defective inflators killed at least 20 people worldwide, and caused more than 180 injuries.
Takata filed for bankruptcy on June 26, 2017, while still facing billions of dollars in lawsuits over the defective inflators.
Key Safety Systems, a U.S.-based auto component company, bought Takata’s non-airbag related assets for $1.6 billion shortly after Takata filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Ford will notify owners instructing them to not drive their vehicles, and dealers will replace the passenger side air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall for the original population began on Jan. 16, 2018. Owners within the expanded population will be notified beginning in the week of Feb. 12, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 18S02. Ford owners can also visit the NHTSA’s website and enter their VIN to see if their vehicle is included in any recalls.
Your vehicle’s manufacturer is legally required to fix any recalled problems for free. If the dealership refuses to fix the part or tries to charge you for the repair, contact the manufacturer immediately. The Highway Safety Act of 1970, which created the NHTSA, requires car manufacturers to pay for the recall and replacement of a defective part.
If the manufacturer fails to repair, replace, repurchase, or provide your recalled vehicle’s loss value, they are violating the warranty and a lawyer may be able to assist you.
Lemon law attorneys help their clients by dealing directly with the manufacturer on the clients’ behalf, working to promptly resolve the issue and get their clients back on the road. Thanks to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, attorneys can seek their fees directly from the manufacturer, meaning a client can obtain legal counsel without having to pay attorneys’ fees directly out of pocket.
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