Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) is recalling 953,000 vehicles worldwide to replace passenger air bags that the company says have the potential to explode.
The move includes over 782,000 vehicles in the U.S. and 149,652 in Canada as part of the largest series of recalls in U.S. history. Vehicles being recalled include the 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX, the 2010 and 2011 Ford Ranger, the 2010 to 2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, the 2010 and 2011 Mercury Milan, and the 2010 to 2014 Ford Mustang.
These Ford vehicles use the chemical ammonium nitrate to create an explosion to inflate air bags. But the chemical can deteriorate over time due to heat and humidity and explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister designed to contain the explosion and firing shrapnel into the vehicle compartment. At least 23 people have been killed worldwide and hundreds injured by the faulty inflators.
Ford said in a statement that its dealers will replace the inflators. Vehicle owners impacted by the recall will be notified starting on February 18, and the company has replacement parts available for dealers to order.
According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 16.7 million faulty inflators out of 50 million under recall have yet to be replaced. And 10 million more inflators are scheduled to be recalled this month, including the Ford vehicles. Ford has said that the most dangerous inflators are in areas of the U.S. south along the Gulf of Mexico that have high levels of humidity.
