Ford F-150 Recall Issued Due to Airbag Problems

About 144,000 Ford F-150 trucks are being recalled because of potentially defective airbags, which could go off without warning. 

The Ford F-150 recall was announced this week for trucks in the U.S. and Canada from the 2005 and 2006 model years. The automaker said that the recall was being issued due to the risk of a short circuit that could cause the airbag to deploy unexpectedly.

Ford Motor Co. said it has received a number of complaints about the problem from drivers who said the airbag usually deployed a few seconds after the trucks were started. Ford officials indicates that the F-150 airbag problem may be caused by a manufacturing error at the company’s Norfolk, Virginia assembly plant. As a result, an airbag wire can rub against the horn plate’s metal edges, creating a risk of short circuit.

In most cases, drivers have been seeing a warning light announcing that the vehicle needs service before the unexpected airbag deployment.

The recall comes after an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that started in late 2009 and originally covered about 1.3 million trucks from model years 2004-2006. The latest recall also comes after another 363,000 model year 2009 and 2010 Ford F-150s were recalled earlier this month due to defective door handle springs.

The Ford truck recall affects about 144,000 model year 2005 and 2006 F-150 pick-up trucks sold in the U.S. and Canada. The company said it would notify specific owners who are affected by the recall in early March.

F-150 owners will be able to take their trucks into a Ford dealership and have repairs made free of charge. Ford officials said that they expect the repairs to take about half a day to complete.

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