Owners of some older Ford and Mazda vehicles in Canada and the US are being warned to stop driving because of a serious Takata airbag defect.
Ford told Daily Hive that approximately 146,650 vehicles (including Lincoln and Mercury models) are impacted in Canada. In a release, Mazda said 71,000 Canadian vehicles are affected.
According to Transport Canada, this issue involves driver or passenger front airbag inflators, which could produce too much pressure when the airbag is opened.
“This may break the inflator and increase the risk of injury,” said the agency. “Poorly inflated airbags don’t provide maximum protection, and broken inflators may propel sharp fragments towards the driver or passengers.”
In a statement, Ford said that this do-not-drive warning is part of an ongoing recall first issued in 2015 that involved “several vehicle lines equipped with Takata non-desiccated airbag inflators.”
“This do-not-drive advisory is the second Takata-related do-not-drive recall advisory issued by Ford, and it is intended to encourage owners to complete the recall repairs immediately,” said the company.
The advisory applies to the owners of the following cars and trucks who have not completed recalls 15S21, 17S42 and 19S01:
- 2004-2006 Ford Ranger trucks
- 2005-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles
- 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles
It also applies to passenger airbag inflators in:
- 2006-2012 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ/Zephyr vehicles
- 2007-2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles
- 2007-2011 Ford Ranger trucks
Mazda said its do-not-drive warning applies to customers whose vehicles have not been repaired under the 1317F, 1417G, 1817L, 1917L, 2118A, 2418A, and 2618F recalls.
This includes driver and passenger airbag inflators in the following models:
- 2004-2010MY B-series
- 2004-2008MY Mazda6
- 2006-2007MY Mazdaspeed6
- 2004-2008MY RX8
- 2007-2012MY CX-7
- 2007-2015MY CX-9
- 2009-2013MY Mazda6
- 2009-2011MY RX8
Both Ford and Mazda said that parts are available for impacted vehicles, and customers come in for repairs at their local dealerships.
“Owners can also arrange to have their vehicles towed directly to a Mazda dealership for a permanent repair that will resolve the safety risk by calling 1-877-756-2932,” stated Mazda.
Ford is offering a similar service, noting that customers can request mobile or towing to their nearest dealership.
The Takata airbag defect doesn’t just apply to these vehicles. Other car companies, including Nissan and Toyota, have issued similar warnings in the past.
More information can be found on the Ford and Mazda websites.
Transport Canada’s website also provides complete information about all manufacturers that have issued warnings due to the Takata defect.