Bloomberg News reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is urging owners of 2006 Ford Ranger and Mazda B-Series pickups to keep their vehicles parked until the Takata airbags inside the vehicle have been replaced. NHTSA Deputy Administrator Heidi King reiterated the agency’s warning on Monday, “I cannot stress strongly enough the urgency of this recall – these air bags are dangerous,” adding, “Every vehicle must be accounted for now.” Bloomberg reports Ford has replaced the airbags in about 49 percent of the 33,320 affected Rangers and 55 percent of the 2,205 recalled Mazda vehicles.
The Washington (DC) Post explains that while the vehicles are not equipped with the “alpha” air bags considered to be the highest risk for rupturing, “they are considered high-risk.” The Post also mentions that Ford and Mazda authorized dealers will tow the affected vehicles to their facilities so they can be repaired without requiring the owner to drive it. Ford released a statement saying, “There is still more work to do. We appreciate NHTSA’s efforts to help us reach these customers because it is urgent that owners of these 2006 Ford Rangers bring in their truck for a free repair. Dealers are prepared to get vehicles directly from customers, make permanent repairs that will resolve the safety risk and provide a free interim loaner vehicle, if necessary.”
The Associated Press features a list of cities that are considered to be focus areas for the recall.
From the news release of the American Association for Justice.
