Ford is recalling about 745,000 sedans and sport utility vehicles in the United States for a problem with an electronic module that could prevent the air bags from deploying in a crash, the automaker said Friday. The action covers 2013-14 Ford C-Max, Fusion, Escape and Lincoln MKZ models.
In addition, the recall covers about 82,000 vehicles in Canada and 20,000 in Mexico. Ford has now recalled about 3.9 million vehicles in the United States this year, more than three times what it recalled in 2013.
The automaker said a short-circuit in the restraints control module could disable the air bags, and possibly the electronic stability control, because the system receives information from the module. The electronic stability control is an important safety device that brings a vehicle under control during a skid.
Ford said it was not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the problem. The automaker detected the problem as part of its 'normal internal processes,' such as warranty claims, Kelli Felker, a company spokeswoman, wrote in an email.
The Ford air bag problem is not related to the defects in Takata air bags that in recent years have resulted in the worldwide recalls of about 14 million vehicles by 11 automakers. The problem with the Takata air bags is that the propellant that ignites and produces gas to inflate the bag was not properly prepared and is too powerful. In a crash the propellant can shatter a metal casing, sending pieces of metal at the front-seat occupants.
Earlier this year, Ford recalled nearly 595,000 Escape and C-Max crossovers from the 2013-14 model years for a problem with the restraints control module. Ford told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a report that a problem with the module could prevent the air canopy from properly deploying. The air canopy uses low-power air bags mounted in the ceiling to provide head protection in rollovers or side-impact crashes.
The safety agency has received several dozen complaints from owners about the current restraint control module problem.
'The air bag light stays on,' one owner wrote in early September. 'The service department at Ford said the air bags would not work in the event of an accident. Ford's service department replaced the safety module, but that didn't fix the problem. They've ordered a second part, but it's been on back order since about Aug. 20. It is now Sept. 6 and the part has been shipped. My car has been sitting for nearly three weeks because I refuse to drive it with faulty air bags.'
Posted by Unknown on Friday, September 26, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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