Another Ford Recall? Click to Enlarge.
Ford Motor Company is recalling 2022 Mavericks because the side-curtain air bags may not deploy properly. These Maverick pickup trucks fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 226, “Ejection Mitigation.” Almost 65,000 2022 model year Mavericks with build dates from February 3, 2021 through July 9, 2022 are affected. Owners won’t be notified until the last week of September. Ford is still investigating the root cause of this safety defect. The left- and right-side curtain airbags that are the problem were built in Mexico.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration discovered the problem in June of 2022 during a FMVSS 226 compliance audit on a 2022 model year Maverick. The displacement results for the front lower primary target were 111.9 mm, which exceeds the federal regulation of 100 mm. Side curtain air bags that may not meet the displacement requirements of FMVSS 226 S4.2.1 Ejection increase the risk of injury in a crash. No warning of the existence of potential deadly problem occurs before an accident.
In the required NHTSA filing made public this week Ford said: “Ford’s investigation included analyzing raw data from the NHTSA test vehicle and comparing it to the raw data from the Ford certification test vehicle. Ford’s analysis of all the NHTSA test data has not identified an explanation for the total difference in performance between the NHTSA test vehicle and the Ford certification test vehicle.
“In July 2022, Ford conducted FMVSS 226 certification testing, including the front lower primary target, on a 2022 model year Maverick equipped with new current batch side curtain air bags from the assembly plant. The displacement results of three samples tested at the front lower primary target were between 102 and 107.3 mm. The data from this recent test was compared to the data in Ford’s certification test from December 2020 and there were no root causes identified to explain the difference in performance. The root cause analysis is still under investigation. A Stop Ship was issued at Ford’s Hermosillo Assembly Plant (HSAP) on July 12, 2022. Throughout this investigation, Ford and NHTSA discussed daily the status of Ford’s testing, test results, and conclusions.”
Dealers will replace the left and right side-curtain air bag modules with a new design. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 22, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this latest recall is 22C20. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Ford Recalls 2022 Maverick Pickups for Bad Airbags
Another Ford Recall? Click to Enlarge.
Ford Motor Company is recalling 2022 Mavericks because the side-curtain air bags may not deploy properly. These Maverick pickup trucks fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 226, “Ejection Mitigation.” Almost 65,000 2022 model year Mavericks with build dates from February 3, 2021 through July 9, 2022 are affected. Owners won’t be notified until the last week of September. Ford is still investigating the root cause of this safety defect. The left- and right-side curtain airbags that are the problem were built in Mexico.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration discovered the problem in June of 2022 during a FMVSS 226 compliance audit on a 2022 model year Maverick. The displacement results for the front lower primary target were 111.9 mm, which exceeds the federal regulation of 100 mm. Side curtain air bags that may not meet the displacement requirements of FMVSS 226 S4.2.1 Ejection increase the risk of injury in a crash. No warning of the existence of potential deadly problem occurs before an accident.
In the required NHTSA filing made public this week Ford said: “Ford’s investigation included analyzing raw data from the NHTSA test vehicle and comparing it to the raw data from the Ford certification test vehicle. Ford’s analysis of all the NHTSA test data has not identified an explanation for the total difference in performance between the NHTSA test vehicle and the Ford certification test vehicle.
“In July 2022, Ford conducted FMVSS 226 certification testing, including the front lower primary target, on a 2022 model year Maverick equipped with new current batch side curtain air bags from the assembly plant. The displacement results of three samples tested at the front lower primary target were between 102 and 107.3 mm. The data from this recent test was compared to the data in Ford’s certification test from December 2020 and there were no root causes identified to explain the difference in performance. The root cause analysis is still under investigation. A Stop Ship was issued at Ford’s Hermosillo Assembly Plant (HSAP) on July 12, 2022. Throughout this investigation, Ford and NHTSA discussed daily the status of Ford’s testing, test results, and conclusions.”
Dealers will replace the left and right side-curtain air bag modules with a new design. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 22, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this latest recall is 22C20. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.