Ford Motor Company is recalling more than 230,000 2004-2006 model year Ranger pickups that received replacement front-passenger air bag inflators under a previous recall. The replacement front passenger air bag inflators may have been installed incorrectly, which was also the problem that forced the previous recall and now its latest expansion.
NHTSA made the latest recall public this morning. An incorrectly installed inflator may not properly inflate the passenger air bag, increasing the risk of injury during a crash. (Ford Recalls Ranger Airbag Recall for Unsafe Repair)
Although Ford service instructions include diagrams and instructions for proper airbag inflator installation, technicians who mis-installed the inflator told Ford they did not review the instructions prior to installation. Ford did not name the “select dealerships (responsible) and a certain third-party mobile repair team,” which discovered botched repair(s) in the required filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 22 May 2023. Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have their previously replaced passenger frontal airbag inflator inspected for proper installation, and, if necessary, reinstalled correctly.
Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 23S08. This recall expands and replaces previous recall number 23V-125. 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 NHTSA recalls 23V125 and NHTSA 23V306.
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 Ranger Airbag Recall for Bad Repairs Again
Ford Motor Company is recalling more than 230,000 2004-2006 model year Ranger pickups that received replacement front-passenger air bag inflators under a previous recall. The replacement front passenger air bag inflators may have been installed incorrectly, which was also the problem that forced the previous recall and now its latest expansion.
NHTSA made the latest recall public this morning. An incorrectly installed inflator may not properly inflate the passenger air bag, increasing the risk of injury during a crash. (Ford Recalls Ranger Airbag Recall for Unsafe Repair)
Although Ford service instructions include diagrams and instructions for proper airbag inflator installation, technicians who mis-installed the inflator told Ford they did not review the instructions prior to installation. Ford did not name the “select dealerships (responsible) and a certain third-party mobile repair team,” which discovered botched repair(s) in the required filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed 22 May 2023. Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have their previously replaced passenger frontal airbag inflator inspected for proper installation, and, if necessary, reinstalled correctly.
Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 23S08. This recall expands and replaces previous recall number 23V-125. 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 NHTSA recalls 23V125 and NHTSA 23V306.
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.