Ford Ranger driver killed after ignoring airbag recall
Automaker had reached out over 100 times
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has confirmed the death of a Ford Ranger owner connected to a faulty Takata airbag inflator.
The driver was in a 2006 Ranger that was subject to a "do not drive" notice issued in 2018, but never had the faulty part replaced.
The incident occurred in Florida this June and brought the total number of Takata airbag-related deaths in the U.S. to 23.
Approximately 67 million vehicles with the airbags were recalled across multiple brands, according to NHTSA.
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The 2004-2011 Ford Ranger was equipped with the Takata airbag inflator under recall. (Ford)
A Ford spokesman said the automaker sent over 100 notices to the owner’s home and also a representative who visited in person.
"We are urging all remaining affected owners not to drive these vehicles and to contact Ford to schedule a free repair," the spokesman told Reuters.
The airbag is mounted in the Ranger's steering wheel. (Ford)
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Two other deaths have been linked to Ranger airbags, but Ford said there has been a 97% completion rate on the recall work across its affected vehicles, which include the Ranger (2004-2011), Ford Edge (2007-2010), Ford Fusion (2006-2012), Ford GT (2005-2006), Ford Mustang (2005-2014) and Mercury Milan (2006-2011).
Owners of the models can check if their specific vehicle is under recall on the Ford website.
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Setllantis in November issued a new "do not drive" warning to owners of the 2005-2010 Dodge Magnum, Challenger, Charger and the Chrysler 300 sedan after three new deaths were connected to the vehicles this year.