Ford Increases Recall Over Defective Takata Airbags

Santa Clara, CAFord Motor Co is issuing a recall of about 816,000 vehicles following a previous recall due to defective Takata Airbags.

The new recall brings the total number of Ford vehicles with Takata air bag inflators recalled around the world to 3 million, the majority being in the United States and Canada.

This latest recall by Ford follows one made by Honda Motor Co earlier this week involving approximately 1.3 million vehicles in the United States, bringing the total number of Honda vehicles registered in the US recalled for Takata issues to nearly 11.4 million.

Globally, Honda has recalled 51 million Takata air bag inflators, and a smaller number of Honda brand and luxury Acura brand vehicles, because some of the models have been involved in more than one recall for the inflators Reuters reports.

In 2014, seven of the major automotive manufacturers issued recalls for faulty airbags in the US. BMW, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota recalled cars sold in places where hot, humid weather can potentially affect the air bags. The automakers all have air bag systems made by Takata Corp., a Tokyo-based supplier of seat belts, air bags, steering wheels and other auto parts.

In 2015, it became known that engineers at Takata first noticed problems with the chemical mix used in its airbags over a decade ago. The problem has to do with aspirin-sized Ammonium nitrate tablets that are put in a metal canister inside the airbag, and are designed to produce a gas that inflates the bag. However, extreme temperature can destabilize the ammonium nitrate causing the metal canister to explode, according to patent application documents the company filed by Takata. Six deaths have been linked to the defective air bags, all in cars made by Honda.