Stop Driving Your 2006 Ford Ranger Immediately and Check the VIN

Earlier this year, Ford recalled about 3,000 Rangers from the 2006 model year and told owners not to drive them until the faulty airbags had been replaced. Now, Automotive News reports that recall and “do not drive” warning has been expanded to include an additional 33,000 trucks.

The Problem: The Takata-sourced airbag inflators used in the affected trucks could rupture on impact, potentially shooting shrapnel at the driver’s face and body. So far, 22 deaths have been attributed to faulty Takata airbags, two of which occurred in Ford Rangers.

Since news of the airbag inflator defect broke back in 2013, the recall has continually expanded to include more than 40 million vehicles from 19 different automakers. At least three executives have been indicted as a result, and Takata has paid the U.S. Justice Department more than $1 billion in fines.

The Fix: Replacement airbag inflators are currently in stock, but because of the danger posed by the exploding airbag inflators, you shouldn’t drive an affected truck until it’s been repaired. Ford will instead have it towed to the dealer and will provide a free loaner vehicle while the repair is being completed.

Number of Vehicles Potentially Affected: This new recall affects about 33,000 model-year 2006 Ford Rangers, bringing the total number up to about 36,000 trucks. It also includes about 1,800 Ranger-based Mazda B-Series pickup trucks. To see if your truck is affected, check your VIN using the NHTSA’s recall checker tool.

Source: NHTSA, Automotive News (Subscription required)

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