Second Takata Airbag Death Confirmed in 2006 Ford Ranger Pickup
Ford Motor Co has alerted owners and lessees of 2006 Ford Ranger pickup trucks to immediately stop driving their vehicles in the wake of a second confirmed 2006 Ranger death seen as having been caused by an exploding defective Takata airbag inflator. Ford is warning all 2,600 2006-year Ranger owners on record to stop driving the vehicles right away and have the affected parts replaced without delay.
The U.S.’s second largest carmaker has had two deaths linked to the Takata airbag defects – one in a July 2017 crash in West Virginia and the other (only just confirmed) in December 2015 in South Carolina. Both deaths occurred with the airbag inflators built by Takata on the same day and installed in 2006 model Ford Ranger pickups.
The Takata airbag defects led to the largest automotive recall in U.S. history, and at least 20 people have died worldwide and over 280 have been hurt from explosions in faulty Takata airbag inflators. The dangerous and potentially deadly airbags can suddenly rupture upon impact and shoot out shrapnel – lethal metal fragments – at drivers and passengers. At least 19 automakers have been affected by the Takata airbag defects, and a myriad of defect-related lawsuits are ongoing.
As reported by Thomson Reuters, “Ford has issued a new recall for automobiles that had been previously recalled in 2016. Of those 391,000 2004-2006 Ranger vehicles, the new recall announced on Thursday affects 2,900 vehicles. These include 2,700 in the United States and nearly 200 in Canada. The new recall will allow for identification of the 2,900 owners in the highest risk pool.”
In addition, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) advised owners to heed Ford’s warning. “It is extremely important that all high-risk air bags are tracked down and replaced immediately,” stated NHTSA spokeswoman Karen Aldana.
In June, Takata said that it expected to recall around 125 million vehicles worldwide by the year 2019, with more than 60 million in the United States alone.
Takata Airbag Recall Lawsuit & Your Legal Rights
Automakers have a legal duty to produce cars and components that are safe, and promptly correct any known safety defects. Lieff Cabraser represents drivers across the U.S. harmed by these air bag defects in lawsuits against Takata. Nearly 34 million vehicles, most manufactured prior to 2009, have been recalled worldwide due to the problem. This is the largest automotive recall to date in U.S. history. These airbags were installed in U.S. and foreign made cars and pickup trucks including in vehicles made by Mercedes-Benz, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Honda, Nissan, Mazda, and BMW, among others.
Click here to review the list of recalled vehicles with Takata airbags.
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