Driver side: inflator moduleRecall 21V-158 · Ford and Lincoln vehicles
Ford Motor Company recall 21V-158 covers 2,602,668 Ford and Lincoln vehicles for a driver side: inflator module problem, reported to NHTSA on March 10, 2021. The manufacturer's latest report (2023 Q1) shows 27% of affected vehicles repaired.
Source: NHTSA recall 21V158000 and manufacturer quarterly reports. Started by an NHTSA defect investigation.
The problem
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
The risk
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S12.
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.safercar.gov.
Recall repairs are free. Confirm whether this recall is open on your vehicle by entering its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
How fast cars are being fixed
27%repaired
Share of affected vehicles repaired in each quarterly report the manufacturer filed with NHTSA. 153,687 vehicles were listed as unreachable.
Vehicles in this recall
The investigation behind this recall
- Air Bag Inflator RuptureNHTSA