Ford and Chrysler have expanded their recalls for vehicles equipped with dangerous exploding air bags even as Tokyo-based supplier Takata remains resistant.
Bringing its total to around 98,000, Ford's expanded recall related to faulty air bag inflators affects certain 2004-'05 Ford Rangers and 2005-'06 Ford GTs. The automaker cited pressure from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as the deciding factor behind the expansion.
The recall includes vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, while the expansion "adds certain zip codes with high absolute humidity conditions in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa, per NHTSA's request," Ford said in a statement.
The malfunctioning air bag inflators have been related to at least five deaths, possibly six, since they can explode in the event of a crash and spray shrapnel at the vehicle's occupants.
While emphasizing that no injuries have been reported in its vehicles, Chrysler has announced a recall expansion involving 149,150 older-model pickup trucks in seven U.S. states and five territories.
The campaign affects "model-year 2003 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups sold or ever registered in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, Saipan and the Virgin Islands," the automaker said.
The latest announcement expands a June recall affecting 371,000 Chrysler vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico; however, Chrysler hasn't specified how many trucks in the expansion have been recalled in addition to the earlier campaign, USA TODAY reported.
Chrysler will begin notifying customers about the recall on Jan. 19, 2015.
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